Mia Carter stared at the eviction notice in her trembling hands. Three days. That was all she had to pay the rent or pack up and leave. Her tiny apartment, barely big enough for a bed and a desk, suddenly felt even smaller.
She slumped into the worn-out couch, the springs creaking beneath her weight. No job. No money. No backup plan. She had sent out dozens of resumes in the past two weeks, and all she had to show for it were rejection emails.
Until one email popped up.
"Interview Invitation Chase Corp."
Mia sat up straight, heart racing. Chase Corp? That was one of the top tech companies in the city. Rumors said the CEO was young, brilliant, and completely ruthless. But she didn't care. She needed the job.
The next morning, Mia stood outside the towering glass building of Chase Corp, wearing her only decent blazer and heels that pinched her toes. She clutched her cheap handbag tightly, trying to stop her hands from shaking.
Inside, everything smelled like money and power. Polished marble floors. Sharp-suited employees. Cold stares.
The receptionist barely glanced up. "Name?"
"M-Mia Carter. I have an interview scheduled.
"Take the elevator to the top floor. Office 1801."
Mia's heart pounded with every floor the elevator climbed. When the doors opened, she stepped into a sleek, intimidating office space. And then, she froze.
The man behind the glass desk looked up.
Tall. Sharp suit. Cold eyes.
Something about him felt… familiar.
"You're late," he said, his voice like ice.
"I only by three minutes"
"Three minutes too many," he interrupted.
Mia felt her stomach twist.
He stood and circled the desk slowly, like a predator. "Tell me, Miss Carter… do you always keep people waiting?"
"No, sir," she managed. "I really need this job."
He stared at her for a long moment. Then a strange smirk tugged at his lips.
"I know," he said.
Mia blinked. "What?"
"Nothing," he said smoothly. "Let's begin your interview, shall we?"
She had no idea that the man in front of her already knew everything about her. That he had been waiting for this moment for years.
Because Adrian Chase wasn't just her potential boss.
He was the quiet, awkward boy she once rejected in high school.
And now… he held her future in his hands.