Irina sat stiffly in the sleek office, her palms sweating as Jacob, Liam's stoic manager, flipped through her fabricated résumé.
The silence between them was thick, broken only by the occasional tap of Jacob's pen against the polished desk.
Just when she thought her chances were sinking, the door opened and Liam Conor himself strode in, his piercing eyes locking onto hers with an unreadable expression.
"So, Samantha," Liam said, voice low and smooth, "tell me why you think you can handle my business."
Irina swallowed hard, summoning all the poise she could muster. "Because I don't back down from a challenge. I'm adaptable, discreet, and I know what it takes to work with someone like you."
Liam's lips curved into a faint, almost amused smile, but before he could say more, the sharp click of heels announced Sylvia's arrival.
Sylvia Conor wasted no time making her disdain obvious.
"Liam, do you honestly think bringing in some… unknown girl is wise? She's not from your world. Not one of us." Her icy tone cut through the room like a blade.
Jacob shifted uncomfortably, glancing between mother and son, before sighing. "Fine. One week trial first and we shall proceed if she stays or not.
" Irina's heart leapt, one week to prove herself, one week to make sure the job is hers.
But Sylvia wasn't finished.
Later that afternoon, as Irina organized files, she caught a muffled conversation through the slightly ajar door of the office.
Sylvia's sharp and controlled voice whispered urgently, "You need to make sure Liam never finds out about the Winters girl's real history. This could ruin everything." Irina froze, curiosity igniting a spark inside her.
What secrets were these women hiding? And why was Sylvia so desperate to keep them buried?
Back in her room that evening, Irina's thoughts spiraled. The glamorous facade she'd admired from afar suddenly looked more like a cage. Liam's coldness and Sylvia's hostility.
They all pointed to a story darker than the tabloids dared print. Yet, beneath it all, Liam's brief flicker of interest gave her hope. Maybe, just maybe, she could break through the walls surrounding him.
Determined, Irina rehearsed her next steps. She would play the role of Samantha Ludona flawlessly, earn Liam's trust, and uncover the truths tangled in this dangerous web. Every calculated smile, every measured word would be a piece of the puzzle. She wasn't just fighting for a job, she was fighting for a chance at the man she'd obsessed over for years.
As night settled over Los Angeles, Irina lay awake with a racing mind.
She wasn't naïve; the stakes were higher than she'd imagined. But one thing was clear, this was her only way and chance and she isn't ready to mess it up.