The next morning came with the smell of black coffee and the soft creak of old floorboards. Sunlight filtered through the thin curtains in stripes, casting golden lines across the small living room. Emily yawned and stretched, blinking sleep from her eyes as she padded toward the kitchen.
Grandma Irene was already up, sitting at the table in her worn floral robe, humming to herself as she crocheted another patch for the quilt she'd been working on for months.
"Morning, sweetheart," her voice came warm and familiar.
"Morning," Emily replied, leaning down to kiss her grandmother's cheek. "You didn't wait for me to make the coffee?"
"You were sleeping like a log," Irene said with a smile. "I didn't have the heart to wake you."
Emily smiled back, forcing the expression to reach her eyes. It wasn't the right time to tell her. Not yet. Grandma had enough to worry about without knowing her granddaughter was jobless — again.
So, she kept her voice light. "Let me help you with the laundry and your meds."
Together, they moved through the slow rhythm of their morning routine. Folding clothes. Heating oatmeal. Refilling the plastic pill case for the week. Her grandma still insisted on doing most things herself, but Emily could see the difference — the slower movements, the slight tremble in her hands.
It made her chest ache.
After everything Irene had sacrificed for her, Emily couldn't let her down. She would find another job. Fast.
Later, after her grandmother had settled into her armchair with a blanket and a crossword puzzle, Emily sank into the couch and reached for the old newspaper stacked beside the television. It was mostly ads and classifieds, but it was better than scrolling through job boards and sinking into hopelessness.
She flipped past furniture sales and car leases before something caught her eye.
WALKER & CO. CAPITALS – NOW HIRING
Immediate opening: Personal Assistant to Executive Office.
Full-time. High compensation. Discretion required. Experience preferred.
Her breath caught.
Walker and Co… as in Damian Walker?
The name was familiar — impossible not to know in this city. Billionaire. Business tycoon. Media darling. He owned half the skyline and probably the street she walked to get coffee. But why would someone like him be looking for a personal assistant through a newspaper listing?
Probably some upper-level assistant quit in dramatic fashion. Rich people drama.
Still… high compensation.
She reread the ad, chewing her bottom lip.
Could she even compete for a job like that? She didn't have a college degree. Just years of hustling through food service and retail and picking up admin work whenever she could. But she was organized. Focused. Desperate.
Desperate could be a good motivator.
Emily stared at the ad a moment longer, then made her decision.
"I'm going for it," she whispered.
She tucked the newspaper under her arm, stood, and crossed the room to where Grandma Irene sat peacefully.
"I'm heading to Chloe's," she said, kissing the top of her grandmother's head. "I'll be back before dinner."
"Tell her I said hello, and remind her she still owes me a rematch in Scrabble," Irene said with a grin.
Emily laughed, heart feeling just a little lighter. "Will do."
She grabbed her coat and headed out the door, the newspaper tucked tight to her side like a lifeline.
Outside, the air was crisp, and the city hummed with its usual buzz — people in suits, mothers wrangling toddlers, coffee cups in hand. Life moved forward. Somehow, she would too.
It wasn't long before she reached Chloe's building. Her best friend lived only four blocks away in a studio apartment just big enough for two people to sit comfortably if one of them didn't breathe too loudly.
Emily knocked once, and Chloe answered in pajama shorts and a face mask.
"Wow, you clean up nice for 9 a.m.," Emily said with a smirk.
Chloe grinned. "It's cucumber and honey. What's your excuse for being vertical so early?"
Emily held up the newspaper like a golden ticket.
"I might've found a job. And it's big."
Chloe's eyebrows rose. "Talk."
Emily stepped inside, adrenaline now humming in her chest. "Walker & Co. Capitals. They're hiring a personal assistant. I know it sounds insane, but it's in the paper. Interview's tomorrow."
Chloe blinked. "You mean Damian Walker? As in 'owns half the city and looks like he walked off a magazine cover' Damian Walker?"
"The one and only," Emily said, dropping onto the couch.
Chloe gave a low whistle. "Girl, if you get that job…"
Emily gave her a look. "It's not about that."
"Sure it's not," Chloe teased. "You're going for the job, not the billionaire."
Emily rolled her eyes but couldn't stop the flicker of doubt in her mind. Or the strange sensation in her stomach — like this choice was going to change everything.
She just didn't know how yet.