The week slipped by quickly. Meyu tried her best to prepare, though she wasn't sure what "preparing" meant in this case. She dusted off old business textbooks that Aya had once studied, but the pages blurred together in her mind.
"Supply and demand..." she muttered, lying on her stomach with her chin resting on her palm. The numbers danced meaninglessly before her eyes.
Her tutor, who had been summoned again at her mother's insistence, tapped the book with his pen. "Miss Meyu, at least try to memorize the basics. You can't walk in empty-headed."
She gave him a lopsided smile. "I can. I'll just... let it be."
He sighed, defeated once again. "You're not Aya."
"No," she said simply, "I'm not."
The morning of the internship came. The car her father arranged was waiting, sleek and black, far too formal for her. As she slid inside, Meyu hugged her notebook to her chest like a shield. She didn't bring much else—what could she?
The city blurred past the windows until Orin Corporation's headquarters came into view. The building rose like steel and glass carved into the sky, its surface reflecting the sun in blinding shards. Just looking at it made Meyu feel smaller than ever.
The driver opened her door. "Miss Kael."
She stepped out carefully, adjusting the strap of her simple bag. Around her, others were arriving—young men and women dressed in sharp suits, their confidence like armor. She caught fragments of conversation as she walked toward the entrance.
"That position will be mine. If I can get Orin's attention..."
"Don't be ridiculous, you think you can outsmart him? I'll marry him before you even set foot in the boardroom."
"Hah. Marry him? He doesn't even show his face. I heard he destroys anyone who gets too close. No, the smart thing is to learn his secrets and sell them elsewhere."
Meyu's steps faltered. She glanced at the speakers—one girl with red-painted lips, eyes sharp with ambition, and another boy with a calculating smirk. Their words felt heavy, dangerous, as if everyone here had an agenda that went far beyond "internship."
Inside, the lobby was vast, polished marble floors stretching beneath crystal lights. Staff members guided the interns into a large hall where long tables were set.
Meyu found herself sitting between two strangers. On her left, a girl with perfectly curled hair leaned in, her perfume too sweet. "Which family are you from?" she asked, eyes glinting.
"The Kael family," Meyu answered honestly.
The girl's lips curved. "Never heard of them. You won't last." She turned away dismissively.
On her right, a boy with glasses studied her curiously. "You don't look nervous. Most are shaking."
Meyu tilted her head. "Should I be?"
He chuckled. "Maybe not. But everyone here has a reason. I came because my family owes debts. If I prove myself, we're saved. Others... well, some want to take Orin down, some want to use him, some want to win his favor. No one's really here just to learn."
Meyu absorbed his words quietly, then shrugged. "I'm just here because I was told to be."
The boy blinked at her, then laughed. "Simple. I like that."
Around them, the other interns whispered, speculated, and sharpened their goals like hidden blades. A group in the corner whispered about Feyu Orin's rumored cruelty, another girl daydreamed aloud about marrying him, and someone else muttered darkly about betrayal and revenge.
Meyu listened, but her mind floated elsewhere. She stared at the polished table surface, her own faint reflection staring back, ordinary as ever.
A voice cut through the noise, low and commanding. "Silence."
The room froze. A man in a tailored suit stood at the front, one of Orin's executives. His gaze swept over the interns like a blade.
"You are here because Orin Corporation allows it once a year. Do not mistake this for privilege—it is a test. A single mistake, and you will be dismissed. Remember this: the one you serve is a man who sees everything, knows everything, and forgives nothing."
The silence deepened, heavy with fear and awe. Meyu's fingers tightened around her notebook.
Feyu Orin. Even without seeing him, his shadow filled the room.
She whispered under her breath, almost a sigh, "Let it be."
But her heart beat louder, betraying her calm face.