Chapter 2 Thirty Minutes Earlier

"Wake up, Aria, or you will miss the only chance you have," my mother’s voice broke through the quiet darkness of the room before my alarm could even make a sound.

I sat up straight in bed, my heart hammering against my ribs as I blindly reached for my phone on the wooden nightstand. My fingers trembled as I tapped the screen, half-expecting the official email from Blackwood Group to have vanished into thin air like a cruel trick.

The bright notification was still sitting right at the top of my screen, displaying my full name, the confirmed time, and the address of Blackwood Tower in clear, bold letters.

"You didn't dream it," my mother said gently, leaning against the doorframe with a warm, tired smile that did not quite reach her exhausted eyes. "It is really happening."

"It feels completely insane," I whispered, holding the glowing phone tightly against my chest as a sudden wave of sharp tension twisted my stomach. "What if I get there and completely freeze up in front of them?"

"You won't freeze," she said firmly, stepping into the room and smoothing down the lapel of my carefully ironed black suit jacket resting over the chair. "You have spent four months fighting for a single break. You cannot afford to let self-doubt ruin this before you even walk through their doors."

I stood up quickly, checking my folder on the desk to make sure every single copy of my printed résumé, references, and identification cards were organized in exact order. My hands were cold, but my focus was razor-sharp as I double-checked each document.

My mother reached out, catching my hands in her warm palms and forcing me to stop rushing around. "Look at me, Aria. One single open door can change our entire family's future forever. Remember who you are doing this for."

I looked at her frail face, swallowed the rising lump of panic in my throat, and nodded. "I will make this count, Mom. I promise."

I grabbed my folder, squeezed her hand one last time, and pulled open the front door to step outside.

Just as my foot hit the top stair of the apartment building, my phone vibrated hard in my palm with a brief, high-priority alert.

I flipped the screen over, and my chest tightened instantly when I read the incoming text from the HR division: "Be advised, Miss Vance: Mr. Blackwood has personally moved your arrival time up thirty minutes."

I picked up my pace immediately, cutting through the morning crowd before the early bus could leave me behind. Arriving late to Blackwood Group was simply not an option, and I had already decided I would not allow a single mistake to destroy my family's one chance at survival.

The bus rattled loudly as it moved through the congested streets, but I barely registered the noise around me. I stared out the window, watching the city blur past while my mind began to wander. I allowed myself to imagine what working for such a massive, powerful company would actually feel like every day.

A steady salary at Blackwood Group meant we could finally pay off my mother's growing medical bills, clear the overdue rent notices sitting on our kitchen counter, and buy proper groceries without counting every single penny. I pictured myself walking into a real office, carrying a steady paycheck home, and breathing without the constant, crushing weight of debt pressing down on my chest.

Then my thoughts shifted to the man who ran the entire empire: Ethan Blackwood.

So many wild rumors circled his name across the city, making it nearly impossible to know who he truly was. The business reports called him a brilliant, ruthless prodigy who bought out competitors without a second thought. Office gossip claimed he was a cold, demanding man who fired people for the smallest mistakes and expected absolute perfection from everyone around him.

People talked about his sharp temper, his dark eyes, and his total lack of mercy in business.

A cold chill ran down my spine, but the fear did not paralyze me this time. Instead, a quiet, stubborn curiosity slowly began to take over my mind. What kind of man was Ethan Blackwood when the cameras were off? Was he really as heartless as the rumors claimed, or was he just a leader doing whatever it took to protect his vast company?

By the time the bus pulled up to my stop, the heavy dread in my stomach had transformed into a quiet, steady focus. I was still nervous, but my curiosity to see what lay behind those elite corporate doors was now far stronger than my fear of failing.

I took a deep breath, stepped off the bus, and looked across the street at the massive skyscraper.

Before I could take a single step toward the entrance, a sleek black car pulled up to the curb right in front of me, its rear window sliding down to reveal a man staring directly at me.

I looked past the car and raised my eyes to the giant building ahead. The Blackwood Group headquarters towered into the sky, its polished dark glass reflecting the morning light like a massive, unstoppable titan. I stood frozen on the sidewalk, my feet heavy against the pavement.

This was by far the largest and most terrifying corporate empire I had ever stepped foot near, and its sheer size made me feel tiny and completely out of place in my cheap suit.

I clutched my document folder tightly against my chest, feeling my breath come in short, uneven gasps. Every instinct in my body screamed at me to turn around and run back to the safety of my small apartment. But I forced my mind to quiet down.

I looked up at the high top floors and reminded myself that this terrifying place held the only key to changing my family's desperate future. This single interview could end our crushing debts, pay my mother's bills, and give us a real life.

A sudden wave of quiet courage rose inside my chest, pushing past my trembling fear. I took one long, deep breath to steady my racing heart, lifted my chin, and walked firmly across the pavement toward the grand entrance. I refused to let my terror dictate my life any longer. I was going to face whatever was waiting inside.

I reached the massive entrance and stepped directly into the heavy glass revolving doors. I pushed forward, forcing my feet to move with steady determination.

The doors turned smoothly, carrying me out of the cold street air and into the quiet, imposing marble lobby. As the heavy glass closed behind me with a solid, airtight click, cutting off the city noise, I had no idea that a man standing near the private elevators was already watching my every move with dark, sharp eyes.

Before I could even take two steps across the smooth floor, the main lobby lights suddenly flickered and shut off, plunging the giant room into complete darkness as a loud alarm began to blare.