The city never slept.
Cars hummed endlessly beneath the dim glow of streetlights, and buildings stood like silent giants watching everything unfold below them. Somewhere in the chaos, life was moving too fast for someone like her—but she didn't have the luxury to stop.
Ava tightened her grip on her worn-out handbag as she stepped into a small, dimly lit internet café. The air smelled of old coffee and dust, and the flickering screen in front of her looked like her only chance at survival.
Her laptop had died two days ago.
And with it, her last hope of applying for the job that could change everything.
"Just one chance…" she whispered under her breath.
She sat down, quickly paying for a few minutes of usage. Her fingers trembled slightly as she typed in the name of the company:
Obsidian Group.
Everyone knew that name.
The billionaire behind it—cold, untouchable, feared.
A man who built an empire and reportedly destroyed anyone who got in his way.
She didn't care.
She needed this job.
Ava clicked through the application page, her heart racing as she filled in her details. The deadline had passed.
By hours.
By all logic, she shouldn't even bother submitting it.
But she pressed the submit button anyway.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
"Submission Successful."
Her breath caught.
She stared at the screen, blinking in disbelief.
"Wait… what?"
Her pulse quickened. Had the system made a mistake? Was this even possible?
A few seconds later, her phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
Her fingers hesitated before she picked it up.
"H-hello?"
A deep, firm voice responded instantly.
"Miss Ava… your application has been received."
Her breath hitched.
"But… it was late—"
"I'm aware," the voice interrupted calmly.
A pause.
Then—
"Come in tomorrow."
Her eyes widened. "W-what?"
"9 AM," he continued, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Don't be late."
The line went dead.
Ava stood frozen, staring at her phone like it had betrayed reality itself.
"Wait—did that just—?"
She looked back at the screen, heart pounding wildly.
Tomorrow.
She had a chance.
A real chance.
But something about the voice lingered in her mind.
Cold. Controlled.
Dangerous.
She didn't know his face yet.
But somehow…
She already knew.
This wasn't going to be a normal job.
That night, sleep came slowly.
Her mind kept replaying that voice.
Low.
Authoritative.
Unreadable.
And somewhere deep inside, a strange feeling settled in her chest.
As if stepping into that company tomorrow…
Would change her life forever.