Chapter Two: An Offer She Couldn't Understand

Zara stood on the sidewalk, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag.

The black SUV remained parked in front of her.

Its tinted window was rolled halfway down, revealing Adrian Knight's calm expression. He wasn't smiling, and he didn't look impatient either. He simply waited, as though he already knew she would make the right decision.

She glanced around.

Was he really talking to her?

One of the bodyguards stepped out of the front seat.

"Mr. Knight is waiting, Miss Daniels."

Her heart pounded.

"I'm not getting kidnapped, am I?" she asked before she could stop herself.

The bodyguard blinked.

"No, ma'am."

A small laugh escaped Adrian. It was so brief that Zara almost thought she'd imagined it.

"Get in," he said again. "I only want to talk."

She hesitated.

Every warning her mother had ever given her echoed in her mind.

Never enter a stranger's car.

Then again, this wasn't exactly a stranger. He was one of the most recognizable CEOs in the country. If he wanted revenge over a cup of coffee, surely he wouldn't do it in broad daylight.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and climbed in.

The smell of expensive leather filled the car.

She carefully shut the door behind her.

Nobody spoke.

The silence stretched for nearly a minute.

Finally, Adrian broke it.

"How long have you worked there?"

"Eight months."

"You seemed surprised when your manager called you new."

"I was."

His eyes shifted toward her.

"He lied."

"Yes."

Another silence.

She couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"So..." she finally said. "Why am I here?"

He folded his hands neatly.

"You lost your job because of me."

She frowned.

"Not exactly."

"If I hadn't walked into that café today, you would still have one."

She shrugged.

"I guess."

"I don't like being the reason innocent people suffer."

Zara almost laughed.

This was the same man everyone feared?

"You don't even know me," she said quietly.

"I don't."

"Then how do you know I'm innocent?"

He looked out the window.

"I watched the security footage before leaving."

Her eyes widened.

"You... what?"

"The café manager showed it to me."

"So you know it wasn't my fault."

"I do."

She sighed.

"That makes me feel slightly better."

"Slightly?"

"I still don't have a job."

For the first time since they met, Adrian smiled.

It wasn't a big smile.

Just enough to soften the sharpness of his face.

"You speak your mind."

"I've never been good at pretending."

"I noticed."

The driver pulled away from the curb.

"Wait." Zara looked out the window. "Where are we going?"

"My office."

"No."

The word escaped before she could think.

"No?"

"I didn't agree to that."

"You agreed to get in."

"I agreed to talk."

Adrian studied her for a moment before speaking to the driver.

"Stop."

The SUV came to a smooth halt beside a quiet park.

"There," Adrian said. "We'll talk here."

Zara relaxed a little.

"Thank you."

"You don't trust me."

"I don't trust rich men."

His eyebrow lifted.

"That's specific."

"My father worked for one."

The words slipped out before she could stop them.

She looked away.

"He gave everything to the company. Overtime. Weekends. Holidays. Then one day they replaced him with someone younger."

"I'm sorry."

"He died two years later."

Adrian didn't interrupt.

"My mother always said loyalty only matters to people who can afford it."

The car fell silent again.

For the first time that day, Adrian seemed unsure of what to say.

"I can't change what happened to your father."

"I know."

"But I can help you."

She turned to him.

"Why?"

"You deserve another chance."

She shook her head.

"No one gives people opportunities for free."

"I don't."

"There it is."

"I expect honesty."

She frowned.

"What?"

"If I offer you a job, I expect you to earn it."

Her eyes narrowed.

"A job?"

"At Knight Technologies."

She stared at him.

Then she laughed.

Not because it was funny.

Because it sounded impossible.

"You're joking."

"I'm not."

"I spilled coffee on you."

"You did."

"I embarrassed you."

"You did."

"And you want to hire me?"

"Yes."

"There has to be a catch."

"There isn't."

She folded her arms.

"I don't believe you."

"I expected that."

He reached into his briefcase and placed a business card on the seat between them.

"If you decide you're interested, come to my office tomorrow at nine."

She looked at the card but didn't touch it.

"What position?"

"My executive assistant recently resigned."

Zara nearly choked.

"Absolutely not."

"No?"

"I've never worked in a corporate office."

"You'll learn."

"I don't even know how companies like yours operate."

"You'll learn."

She sighed.

"You make everything sound easy."

"It isn't."

"Then why me?"

Adrian looked directly into her eyes.

"Because during all that chaos in the café, you apologized before you defended yourself."

She frowned.

"I don't understand."

"Most people would have blamed someone else immediately."

"There was someone else."

"You still apologized first."

She didn't know what to say.

"I value character more than experience."

Those words stayed with her.

No interviewer had ever said anything like that.

Most of them barely looked at her CV before rejecting her.

The driver cleared his throat gently.

"Sir, your meeting."

Adrian checked his watch.

"Right."

He opened the door.

"You can get out here if you'd like."

She picked up the business card.

The thick paper felt expensive.

"What if I don't come tomorrow?"

"Then I'll assume you've made your choice."

"And if I do?"

"I'll interview you."

"You mean I don't automatically get the job?"

A hint of amusement crossed his face.

"Of course not."

"Good."

He looked surprised.

"I'd rather earn it."

For the second time that day, Adrian smiled.

"A reasonable answer."

She stepped out of the SUV.

Before closing the door, she looked back.

"Mr. Knight?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you... for believing it wasn't my fault."

He gave a small nod.

"You're welcome, Miss Daniels."

The SUV drove away, disappearing into the afternoon traffic.

Zara stood alone, staring at the business card in her hand.

Knight Technologies.

Executive Office.

Tomorrow. Nine o'clock.

It sounded like the beginning of a dream.

Or the beginning of another disappointment.

Her phone buzzed.

It was her landlord again.

If you don't have my money by tomorrow morning, don't bother coming back with excuses.

She closed her eyes.

Life had backed her into a corner.

Maybe walking into Adrian Knight's office wasn't the worst decision she could make.

Maybe...

Or maybe she was about to make the biggest mistake of her life.