I stayed up late after my workout, watching videos and clips from a mysterious, mouth-smacking, delicious man. His gaze made my insides turn over in ways I never knew they had.
After watching the clips, I was surprised when I Googled Sterling Empire. The company not only deals in auto parts, but also in clothing. Sterling Empire is a big name in the clothing industry. Ryan and Sophia never told me that.
I ended up putting my phone away and getting a few minutes of sleep before heading to Sterling Empire. After a little sleep, when I woke up, I had an email from Sterling Empire. They wanted to send me to their clothing department, and they also wanted to interview me.
Sterling Empire wove threads of fashion heritage into cars and clothing. It was the largest and most revered clothing empire to grow in the last decade. Known for her bold creativity and daring styles, she transformed textiles into works of art.
From red carpet couture to casual elegance, the Sterling Empire redefined style for every wardrobe, cementing its reputation as the beating heart of humanity's vibrant fashion.
The waves she made in the fashion industry reached an even higher level, with every human company trying to collaborate with them. The problem was, they weren't looking for many joint ventures, especially outside of the Sterling community. The company's CEO seemed motivated by the desire to ride a single train to the top.
And they weren't offering jobs to just anyone, which I learned later. Unsurprisingly, I was shocked when I received that text, and then a detailed email.
Now I had to interview for the secretary position.
"Now Alpha Kane will take out her frustrations like this," Nova told me.
"Yeah, we'll see," I told her.
"Was I nervous?" I asked Nova.
"Of course." She smirked.
But part of me was also excited to embark on this journey of self-healing and self-realization.
More importantly, I was looking forward to meeting CEO Kane Sterling. This man was a complete mystery. I laid out all the office clothes I had bought on the bed.
I picked up a crisp white button-down with a thin navy blazer and tailored trousers that matched the blazer and white pumps.
After gathering my clothes, I began to get dressed. When I caught sight of myself in the large mirror in the laundry area, I barely recognized myself.
I picked up my bag and folder and was ready to go.
The taxi driver was a middle-aged man who, thankfully, did not speak to me. I finished my sandwich and wiped my mouth with a tissue.
I watched the Sterling Society through the taxi window. The fall season had enveloped him in colors of brown, orange, and yellow. Colors of gloom and sadness. Or maybe it was just me who thought everything was gloomy after seeing Katie's dead body.
I noticed how the huge billboards showed off the Sterling Empire's dominance over this society. Every corner seemed to be decorated with their paraphernalia, billboards, banners, and flexi. There were fewer wolf packs and more Sterling Empire.
Their logo, a blue rose intertwined with a needle and thread, was unique, something I had never seen before. I opened my file to look at the notes I had prepared for the interview.
The first thought that came to my mind when I saw the architectural structure was the lack of colors. The entire structure had only two colors: black and royal blue. For a clothing brand, I expected the building to be gaudier. It was a bit depressing to look at, with tons and tons of glass pieces set in a mosaic pattern.
The twisting tower-like structure cascaded upward like a giant spiral. It was truly a marvel of modern architecture.
I finally forced myself to move. My heart pounded a little louder, and my eyes darted forward.
The guard in his crisp black uniform became even more alert than before when he saw me approaching. His dark gaze studied me like a wolf sizing up its prey.
Suppressing a choking laugh, I moved toward what I assumed was an elevator. The entire structure was made of some kind of thick black glass. I pressed the glowing button and stepped inside, rising to the 30th floor as the heavy glass doors closed.
Feeling uneasy, I tapped my foot on the glass floor. It seemed to be made of obsidian.
I hated elevators. They seemed like death traps to me and always made me dizzy.
Pulling out my makeup mirror, I checked myself in it and fixed my hair. The door slid open as the elevator reached its destination, and I stepped out into the dimly lit hallway.
Another woman, a few years older than the Botox fashionista I had met downstairs, greeted me. She seemed more level-headed and less judgmental than she had been.
"Good morning! I'm Alpha Sterling's senior secretary, Miranda Kerr." She extended her hand, and a warm smile lit up her lips. I shook it, mirroring her enthusiasm, and introduced myself.
"Good morning! Ma'am. I'm Zara. I'm here for an interview."
But her answer took me by surprise. "Please! Follow me to the CEO's office, he's expecting you."
I thought the hiring manager or HR would interview me, not the CEO himself.
My body was covered in a cold sweat, and my ears were hot from the rush of blood. I remembered what had happened in training, didn't I?
The click of Miranda's heels on the cold floor was the only sound I heard as she led me to a large black door with the company logo painted on it in blue and silver. The 3D design was mesmerizing.
Miranda stopped outside and extended her hand.
"Please! Click on the rose." It seemed she wasn't going to accompany me. Nodding to her and pressing my lips together, I did as I was told.
"Come in!" A heavy, male voice instantly came from the small speaker at the top of the door, indicating that his room was soundproof.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to control my heartbeat and pushed the door open to enter.
"That mysterious Alpha's office," Nova murmured in my head.
The first impression of his office was the noticeably low intensity of the light. The air was heavy with tension as I made my way to the front of Alpha's desk.
I looked up and glanced towards the man who was such an enigma in the business industry.
He was sitting with his body tilted at 5 o'clock. The glass in the window behind him was such a dark shade of blue that it was almost black. The dim light let in highlighted his sharp features.
"Was it for me or the world in particular?" I said to Nova.
"We'll find out soon enough." She replied.
But it was his eyes that made my heart skip the first beat. Like his hair, his irises were the color of an obsidian blade that could cut you deep and lethally. They looked me over from hair to shoe, slowly, as if scanning me for any hidden weapons I might smuggle into his office.
Nervous and unsettling, there was this awkwardness, and yet something hauntingly beautiful in his gaze.
The top button of his blue shirt was undone, and the collar was thrown back over his collarbone. The snake had glowing honey eyes.
I swallowed as he twirled a black pen with a silver nib in his hand and finally spoke, without taking those balls of pitch black from me. His thick eyebrow rose and disappeared into those luxurious strands of jet-black hair.
"Zara, you are 39 seconds late for your scheduled interview. Is this a habit or did you make an exception today?"
He leaned back in his huge executive chair and with deliberate ease began to turn the knob in a continuous circle, the rhythmic scraping against the polished wood creating a soft, insistent whisper.
The sound was hypnotic, with a hush of control and precision. As easily as he manipulated the knob, I wondered if he controlled the lives of the people around him, bending them to his unyielding command.
"So no greetings, just the direct and blunt," Nova shouted.
I quickly checked the time on my watch.
What kind of lunatic measured time with a second hand? It was 9 a.m. on my watch. Ignoring the edge in his voice, I kept my posture straight and didn't want to intimidate him.
I began. "Good morning, sir! I take punctuality seriously." With a forced smile, I continued, "I'll be more careful next time."
A slight amusement seemed to flicker in those inky pools and vanish, as if it had been sucked into those murky waters. He pointed to a chair across from his desk.
"Sit." His voice was naturally commanding, like a dominant.
Pulling back the plush black leather chair, I slid into it and sat directly in front of him. I placed my folder on my lap, containing my documents and resume. Any minute now, Alpha would ask me to do this.