Chapter 5

Helena’s POV

I woke up to the smell of coffee and the sound of heels clicking against tile.

For a split second, I forgot where I was. Then slowly, the unfamiliar ceiling came into view.

And followed by the bed beneath me, then everything from last night came rushing back in a painful wave.

I groaned and rolled onto my side.

“Tessy?” I croaked out.

“In the kitchen!” She called back cheerfully. 

Way too cheerfully for someone who had watched me fall apart barely hours ago if I may add.

I pushed myself upright slowly as my head pounded lightly, then made my way carefully to the kitchen.

I shuffled into the kitchen and found her already dressed in tailored black pants and a cream blouse.

Her hair looked sleek and pulled back while she had her laptop bag by the door and car keys in hand.

I blinked at her. “Why are you all dressed by this time?”

She grinned. “Because I have work.”

I frowned. “You don’t usually leave this early.”

“That’s because today is special,” she said, sliding a mug of coffee towards me.

I wrapped my hands around it, enjoying the warmth. “Special? How??” I asked.

She leaned against the counter with her eyes shining mischievously. “You’re coming with me,” she announced.

I almost choked on the coffee. “I’m sorry, what?”

“You heard me,” she said casually. “You’re coming to work with me.”

I stared at her like she’d lost her mind. “Tessy, I don’t have a job. I don’t have clothes. I don’t have the emotional strength.”

She waved a hand dismissively. “Small stuff.”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I.”

She reached into her bag and pulled out a slim folder, sliding it across the counter toward me.

“What’s that?” I asked warily.

“Your ticket out of your head,” she replied. “And into an interview.”

My stomach dropped. “An interview for what?”

“For a role at my company.”

I straightened. “What did you do?”

“I pulled a few strings,” she said lightly. “For my girl, of course. Top secret stuff.”

I pushed the folder back towards her. “No. Absolutely not.”

“Helena—”

“No,” I repeated. “You don’t just decide things like this for me.”

Her smile softened. “I’m not deciding. I’m offering.”

“I didn’t ask for help.”

“You didn’t have to,” she said gently. “You needed a distraction. A direction. Something that isn’t your grandfather or that house.”

I looked away from her.

“You can’t hide forever,” she continued. “And you can’t sit on my couch spiraling either.”

“I just left my home,” I shot back. “Forgive me if I’m not ready to impress some corporate overlord.”

She sighed. “He’s not an overlord. He’s just… intense.”

That didn’t help.

“Tessy, this feels like too much. Too fast.”

“Good,” she said. “Fast doesn’t give your brain time to think of the past.”

I studied her face. She wasn’t joking, she looked serious.

“What kind of role?” I asked quietly.

She smiled, sensing the shift. “A junior strategy analyst. It’s tech-focused. You’re overqualified on paper, actually.”

I huffed. “That’s comforting.”

“And,” she added, “it’s an exclusive interview. He doesn’t do open applications.”

That made me pause. “Why me?”

“Because I vouched for you,” she said simply. “And because my boss respects results, not backgrounds.”

I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly.

“Fine,” I muttered. “But if this goes horribly wrong, I’m blaming you.”

She beamed. “Deal. Now go shower. We leave in thirty.”

Oh great.

By the time we stepped into the office building, my nerves were running wild.

The company headquarters towered above us, made of pure glass and steel. 

Everything about it screamed power. The kind of place my grandfather would admire.

That alone made my skin itch.

We passed by security, then took the elevator up, and walked through the buzzing hallways quickly. 

Everyone looked like they belonged here. Except for me.

“You’re going to do great,” Tessy whispered as we stopped in front of a frosted glass door.

The name etched onto it made my heart skip.

Barron Technologies.

“Wait,” I said under my breath. “That’s his name?” I asked.

She blinked. “Yeah. Barron Hale.”

Goosebumps spread across my neck at the mention of that name, but I quickly brushed it off.

Hale wasn’t exactly a rare name. Right?

“Relax,” she murmured as she must have noticed my little breakdown. “Just be yourself,” she added.

But that was the big problem.

The door opened suddenly.

“Miss Tessy,” the assistant greeted warmly. “He’s ready to see her.”

I swallowed hard. This was it.

The office design was simple, but commanding. 

It had a large dark wooden desk at the far end and a floor-to-ceiling window behind it.

There he was, sitting behind the desk with his broad shoulders squared evenly. 

He was impeccably dressed in a charcoal suit that looked tailored specifically to oppress.

He looked up from his PC as I walked in and our eyes met.

His gaze lingered just a fraction too long before dropping back to what he was doing.

“Miss Tessy,” he said calmly without looking up. “You didn’t mention you were bringing company.”

She smiled. “This is Helena. My recommendation.”

His eyes flicked back to me again.

“Helena,” he repeated.

I nodded. “Yes,sir.”

“Sit,” he said, gesturing to the chair opposite his desk.

And I did as Tessy stepped out.

The interview began immediately with questions about my education, my experience, and my perspective on tech strategy. 

He listened intently while occasionally interrupting with sharp follow-ups that forced me to think on my feet.

I surprised myself by keeping up.

And halfway through, he leaned back slightly. “May I see your documents?” He asked calmly.

I handed them over and he scanned them quickly, then paused suddenly.

His eyes looked up to, then dropped back to the page.

His finger tapped on it once.

And slowly, he read aloud, “Helena…”

“Helena…” he repeated.

I raised a brow as he read my name over and over, like he was thinking about it.

“I've heard that name before,” he muttered.

That's impossible, I thought.

“Helena,” he repeated again. “Lena.”