Sleek jet-black hair, neatly combed. All-black formal outfit. A touch of natural makeup.
That's me. Valerie Kessler.
No, wait, scratch that. Not Valerie Kessler. I'm Emily Hart. The soon-to-be secretary at Rhys Tech.
My boss? Leonardo Rhys, the CEO himself… the man I'm going to kill with my own hands.
~~~~~
"Miss Hart, please head inside. Good luck."
A tall man with blond hair called out to me.
I smiled, catching the nametag pinned on his chest 'Sebastian Reyes' and gave him a small nod before turning to the door.
I opened it slowly. A man, tall, must've been at least 187 cm, stood with his back to me. Sunlight poured in from the massive windows, so blinding that his face was just a dark silhouette.
On the glass desk before him sat a sleek black nameplate: Leonardo Rhys.
My main enemy.
"Have a seat, Miss Hart," he said while pouring himself a cup of coffee. Clearly, just for himself.
I sat upright, offering the faintest smile, eyes fixed on my soon-to-be boss who was still occupied with his coffee ritual.
His shirt sleeves were rolled up haphazardly, and the dark circles under his eyes were painfully obvious like he hadn't slept in centuries.
I was so caught up observing him that I didn't even realize he'd already taken the seat directly across from me.
"You've been watching me?" he asked with a small laugh.
I quickly lowered my head, feigning innocence. "Sorry, sir. It's just… you look tired." My voice softened, polite, almost shy.
"Well, that's exactly why I need a secretary ASAP." He sipped his steaming black coffee.
"I've reviewed your application. I have to admit, you're quite competent. Let's cut to the chase. Why do you want to work at Rhys Tech?" He set his cup down and locked his gaze on me.
"I've always seen Rhys Tech as a classy, innovative, and progressive company. I want to be part of a team that doesn't just build fast, but also responds swiftly to challenges."
Leonardo gave a slow nod, as if satisfied with my fabricated answer.
"You know, I liked you from the start. But there's just one thing I need to make sure of…" He raked his hand through his hair.
"What is it?" I asked, curious.
Leaning slightly closer, Leonardo's voice dropped. "Would you still want to work under me, even with the risk of being killed by anyone, at any time?"
My eyes narrowed. Does he recognize me? Why would he ask something like that… during a secretary interview?
"What do you mean, Mr. Rhys?"
"Well, it's just that my former secretary has been missing for over a month. Either she ran away with all the information she had… or she was killed by someone." His stare remained sharp, unblinking.
"Or…" he added casually, "she killed herself."
"Why would she go that far?" I prodded.
Leaning back against his sofa, Leonardo exhaled. "Just a theory. So, think you can handle it?"
I kept my face unreadable, though the thought burned in me: Clearly, he knows something. But if he thinks I can't handle myself, he's wrong. The only one who'll end up dead here is you, Leonardo.
With a steady, confident gaze, I answered, "I don't go down that easily."
Leonardo studied me in silence. His lips parted as if to say something, then shut again. He stood, retrieved a file from his desk, and placed it in front of me.
"This is your contract. I need you to follow orders, report everything to me, and above all become the one person I can trust the most."
I took the file, flipping through each page carefully, when suddenly his fingertip tapped the desk, snapping my head up.
"Also, I need loyalty. Can you give me that?" he asked, arms now crossed.
Loyalty? Seriously? Is he hiring a secretary… or a life partner?
Still, brushing aside my inner mockery, I gave him my brightest smile.
"Of course. I'm a very loyal person, sir."
~~~~~
The rumble of noise shook the hallway where I stood, shouts and cheers echoing endlessly, bouncing off the walls. My sneakers splashed into a puddle of blood, the metallic stench hitting me hard.
"Val!" A voice cut sharp and clear through the chaos.
I turned toward it. "What's up? You're not getting in the ring, Max?"
"Check this out." Max tilted his head, showing me the stitches above his left ear.
I winced at the sight. My eyes wandered around. "Where's Juno?"
"Back at base. Work stuff, you know." Max lit up a cigarette, smoke curling lazily as I nodded, my gaze locked on the two men trading blows in the ring.
"Right! So… how'd the interview go? Did you get in?"
"Hell yeah! Thanks to Juno and all her genius writing about Emily Hart," I said with a sly, almost wicked laugh.
"Insane, right? She's the best at this kind of thing," Max replied. Before I could respond, a pair of arms wrapped tightly around me from behind.
"Val, I heard you actually got into Rhys Tech. God really wants you to get your revenge on Leonardo, and soon," Juno whispered, still holding me close.
"Yes, and it's all thanks to you, Jun. I start training tomorrow. For three days, I'll be working super closely with Leo, so… please don't reach out to me unless I contact you first." I pulled away gently, cupping her adorable face in my hands.
"Got it!" my two friends shouted in unison, raising their hands in a mock salute.
.
.
.
.
The walk home that night felt unbearably heavy. Not because of the vodka I'd had, not even because of the sight of ten bloodied men scattered across Green Alley.
But because I had to go back home.
A place that now felt like hell. Silent. Too silent.
I stepped inside, carefully setting my shoes on the rack, because if I didn't, my father would've scolded me all night long.
Shit. He wasn't even here anymore.
My eyes landed on a folder sitting atop a stack of boxes. The label read: "Embezzlement Scheme: Rhys Tech."
And God knows something that filthy could only be orchestrated by their CEO, Leonardo Rhys.
My father had died trying to take this case to court.
Which means, in short, Leonardo Rhys killed my father. Thomas Kessler.
"Just wait, Leonardo. You'll die in my hands."