Sleep came but Amaya couldn't get any proper rest. She had woken up three times during the night. Each with the same lingering unease sitting heavy in her chest. There were no clear dreams, just fragments of emotion she couldn't explain.
By morning, she gave up trying. The alarm hadn't even gone off yet when she sat up, rubbing her face tiredly. "Great," she muttered. "Another long day."
Just then, the phone buzzed. Amaya blinked, immediately reaching out for it. And there it sat, an email notification. She slightly frowned, unlocking the screen. But then, froze.
Subject: Interview Invitation – Blooms Global
Her heart skipped. She had totally forgotten about the email she skeptically sent.
"What...?" She jerked up as she sat straighter, quickly opening it.
Dear Ms. Bennett,
We are pleased to invite you for an interview for the Administrative Assistant position at Blooms Global...
"Sh*t..." Amaya stared at the screen like it might disappear."They actually replied...?" A nervous laugh slipped out.
That wasn't supposed to happen. She had applied on an impulse. No expectations, no hope.Her stomach twisted, paying attention to the details.
The interview was scheduled at 11:30 AM. "Today?!" she groaned, scrambling out of bed.
Swiftly, she carried out her basic routine and hurried out. By 10:45 AM, Amaya stood across the street from the company's Headquarters. A sudden regret taking roots with her thoughts.
The building towered above the city in its intimidating perfection. People moved in and out with purpose, dressed in sharp suits and confidence she definitely did not have.
Amaya looked down at herself. She appeared decent in her Simple blouse, coupled with a Black skirt and a Low heels. But that was just not... it.
"Too late now," she whispered. It's not like she could easily go back and change. Taking a deep breath, she crossed the street.
What made the whole experience overwhelming was, was even more overwhelming, was the lobby. It's marble floors, high ceilings and clean lines everything screamed power.
Amaya hesitated just as she passed the entrance, unsure where to go.
"Interview?" a voice asked. She turned to see a receptionist smiling politely behind a sleek desk.
"Oh-yes. Um, Amaya Bennett." The woman typed quickly, then nodded. "You're expected. Take the elevator to the 18th floor."
"Thank you." She said.
Amaya walked toward the elevators, her steps a little too careful. As her reflection followed her in the mirrored walls, nervous.
The elevator's door slid open, she stepped and pressed 18. It instantly set into motion. The ride somehow felt longer than it should be as she waited in anticipation.
She was so anxious that, every ding at each floor made her chest tighten a little more. By the time the doors finally opened at her destination, her palms were slightly damp.
"Okay," she whispered. "You've got this." Those words felt empty but she tried to positive as she stepped.
The waiting area was already occupied when she got there. Three other candidates were already seated in a neat row of chairs, all dressed impeccably.
One woman glanced up at Amaya, then back down at her phone. Amaya swallowed and took the last empty seat. Her hands folded neatly in her lap.
As she waited, she just kept watching and observing. A habit she didn't realize she had. The room was quiet until the elevator doors behind them clicked open again.
A firm and measured footsteps immediately followed. Amaya felt it even before she saw him.
The subtle shift in the room was real. One by one, the other candidates straightened. The tension sharpened.
Amaya slightly frowned as she turned, at that moment, everything... slowed. Dressed in a perfectly tailored dark suit, he walked past without looking. His tall figure and heavy prescence, spark command and control.
Like the entire space belonged to him without question. Lucien Blues. Amaya had no idea who he was yet. But something inside her reacted anyway. A strange pull umfamiliar and unsettling pull. Her breath caught.
For just a second, he paused. Just enough for his gaze to slightly shift almost in her direction.
Amaya's fingers instinctively tightened in her lap.
And justblike that, he strolled off. Disappearing down the hallway.
The moment broke, and the hallway broke into ruckus. "...That's him," one of the candidates whispered.
"The CEO."
Aria blinked. "CEO?" The words sounded in her mind as her chest tightened slightly.
"That's... Lucien Blues?"
The name settled in her mind. Heavy, important and strangely familiar.
~~~~
Lucien on the other hand, didn't slow down until he reached his office.The moment the door shut, the silence returned. Just the way he liked it. But then, something lingered.
An unwanted and unexplained feeling. He slightly loosened his cuff, his expression unchanged. Yet his mind- clouldn't move on from that face. Though it was a brief and fleeting moment.
His jaw tightened. "Who was that?" he suddenly asked.
His assistant looked up. "Sir?" He muttered, obviously confused.
"The girl in the waiting area." He explained. There was a subtle silence.
"I'll check." He answered.
Lucien said nothing as moved toward the window. The city stretched endlessly below as he gazed outside. But his focus wasn't there.It was... elsewhere. Something about her, didn't sit right with him.
Back in the waiting, Amaya snapped out of her thoughts the moment her name called. "Yes."She muttered.
"Please come with me."
Amaya jerked up, smoothing her skirt before following the interviewer down the hall. Her heart was racing . But not just from nerves.
That man- Lucien .Why did it feel like she had just walked past something important?
The interview room was simple as they stepped in. A clean and professional setting.
She sat across from two managers, answering questions, and trying her best to stay composed.
"Tell us about your previous experience."
"Why Blooms Global?"
"What are your strengths?"
They were all normal questions.Which Amaya answered honestly and carefully. Slowly, she relaxed. Just a little untile a sharp pain hit her head.
It came suddenly but intense. Her fingers tightened around the edge of her chair.
"Ms. Bennett?" one interviewer asked.
"I-I'm fine," she quickly mumbled. But she wasn't.
Flashes of something unclear blurred her vision.
A room. Then..., Darkness.
A man standing. Then...
Another man- Falling. Then...
Blood-
Amaya sucked in a breath. And just like that, it was gone.
"...Would you like some water?" the interviewer asked. The words felt distant at first, then it suddenly became clearer.
"Yes. Thank you." She answered. Within a minutes, a bottle of water was rushed over. Her hands trembled slightly as she took the glass.
"Sorry. I just... didn't sleep well."
They nodded politely. But she could feel the something shift in the air. And somewhere behind the glass wall, Lucien watched.
His expression unreadable.But his eyes was
Sharp, focused, and locked on her.
