Selena woke up to the sound of her phone ringing.
Still half-asleep, she reached for it and answered without checking the screen.
“Hello?”
“Selena, are you awake?”
She immediately recognized her foster mother's voice.
“Yes, Mom. I'm awake.”
“Good. Don't forget about your interview today.”
“My interview?”
Selena sat up and checked the time on her phone.
Her eyes widened.
“Oh my God! I'm late!”
She jumped out of bed and rushed into the bathroom.
Today was the day of her interview for her dream job in Australia. She had spent weeks preparing for it, and she couldn't believe she had almost ruined everything by oversleeping.
After taking a quick shower, she put on a simple but beautiful dress, grabbed the folder containing her résumé, and rushed out of the house without eating breakfast.
When she reached the bus stop, she was already out of breath.
Thankfully, the bus arrived a few minutes later.
She climbed inside and immediately checked the time again.
“I hope they haven't started yet.”
Her heart pounded as the bus moved through the busy streets.
This job meant a lot to her. She had choose to stay alone hoping for a fresh start.
After what felt like forever, the bus finally reached her stop.
Selena hurried off and rushed toward the company building, clutching her folder tightly.
She was so focused on getting inside that she didn't notice the tall man walking toward her.
She bumped into him.
Her folder nearly slipped from her hands.
“Oh, I'm sorry—”
She looked up.
A tall, handsome man stood in front of her.
Their eyes met for a brief moment.
Lucian was about to say something, but Selena looked so anxious that he paused.
She wanted to apologize properly, but her mind was already focused on her interview.
By the time she looked up again, he had walked away.
Selena watched him disappear into the crowd.
She shook her head and quickly pulled herself together.
“Not now, Selena. Focus.”
She straightened her dress and hurried into the building.
A few minutes later, she reached the manager's office.
When she entered, she immediately noticed the irritated expression on the manager's face.
“Miss Selena Gomez?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You're late.”
Selena lowered her head.
“I'm really sorry, sir. The traffic was terrible. Please, just give me one chance.”
The manager, Elias, sighed.
“The CEO has already left.”
Selena's face fell.
“He left?”
“Yes. He doesn't wait for anyone.”
“Please, sir. I've been preparing for this interview for weeks. I know I'm late, but please let me have the interview.”
Elias shook his head.
“I'm sorry, Miss Selena. There's nothing I can do.”
“Please…”
“You may go.”
Selena stood there for a moment, trying to think of something else to say, but she knew there was no point.
She slowly turned around and walked out of the office.
The moment she stepped outside, her phone rang.
She looked at the screen.
It was her foster mother.
“Hello, Mom.”
“Selena, don't be upset.”
Selena frowned.
“How did you know I was upset?” Selena sighed and said.
“I missed my interview.”
“Oh, sweetheart.”
Her foster mother's voice softened.
“Don't worry. Everything will be fine.”
“I don't feel like it will.”
There was a short silence before her mother spoke again.
“I actually wanted to tell you something.”
“What?”
“I've arranged for you to meet someone tonight.”
Selena frowned.
“Meet someone?”
“Yes. It's a blind date.”
Selena closed her eyes.
“Mom, seriously?”
“His father is a very good friend of your dad. At least go and meet him.”
“Why would you arrange a blind date without asking me first?”
“It's just dinner,” her foster mother replied. “If you don't like him, you can reject him and leave. But please, go.”
Selena let out a tired sigh.
“Fine.”
“Good girl.”
Her mother ended the call.
Selena stared at her phone.
“First, I missed my interview, and now I have a blind date.”
She shook her head.
“Can this day get any worse?”
---
When Selena got home, she dropped her folder on the table and sank onto the sofa.
She buried her face in her hands, still thinking about the job she had lost that morning.
After sitting there for a while, she finally stood up and went to her room.
She took a bath and opened her wardrobe.
She stared at her clothes, but she didn't have the energy to dress up for a stranger.
In the end, she chose a simple dress.
