If I believed in bad omens, I would have turned around the moment my heel snapped, but I guess some things are meant to be, right? It wasn't a big deal, just a tiny snap. My shoe gave way, not for me, as I stepped out of the bus, followed by a sharp pain that hit my ankle like fire. I took a second, steadied myself on the railing, and kept walking.
That's just what I do, I keep walking, I don't complain and I don't draw attention. Especially not on days like this.
The city was buzzing. Glass buildings reflected the gray sky – no rain, just the usual Monday vibe. Everyone moved like they belonged somewhere important. I'm just another face in a black skirt, white blouse, and low heels that were now ruined. Executive secretary uniform. The "I'm invisible" look.
By the time I reached the Halloway Group headquarters, the pain in my ankle kicked in time with my heartbeat. 7:12 am. Good, I was early. Being early meant fewer questions, less attention, fewer chances for someone to notice the things I worked very hard to keep unnoticed.
Like the way I avoided mirrors or anything that reflects. Or how I memorized exits without thinking. Or how alarm bells sounded in my ears every time someone said my full name.
"Morning, Mara."
I nodded at the security guard and kept moving, he smiled the way people do when they see you every day, but don't really know you. I liked that kind of familiarity.
The ride up the elevator to the thirty-fourth floor was quiet. I adjusted my blouse, arranged my hair, and checked that my ID badge was facing the right way.
Mara Quinn.
Executive Secretary, Operations Division.
A good name, one that could be easily forgotten.
I stepped out onto the office floor. Phones ringing. Printers humming. The usual Monday chaos, some assistants gathered at a desk with tablets and files. The smell of coffee, bitter and comforting hung in the air, I inhaled deeply savouring the flavour.
"Mara!" Jenna called from across the room. "You're early again. You know that makes the rest of us look bad, right?"
I smiled. A small one. "Sorry." She laughed, already turning back to her screen. Jenna liked me. Most people did because I was helpful, quiet and reliable. You know the kind of person who remembered things for you so you didn't have to.
I slumped into my desk chair and turned on my computer. Thirty-seven unread emails, jezzz. I opened my to-do-list and began sorting through tasks automatically. I started with changing schedules, approving expenses, and confirming meeting dates.
The work load was normal for me, like manageable and safe.
That's when my manager's door slammed open, whoever it was didn't care to knock.
"Mara. Conference room. Now." The voice stressed the urgency. I looked up to see Mr Collins standing still in his doorway, his tie was loose, his brows furrowed the way it did whenever something went wrong and he needed someone else to take the fall.
"Yes, sir." I replied, already on my feet.
The walk to the conference room felt longer than usual. My ankle hurt with every step, but I didn't let it show.
I stepped in, the room was unusually full, too full. I recognised executives I didn't normally interact with sitting around the long glass table, whispering to each other. I saw those from legal. Finance. HR.
People who only showed up for big things.
Okay…My heart started racing. Mr Collins beckoned at me to stand near the screen. "We've had an unexpected development." He started.
Sentences like that never meant anything good.
He cleared his throat. "Beginning from now, there's been a restructuring at the executive level. Mr Halloway will be stepping in more directly."
Everyone became uneasy, someone cursed quietly under their breath, some were frowning. I felt it then. A cold dread settled in my chest. I knew that name. I knew what it meant.
Halloway.
I always knew a day like this would come. I just didn't know it would be today.
"Currently his executive assistant is on medical leave," He continued. "Temporary coverage is needed. Immediately."
I freaked out.
"And due to your performance record," he said, turning to me, "you'll be stepping in."
The room became blurry for a moment. "I…" I swallowed. "Sir, I work operations. I mean I'm not…"
"You're efficient. Discreet. And you don't panic," he cut in. "You'll do just fine."
Discreet. The word echoed in my head like a warning bell. What secrets was I about to keep?
"I'll need you on the thirty-eighth floor within the hour," he added. "You'll report directly to him."
Him?. Oh no, my hands were cold, I held them together to hide the slight quiver. "Yes, sir."
The meeting ended quickly after that. People rushed out, already whispering. I stayed behind to gather my things, I couldn't think straight.
Thirty-eighth floor, I haven't been up there in three years, No. That wasn't true, I was never up there as Mara.
The elevator ride felt different this time. Too slow, the higher we went, the more I couldn't breath well, it was like the building was pressing down on me. I stared at the glowing numbers, wishing them to stop, malfunction or like send me anywhere but here. They didn't.
The doors slid open, the first thing I noticed was the silence. This floor wasn't lively like the one I left. It…waited. The receptionist desk was empty, screensaver flickered. Cedar and cologne lingered in the air, a quiet threat.
I took three steps forward and stopped at the spot.
He stood at the window backing me, phone pressed to his ear. Tall. Broad shoulders. Perfect posture. The city lay behind him like it was something he owned.
I knew that silhouette, a knot formed in my throat.
"…don't care how you do it," he was saying, his voice calm and cold in a way that raised the hairs on my neck. "I want it handled."
He ended the call and turned. And just like that, the past hit me.
His eyes, locked on mine, dark and piercing. Confusion flickered. Like he'd seen me in a dream he couldn't quite remember.
"I have been expecting you. You're late," he said.
I blinked. "I…'m sorry. I was told…"
He looked at my ID badge briefly. Mara Quinn. There was interest, some kind of hunger, and suspicion in his expression. "You're the replacement," he said, it wasn't a question.
"Yes, sir." I replied as I stepped closer and dropped the file folder on his desk with hands I hoped weren't shaking. "I'll be covering your schedules, correspondence, and…"
"For how long?"
"I was told temporarily. Until your assistant returns." I watch him study me like a problem, thoroughly. For the first time in years I felt exposed.
"No," he said finally. "You'll stay."
I felt a jolt of electricity as his gaze met mine, you gotta be kidding. "Sir?"
"I don't like change," He said quietly. "But I dislike incompetence more and you seem… capable."
I forced myself to look back at him, that was a big mistake. There was something there making me feel uncomfortable, it wasn't desire. Not yet. Recognition.
I inhaled sharp, I couldn't help it. "I'll do my best," I said.
"I expect more than that," he replied. "And Mara?"
"Yes?"
He paused, his head angled. "Have we met before?"
The room blurred. Memories flooded back– darkness closing in, the scent of leather. Every instinct in my body screamed. Run, run, run.
"No," I said, too quickly. Then I steadied myself. "No, sir."
He stared at me for a long moment, his eyes fixed on mine. Then he smiled, not in a kind manner. "Interesting," he murmured. "You look like someone I used to know."
Pain kicked in hard on my ankle, I gripped the edge of the desk trying to stay on my feet.
Because I felt it, deep in my bones…that this wasn't just a temporary assignment.
This was the calm before the storm.
And Adrian Halloway wasn't the only one who would notice.