Night had settled over the house, but it brought no comfort with it.
Nyra sat quietly on the edge of her bed, her posture slightly slouched as if the weight of the past few days had finally begun to show in her body. Her fingers rested in her lap, loosely intertwined, yet occasionally tightening without her noticing, as her thoughts refused to stay still.
The events of the day replayed again and again in her mind, looping endlessly.
Victor’s calm voice.
The overwhelming silence of that mansion.
And then—
Him.
Standing there.
Watching her.
This is my house.
Her eyes closed slowly as she exhaled, her breath unsteady despite her effort to calm it.
“I didn’t go there for him,” she whispered softly into the quiet room, as if saying it aloud would somehow make it true.
But even in her own thoughts—
He did not leave.
—
The sudden vibration of her phone broke through the silence sharply, making her flinch slightly before she reached for it.
Her fingers hovered over the screen for a brief moment before unlocking it, her eyes scanning the notification that had just appeared.
And then—
They stilled.
—
Voss Empire Pvt. Ltd.
Interview Invitation
Date: Tomorrow
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: Voss Empire Headquarters
—
Her heartbeat quickened almost instantly, a quiet but undeniable rhythm building inside her chest.
“So soon…” she murmured under her breath, reading the message again, slower this time, as if trying to confirm that it was real and not something her mind had imagined.
Tomorrow.
Not later.
Not someday.
Tomorrow.
Nyra placed the phone down carefully beside her, her fingers lingering for a second before pulling away.
Everything could change tomorrow.
And for the first time in days—
That thought felt both hopeful…
And terrifying.
—
Morning arrived faster than she wanted it to.
Nyra stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her simple outfit again and again, even though nothing about it changed. Her clothes were clean, neat, but undeniably plain, and her hair was tied into a loose ponytail that refused to stay perfectly in place, a few strands slipping free no matter how many times she tried to fix them.
Her reflection looked back at her—
Calm on the outside.
Uncertain underneath.
“You can do this,” she said quietly, her voice steady but not entirely convincing.
Still—
She picked up her bag and stepped out.
—
The moment she entered the main room, the atmosphere shifted instantly, as if her presence alone had disturbed something.
Daniel looked up first, his brows pulling together in immediate suspicion.
“Where are you going?” he asked, his tone already sharp.
Nyra did not stop completely, but she slowed just enough to answer.
“…for an interview.”
Sera turned toward her, surprise flashing across her face before being replaced by doubt.
“Interview? Where?”
Nyra hesitated only for a fraction of a second.
“…Voss Empire.”
The silence that followed was heavier than before.
Daniel straightened immediately, disbelief clear in his expression.
“Voss Empire?” he repeated, his voice rising slightly.
Sera’s eyes widened. “That big company?”
Emma finally looked up from her phone, her lips curling into a mocking smile.
“You? There?” she said, unable to hide her disbelief.
Nyra tightened her grip on her bag, but her face remained composed.
“It’s just an interview.”
“How did you even get selected?” Daniel demanded, stepping closer now.
“I applied.”
“You expect us to believe that?” Sera snapped.
Nyra did not respond.
There was no point.
Daniel’s voice turned colder. “Don’t embarrass us there.”
“I won’t,” she replied quietly.
Emma leaned back, crossing her arms. “She’ll get rejected before she even sits down.”
Nyra turned toward the door.
But Daniel’s final words followed her—
“If you get that job… remember who you owe.”
Her steps paused for the briefest moment.
Then continued.
Without looking back.
—
The Voss Empire building rose high into the sky, its glass surface reflecting the morning light in a way that made it look almost untouchable.
Nyra stood at the entrance for a moment longer than necessary, her eyes slowly tracing the structure from bottom to top, taking in its size, its precision, its quiet authority.
This was not just a company.
It was power.
And she was walking straight into it.
She took a deep breath.
And stepped inside.
—
The moment she entered, she felt it immediately.
The difference.
People moved with purpose, their steps measured, their expressions focused, their presence confident in a way that came from belonging here.
Nyra became aware of herself—
Her simple clothes.
Her worn bag.
