Cassie's office was on the twelfth floor, behind a clear glass door with her name written in bold black letters: Cassandra I. Rain - Public Relations. I barely had time to knock before the door swung open and Cassie pulled me into a tight hug"You got it?!" she screamed into my ear.
"I got it!" I said, hugging her back. Just saying the words out loud made my chest feel a lot lighter.
Cassie pulled back, her eyes gleaming with joy. "You are unbelievable, Amara. Do you know what just happened? You got hired by Elan freaking Knight, on your very first job interview in Manhattan!"
I laughed, trying to catch my breath. "It still doesn't feel real, Cass."
She pulled me into her office before I could even think straight. It looked exactly like her, bright and full of energy. Papers were scattered on her desk, coffee mugs sat on every surface, and a bunch of doodles on the whiteboard by the edge of the room.
"Sit, start talking," she said, pointing at her couch. She grabbed two lemon sodas from her mini fridge by her whiteboard and tossed one at me.
I caught it and sat down. "There's not much to say. He barely asked me anything. The whole thing lasted max five minutes."
Cassie squinted at me as she dropped into her chair. "Wait. Was he rude or something?"
"No. Not rude per se," I said, thinking back to how he just stared at me like I was a math problem he didn't know where to start solving from. "Just… I don't know. Cold. Kind of intense. Like he doesn't like wasting words. Or time."
Cassie grinned. "So you're telling me he was the brooding, mysterious type, I like?"
I rolled my eyes and took a sip. "Don't start."
"What?" she said, laughing, almost choking on her soda. "It's a serious question, girl. You sat across from Elan Knight and didn't melt into the floor? That man is basically carved from stone, he's a Greek god.
I gave her a look. "He's… not what I expected. To be honest, I didn't like him very much. He was polite, but there was no warmth. He barely smiled. It was like he was sizing me up the whole time."
Cassie tilted her head like she was studying me. "Hmm. So, scary but handsome?"
I rolled my eyes. "He's good-looking. Fine. But not in a friendly way. More like 'I could fire you with one word' kind of good-looking.I mean he can fire me in one word," I said sadly.
Cassie laughed. "Yikes. That bad?"
"I'm serious," I said. "His office was huge but so empty. It felt cold, just a big desk, a chair, 100 windows. I felt like I didn't belong there."
"But you got the job," she said with a proud smile. "That means everything."
"Maybe," I said. "Or maybe he just needed someone immediately."
Cassie leaned in. "No way. Elan Knight doesn't hire people unless he sees something in them. He's picky."
"He mentioned my necklace," I said after thinking for a few seconds.
"Huh?"Cassie said, trying to suppress her laughter. "That old thing, what about it?
I sighed and fiddled with the necklace on my neck, handmade with love, I considered it my goodluck charm. "I dunno, he just asked where it was from."
"Weird," Cassie replied. "Anyways, you got the job'" she squealed.
I shrugged, rubbing my hands over the couch's armrest. "I still can't believe this morning I was gagging on toast, and now I have a job at one of the biggest companies in the city. The biggest company in the city."
Cassie grinned. "Told you. New York will either chew you up or make you a star. And you're already shining, my little star girl, aww."
I smiled, feeling a little more settled.
She watched me for a moment. "Are you okay though? Really?"
"Yeah. Just tired. And a little overwhelmed. Hungry too."
"This girl," she said as she smiled, "go get food downstairs, on me."
"It's normal to feel overwhelmed though," she continued. "But you've got this. And if anyone at Knight Group messes with you, I'll take care of them. Cassie style."
I laughed again, and something inside me relaxed.
"Thanks, Cass."
She reached across the desk, cupped my hands in hers and gave them quick squeeze. "That's what I'm here for."
I was about to thank her again when she leaned back with a suspicious look on her face.
"Oh no," I muttered. "What is it?"
She pointed at me. "Spill. What does Mr. Knight look like in person? Is he better than his photos?"
I covered my face with one hand. "You're impossible."
"Come on. I need details." She whined.
I sighed. "Fine. He's tall. Like really tall. Sharp cheekbones. Neatly messy hair. And his eyes are this icy blue colour. Kind of scary, actually."
Cassie gasped. "So the rumors are true!"
"What rumors?"
"That Elan Knight can get a girl pregnant just by looking at her."
"Cassie!" I nearly choked on my drink.
She burst out laughing, nearly falling out of her chair. "I'm joking! But seriously, if he ever looked at me twice, I'd already be picking baby names."
I shook my head, smiling a little. "You're crazy."
"Yeah, but you love me."
"Barely."
"That's enough," she said with a small wink. Then her smile faded just a little. "Listen… on a serious note, be careful. Knight Group is full of whispers."
I raised an eyebrow. "What kind of whispers?"
She sat up straighter. "People talk. About Elan. About his secretaries. Especially about Nadia."
I felt my chest tighten. "The pregnant one?"
Cassie nodded. "Everyone thinks she was involved with Elan. Then suddenly she's gone halfway across the world."
"Is it confirmed though?"
"Nope. That's the weird part. Mr. Knight never speaks about it. Never denies it. He just… stays quiet. And silence keeps people talking and confirms their suspicions."
I didn't say anything. A cold feeling crept into my stomach.
"I'm not trying to scare you," she added. "Just… don't get too close to the mess. Do your job and keep your head down."
I nodded slowly. "Yeah. Got it."
Cassie looked at me for a second, then added, "Also, stay away from Trevor."
"Who's Trevor"
"Ethan's stepbrother," she replied. "Blonde hair, blue eyes, looks like a model but he's trouble.
"Wait, Trevor?" I replied, shocked. I remembered how he caught me earlier in the hallway. His smile. The way he looked at me.
"Yes, you know him", Cassie asks inquisitively.
"Yeah, I bumped into him earlier, nothing serious, don't worry"
"Okay, I…"
Before she could say more, Cassie's phone buzzed and she picked it up. "Ugh. One of the interns posted something stupid again. Gotta go do damage control."
"This early morning?"
"Welcome to PR," she said, standing up. "You'll get used to it."
She walked me to the door and then the elevator and hugged me again. "I'm proud of you, Amara. Really."
"Thanks, Cass. I wouldn't have even known about this job if it weren't for you."
The elevator doors opened, and I stepped inside.
The elevator doors opened, and I stepped in, watching her wave as they closed.
It had been a long, confusing day. And even though I had the job, something in my gut told me nothing about this place would be simple. I felt like I had stepped into a world that was more complex, more powerful and more dangerous than I had ever imagined.
And I still wasn't sure how I felt about working for Elan Knight.