ALICIA’S POV
“Alicia, run!”
The gunshot sounds through the room and for a second, I can’t even move my body. It goes very still as the sound rings in my ears.
Then someone falls.
“No!”
I scream while my voice breaks. I know I should run, I know we should both get out of here, but I can’t take my eyes off the person lying on the floor. I move towards the body, but before I can get a closer look, someone grabs my arm.
“Alicia, we have to go!” Gravin says.
“Let me go!” I fight against him while looking at the person still on the floor.
“Now!”
Another sound comes from somewhere behind us, and Gravin pulls me towards the door as I look back one last time. Everything feels like a nightmare. The person lying on the floor doesn’t move, and as we burst through the door, my heart pounds harder.
I already know that there’s no going back.
THREE MONTHS EARLIER
“Why are you even going there?” my best friend, Daria, asks.
I look at her from where I sit on the edge of my bed. “Going where?”
“Ashford Developments.”
Daria sits on the floor in front of me, crossing her legs while looking through the clothes scattered around my room. At barely five feet, she is much shorter than me, but she has never let her height stop her from acting like she is the one in charge. Her dark, curly hair covers the top of her forehead, and her light brown eyes move between the two tops she is holding.
“The blue one,” she says.
“Definitely.”
I take it from her.
“You said the black one was better five minutes ago.”
“I changed my mind.”
“You always change your mind.”
“That’s because you never listen to me.”
I laugh quietly as I put on the top she chose. Daria watches me for a moment before speaking again.
“There are so many opportunities, Alicia, so why Ashford?”
I pause because she knows me too well.
“Who knows?” I say, keeping my voice casual. “Maybe I just like the challenge.”
I reach for my bag from the small wooden chair beside my bed and check that I have everything I need before putting it over my shoulder.
Daria watches me carefully.
“That doesn’t sound like you, Alicia, and I know it.”
I smile at her, hoping that will stop her questions.
“You worry too much.”
She shakes her head and sighs. “Fine. I wish you the best of luck.”
“Thanks. I’ll need it.”
I walk out of the room before she can ask anything else, and the moment I step outside, the smile disappears from my face.
Ashford Developments is only a few minutes away, but every step towards the building reminds me of why I am going there. I hold the strap of my bag tighter and keep walking because I have waited long enough.
The Ashford Developments building is taller than almost all the buildings around it, and its glass windows reflect the blue sky above. The company’s name is written in large silver letters above the wide glass entrance, making it impossible to miss.
People in nice suits walk in and out of the building, some carrying files while others talk on their phones. A few black cars are parked near the entrance, and a security guard stands beside the doors.
Through the glass, I can see the large lobby with its shiny floors, bright lights, and huge Ashford logo behind the receptionist desk. Everything about the building looks expensive and carefully maintained.
I stand outside for a moment, looking up at it.
Fifteen years have passed, but I still remember it so well.
Ashford Developments.
I take a deep breath and walk inside.
The cool air hits my skin as soon as I enter, and I make my way towards the receptionist desk.
“Good morning. I am here for an interview. My name is—”
“Miss Carter?” she asks before I can finish.
“Yes.”
“The interview room is on the third floor. Someone will meet you there.”
“Okay, thank you.”
I follow her directions and get into the elevator. When the doors close, I look at my reflection in the mirror.
My hands are calm and still, even though my heart is racing faster than usual.
I let out a slow breath and adjust the strap of my bag on my shoulder. My fingers are tighter around it than they need to be, so I force myself to loosen my grip.
One floor, then another.
I watch the numbers above the doors change as the elevator goes further up. The ride seems much longer than it is, and a million thoughts keep my head occupied.
Three months ago, getting this interview had been nothing more than a plan. Now I am standing inside the building I have spent fifteen years trying to reach.
My stomach twists, but I take another slow breath.
I cannot let myself get nervous now.
I have prepared for this. I have waited too long, and I will not let one interview ruin everything.
The elevator slows as it reaches the third floor. It finally opens, and I step into the hallway.
Before I can even get to the interview room, a man walks towards me with two people following closely behind him, so I quickly move aside.
“Good morning,” I say.
“Good morning.”
I look up and catch my breath.
Gravin Ashford.
The CEO.
For a moment, everything around me seems to fade into the background. I have seen his pictures before, but seeing him in person feels completely different.
He is taller than I expected, with dark brown hair that looks almost black under the bright hallway lights and blue eyes that immediately draw my attention. He wears a dark suit with a white shirt underneath, his appearance neat and effortless.
His eyes move over me before settling on my face, and my fingers tighten around the strap of my bag.
This is him.
The son of the man whose family destroyed mine.
Fifteen years of anger rush through me so quickly that I almost forget where I am, but I force my fingers to relax and remind myself why I am here.
I cannot let him see anything.
“Are you here for an interview?” he asks.
“Yes.”
“What position?”
“Administrative assistant.”
He nods. “Good luck.”
“Thank you.”
He walks past me, but I don’t move immediately. I watch him for a split second before forcing myself to continue.
Fifteen years of waiting have finally brought me to the same building as the man whose family destroyed mine.
I take a deep breath and enter the interview room.
It immediately feels different from the busy lobby downstairs. The room is simple and neat, with a long table surrounded by chairs. Four people are already sitting across from an empty chair.
A large Ashford Developments logo is fixed to the wall behind them.
I sit down and place my bag beside me.
“Tell us a little about yourself,” one of the interviewers says.
I keep my hands folded neatly in my lap.
“I’m someone who knows what she wants, and I’m willing to work patiently to get there.”
The interviewer looks up from my application.
“What do you mean by patiently?”
“Some things are worth waiting for.”
He studies me for a moment before looking back down at my papers.
Another interviewer speaks.
“You worked at Collins and Co. for almost two years. Why did you suddenly leave?”
“I felt like I had learned everything I could get from there.”
Although that is only partly true, I did learn a lot there. But I didn’t spend fifteen years preparing myself just to stay somewhere comfortable.
I have a goal.
And I must achieve it.
The woman beside him glances at my application.
“What would you say is your greatest strength?”
“Determination.”
“Why?”
“Because when I decide that something matters to me, I don’t give up easily.”
Her pen pauses briefly on the paper. Then all the interviewers look up at me, studying my expression and body language.
I keep my face calm.
“Miss Carter,” one of the last interviewers says, looking at my application for the last time. “Why do you want to work for Ashford Developments?”
My eyes move towards the Ashford logo on the wall.
For a moment, I think about telling them the truth.
I think about everything that happened fifteen years ago. Everything I lost. Everything I have spent years preparing for.
Instead, I smile.
“Because I believe Ashford Developments has something that I need.”
The interviewer keeps a straight face.
“And what is that?”
I stare at him with more confidence now.
“An opportunity.”