Her loosely tied hair.
For a moment, doubt crept in again.
But she pushed it away.
And walked toward the reception desk.
—
“Excuse me… I’m here for an interview,” she said softly, her voice polite and controlled.
The receptionist did not look up immediately.
Instead, she continued typing on her computer, her fingers moving slowly across the keyboard as if she had all the time in the world.
Nyra stood there.
Waiting.
Seconds passed.
Then finally—
The receptionist looked up.
Her gaze moved over Nyra slowly, deliberately, from head to toe, taking in every detail with a judgment that wasn’t even hidden.
“Interview?” she repeated, her tone carrying a faint sharpness. “Here?”
Nyra nodded.
“Yes.”
The receptionist leaned back slightly, her expression unchanged.
“Are you sure you’re in the right place?” she asked, her voice polite in words, but not in meaning.
Nyra’s fingers tightened slightly around her bag, but her expression remained steady.
“Yes.”
“Name?”
“Nyra.”
The receptionist typed it in, her eyes flicking between the screen and Nyra.
Then she paused.
Something shifted in her expression, just for a moment.
“You’ve been shortlisted,” she said, though her tone still held distance.
“Second floor. Conference room B.”
Nyra nodded.
“Thank you.”
But just as she turned—
The receptionist added casually—
“You should’ve dressed more appropriately for a place like this.”
The words landed softly.
But heavily.
Nyra stopped for a fraction of a second.
Her fingers tightened again.
Her chest felt slightly tighter.
For a moment, it seemed like she might say something.
But she didn’t.
She simply nodded once more.
“Thank you.”
And walked away.
—
Each step felt heavier now.
Not because of the floor beneath her—
But because of the words echoing quietly in her mind.
Are you sure you’re in the right place?
Nyra inhaled slowly.
Then exhaled.
“…I am,” she whispered under her breath.
And this time—
She chose to believe it.
—
“Nyra.”
Her name was called.
She stepped inside.
—
The inner office felt different from the rest of the building.
Darker.
Quieter.
Controlled in a way that felt intentional.
Dark wood panels lined the walls, the lighting dim enough to create shadows but bright enough to reveal everything that mattered. A large desk stood at the center, perfectly arranged, nothing out of place, everything precise.
And behind it—
Him.
—
She stepped forward.
“Good morning.”
“Sit.”
Her eyes dropped briefly—
And stopped.
Adrian Voss.
Now she knew.
—
“Qualification,” he said.
“I completed my studies through scholarship,” she replied, her voice steady. “Merit-based. I maintained top scores to continue.”
“And after that?”
“I continued the same way while working to support myself.”
“Two jobs,” he noted.
“Yes.”
“You left one.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I made a mistake,” she said calmly. “I corrected it. Then I left.”
“Or you ran away?” his voice sharpened slightly.
Nyra met his gaze.
“I don’t run after fixing what I break.”
—
Silence settled between them.
Thick.
Tense.
—
“Why should I hire you?” he asked.
“Because I won’t repeat the same mistake,” she replied without hesitation.
—
“You don’t like taking help.”
“I prefer earning.”
“And if you fail?”
“I try again.”
“And if you fail again?”
“I don’t stop.”
—
Their eyes locked.
Neither moving.
Neither giving in.
—
“And if I reject you?”
“I’ll find another way.”
—
The silence that followed felt heavier than before.
Almost suffocating.
—
“Interview over.”
Nyra blinked slightly.
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
She stood.
“Thank you.”
And walked out.
—
Inside the room—
Felix leaned back slightly.
“Well… she didn’t break.”
Adrian’s gaze remained fixed on the door.
“She won’t.”
" TO BE CONTINUED "
____________________________________________________________
Author's note...
Hey everyone 🙂 🙂
This chapter had a lot of tension… from Nyra being judged at the reception to her intense interview 👀
What do you think about how she handled everything?
And how did you feel about her interaction with Adrian this time?
I’d really love to hear your thoughts, so don’t forget to leave a comment 💌
See you in the next chapter!
Good bye dear readers 👋 👋 👋 👋
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