"She doesn't want him to get angry, so what do you plan on doing?" she asked.
Lucian continued eating. "Nothing."
"What?" she asked in an annoyed tone. "So what are you going to tell your grandpa?"
Lucian stopped eating and stood up.
"Mom, can we have this conversation some other time? Right now, I'm busy."
He left her in the dining room and walked upstairs.
She quickly ran after him.
"Lucian, come back here! I'm not done talking to you. You are getting old. Very soon, nobody will want you."
When Lucian heard that, he chuckled and turned around. He saw his mom glaring at him.
"I'm just twenty-six."
With that, he continued walking toward his room.
"Whatever," she said before walking to her own room.
When Lucian got to his room, he took a bath. When he came out, his best friend, Adrian, called him.
"What's up? You didn't call to tell me about your date. So, how did it go?" Adrian asked.
Lucian went straight to the point.
"She rejected me."
"This is why you're going to die single. Can't you even talk to a lady?"
"I did, and she refused."
"So she rejected the great Lucian?" Adrian teased.
Lucian simply ignored him.
"So, what are you planning to do next?"
"She'll come to me herself."
"Why are you so confident she'll come herself?" Adrian asked.
"Because I gave her a reason to."
Lucian smirked.
"Seems like you're interested in her because you never chase," Adrian said.
"She's different. There's something innocent about her."
They talked for a while before ending the call.
Meanwhile, when Selena got out of the bathroom, her best friend, Mia, called.
"Hey, bestie!" Mia's excited voice came through the phone.
"Guess what?"
Selena became curious. "What?"
"I'll be returning to Australia!"
"Seriously?" Selena said happily.
"Yes!"
"Oh my God! I can't wait!" Selena exclaimed.
"I have so much to tell you."
"Me too," Mia replied.
"So, when are you coming?" Selena asked.
"Next week," Mia answered.
"By the way, I got an interview for Blackwood Company."
"OMG, Selena! That's great!"
"I know, right?" Selena replied.
"All right, let's talk tomorrow. I'm about to sleep. I don't want to be late for my interview again."
"Again?" Mia asked.
"Don't worry. When you come back, I'll tell you everything."
"All right," Mia replied.
Then they ended the call.
The next morning, Selena arrived at the company for her interview. She was greeted by Elias, who led her into his office.
Elias gestured toward the chair in front of his desk.
"Good morning. Please, have a seat."
"Good morning, sir. Thank you."
Selena sat down, trying to hide how nervous she was.
Elias glanced at her résumé.
"You're applying for the assistant position, correct?"
"Yes, sir."
"Tell me a little about yourself."
"My name is Selena. I'm hardworking, organized, and I learn quickly. I may not have a lot of experience, but I'm willing to learn, and I always take my responsibilities seriously."
Elias nodded.
"I see. Why do you want this position?"
"I believe it would give me the opportunity to gain experience and develop my skills. I also enjoy organizing things and helping people get their work done."
Elias leaned back in his chair.
"What would you do if your employer gave you several urgent tasks at once?"
"I would stay calm, figure out which task was most urgent, and handle them according to priority. If I wasn't sure, I'd ask rather than make the wrong decision."
"And what if your employer was difficult to work with?"
"I'd try to remain professional. I wouldn't take their attitude personally. I'd focus on doing my job properly."
"Good answer."
Elias glanced at her résumé again.
"You said you're a fast learner. Can you prove that?"
Selena nodded. "Yes, sir."
Elias reached for a folder beside him and placed it on the desk in front of her.
"Here's a little test."
Selena pulled the folder closer and opened it.
"I need these documents arranged according to their dates. I also want you to organize the appointment list and enter each meeting into the schedule."
He looked at his watch.
"You have ten minutes."
Selena nodded. "All right."
She began scanning through the documents, separating them into small piles before arranging them according to their dates. She then moved on to the appointment list, carefully entering each meeting into the schedule.
Elias remained seated across from her, watching quietly.
Eight minutes later, he glanced at his watch.
"Two minutes left."
Selena nodded without looking up. "I'm aware."
A faint smile crossed Elias's face.
"You seem confident."
Selena said nothing and continued working.
Two minutes later, she neatly placed the folder on his desk.
"I'm done, sir."
Elias took the folder and checked the documents one by one.
Everything was in order.
He checked the appointment schedule as well.
Not a single mistake.
He looked at Selena.
"You didn't make a single mistake."
Selena smiled slightly.
"I told you I learn quickly."
Elias leaned back in his chair.
"Confidence. I like that."
Selena waited quietly.
He picked up another sheet of paper.
"One last task."
She looked at him. "Another one?"
"Yes. I want you to write a short email to a client informing them that their meeting has been moved to tomorrow at ten in the morning."
Selena nodded and began writing.
A few minutes later, she handed the paper back to him.
Elias read through it carefully.
Clear. Polite. Professional.
He nodded.
"You can stop worrying about the interview."
Selena blinked.
"Does that mean—"
"You got the job."
Her eyes widened.
"Really?"
Elias gave a small nod.
"Welcome to the team, Selena."
"You can resume work tomorrow."
"All right. Thank you, sir."
Selena left the company with a bright smile on her face. She was happy that she had gotten the job, completely unaware that Lucian had seen her at the company earlier.
Later that afternoon, Selena stopped by a grocery store to pick up a few things.
As she moved through the aisles, someone quietly watched her from a distance.
Selena, unaware of the eyes following her, picked up the things she needed and headed toward the checkout counter.
She paid for everything and walked out of the store.
She stood by the roadside, looking around for a cab.
Suddenly, someone grabbed her around the waist from behind.
Selena froze.
Before she could react, the person pulled her toward a quiet corner beside the building.
"What—?"
She turned around in shock.
The moment she saw his face, her expression changed.