The city was chaos wrapped in glass and gold — sharp corners, fast cars, and endless shadows. Emilia had only been in New York for two hours, and already her nerves were stretched thin.
She clutched her tote bag to her chest as she stepped into the towering lobby of Moretti Enterprises, the sheer height of the building making her dizzy. Marble floors. Gilded elevators. People in suits that probably cost more than her monthly rent.
She didn't belong here.
But she needed the job.
"Interview with HR," she told the receptionist, her voice steadier than she felt.
The woman barely glanced up. "47th floor."
The elevator doors slid open with a soft ding, and Emilia stepped in, heart thudding with every rising floor. She had prepped for days, hoping her college degree and small-town charm would be enough.
When the doors opened, she stepped into a sea of glass offices and sharp stares.
She didn't know that fate was already watching.
Alessandro Moretti stood behind tinted glass in his office, watching the monitors that streamed silent footage from his lobby and elevators. He hadn't expected her to walk through those doors so soon — not after disappearing off the radar again.
But there she was.
The girl with the Blake eyes.
The daughter of the man who tried to end his bloodline.
"Sir," one of his men entered. "Shall I intercept her?"
Alessandro didn't look away from the screen. "No. Let her go to the interview."
"But—"
"She doesn't know who she is," he said coldly. "Yet."
He watched her closely — the way she fiddled with her hands, the tension in her shoulders, the flicker of fight in her eyes. She was nervous, but she wasn't fragile.
She was bold.
Interesting.
"Send me her application," he said. "And reschedule her interview. With me."
Downstairs, Emilia was handed a sudden change in schedule.
"I'm sorry," the assistant said. "Mr. Moretti would like to conduct your interview personally."
She blinked. "Mr. Moretti? As in... the CEO?"
"Yes. Now."
Her throat tightened. Why would a billionaire CEO want to interview her?
Still, she followed the assistant, nerves now on fire.
When she stepped into the massive corner office, the man behind the desk stood slowly.
Dark suit. Impossibly tall. Dangerous eyes.
He extended a hand.
"Miss Blake," he said smoothly. "Let's talk."
And when their eyes met, she felt it — the collision of two worlds about to shatter.