She didn't bother with makeup either. She wasn't in the mood to impress anyone.
After grabbing her purse, she left the house.
By the time she arrived at the restaurant, her heart still felt heavy.
She checked the details her foster mother had sent her.
Private Room 204.
Selena walked to the reception desk.
“Excuse me. I'm looking for private room 204.”
The receptionist checked the list and smiled politely.
“Yes. Right this way.”
Selena followed her down the hallway, her heels clicking softly against the tiled floor.
When they reached the room, the receptionist opened the door.
Selena stepped inside.
A man was sitting at the table.
She stopped when she recognized him.
It was the same man she had bumped into that morning.
”it's Him?”
She had never met him before today.
Yet somehow, she had already managed to run into him twice.
Lucian looked up, and his expression changed when he saw her.
He recognized her immediately.
For a few seconds, neither of them said anything.
Selena couldn't believe her bad luck, of all the people she could have been set up with, it had to be the stranger she had bumped into that morning.
The receptionist quietly left the room.
Selena took a breath and walked toward the table.
Lucian watched her as she sat down.
She was wearing a simple dress, and somehow, it suited her perfectly.
The waiter entered, breaking the silence.
“Here are your menus.”
He placed them on the table and left.
Selena quickly picked hers up and pretended to read.
Lucian glanced at his menu for barely a second before closing it.
“Bring me the chef's special.”
The waiter nodded.
Lucian looked at Selena.
“The lady will have the same.”
Selena lowered her menu.
“I can order for myself, you know.”
Lucian looked at her calmly.
“Then be quick.”
Selena frowned at his tone before looking down at the menu.
“I'll have the pasta primavera.”
The waiter wrote down her order and left.
Selena folded her hands on the table.
“You know, you're a little controlling.”
Lucian leaned back.
“I prefer the word decisive.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
The corner of his lips lifted slightly.
“It saves time. Most people waste their lives hesitating.”
Selena stared at him for a moment before deciding not to argue.
“So…”
She cleared her throat.
“I'm sorry about this morning. I wasn't looking where I was going. I was rushing because I was late for an interview.”
“I noticed.”
Selena raised an eyebrow.
“You did?”
Lucian remained quiet.
“I missed the interview,” she said.
”sorry about that ” he said.
Selena nodded.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Lucian broke the silence.
“I was forced to come here tonight by my grandfather.”
Selena looked at him in surprise.
“Really?”
He nodded.
She laughed softly.
“That's funny. I was also forced to come here.”
Lucian's lips curved into a faint smirk.
”Then we're both prisoners of family expectations.”
“I guess we are.”
The awkwardness between them slowly disappeared.
Selena looked at him curiously.
“So, what did your grandfather tell you about me?”
“Nothing much. He only said I needed to come here and meet you.”
Selena sighed.
“Same here. My foster mother practically forced me to come.”
Lucian raised an eyebrow.
“And you actually came?”
“I didn't exactly have a choice.”
She shrugged.
“Besides, I thought it would be rude to refuse without meeting you first.”
Lucian studied her.
“And now that you've met me?”
Selena looked at him for a moment before smiling
“I think we can save both our family the trouble.”
“How?”
“So maybe…”
She hesitated.
“We should just tell them we don't like each other.”
Lucian stared at her.
Selena waited for his answer.
Instead, he picked up his fork.
“Let's eat.”
Selena blinked.
“That's it?”
Lucian began eating.
She rolled her eyes and picked up her own fork.
“Fine.”
They ate quietly, occasionally exchanging glances.
After a while, Selena finished her meal and checked her phone.
It was getting late.
She stood up.
“I'll should get going.”
Lucian also stood.
Selena turned toward him.
“You didn't tell me your name,” he said.
She blinked.
”Oh. Sorry. You can call me Selena.”
He nodded.
“Lucian.”
“Nice to meet you, Lucian.”
She turned toward the door, but before she could take another step, Lucian spoke again.
”wait“ he stopped her.