The morning sun poured through the glass walls of Vermillion Corp, reflecting off the polished floors like tiny mirrors.
Valle had never been more nervous in her life. Today was her first day at her dream job, a position she had fought tooth and nail to get.
She swung her bag against her side as she stepped into the overcrowded lobby. People walked by, some in twos, some walking alone with phones in one hand and books in the other.
Valle took a deep breath and whispered to herself, "I can do this".
As she approached the elevator, she almost collided with a tall, sharply dressed man carrying a leather briefcase.
"Watch where you're going," he said, his voice calm but firm.
Valle looked up and froze.
He was very handsome, his beards aligned perfectly like a model, broad shoulders that made many girls growl over him. He had this kind of face that made you forget to breathe for a moment.
And he had that unmistakable air of authority; Aura was his second nature.
"I-I'm sorry," Valle stammered, stepping back.
He didn't respond immediately, just gave her a faint smile before pressing the elevator button. Valle's heart pounded as she watched him step inside.
That's the CEO, her mind whispered. No, no, he can't be… can he?
Shaking her head, she reminded herself to focus. This is first day, Valle, you have to survive it.
The elevator doors opened, and a friendly voice called out.
"You must be the new hire! I'm Tina, from the marketing department."
A wave of relief washed over Valle as she followed Tina down the corridor, trying to bring down her blood pressure which to her has doubled the last few moments.
Later, during a brief coffee break, Valle pulled out her phone and opened her chat app. A familiar name flashed on the screen: "MysteryFriend92."
How's the first day going? The message read.
Valle smiled, fingers trembling slightly as she typed back. "Nervous. Everything is so…"
Don't worry. You've got this.
She looked up at the office around her, at the people going about their business, the tall glass walls, the bustling energy.
Somewhere among them, the CEO had walked by just minutes ago. Valle couldn't shake the feeling that he had been watching her even if only for that brief moment.
Her phone buzzed again. "Someone's keeping an eye on you, huh?"
Valle's eyes widened.
MysteryFriend92… Was it just a coincidence, or…?
"This is a coincidence … how did you know?"
And for the first time that day, Valle wondered if maybe this job would be more complicated and more exciting than she ever imagined.