The Obsidian Holdings building was taller than Aria expected.
She stood across the street for a full thirty seconds before crossing.
It wasn't the tallest skyscraper in the city. It didn't need to be. Unlike the glassy corporate towers that screamed for attention, this one stood quiet and composed, black-tinted windows, sharp lines, no excessive branding.
Just a polished obsidian plaque near the entrance:
OBSIDIAN HOLDINGS
Silver lettering.
Minimal.
Unapologetic.
Her palms felt slightly damp.
"This is fine," she muttered to herself.
She adjusted the strap of her bag and checked her reflection in the building's glass doors. Cream blouse. Black pencil skirt. Blazer sitting neatly on her shoulders. Hair brushed and tucked behind her ears.
Professional.
She looked like she belonged.
She hoped she felt like she belonged.
Taking a steadying breath, Aria pushed the doors open.
The lobby was… intimidating.
High ceilings. Marble floors so polished they reflected light like water. Soft, deliberate lighting instead of harsh fluorescents. The air smelled faintly of something expensive, clean, but not clinical.
Behind a long black reception desk stood a woman in a fitted grey suit, posture straight, expression neutral but not unfriendly.
To the right, a seating area.
And that's when Aria noticed them.
At least twelve other young adults sat in the waiting area. Some flipping through their phones. Some reviewing documents. Some whispering quietly to one another.
All dressed just as sharply as she was.
Her stomach dipped.
Interview candidates.
She wasn't the only one.
Of course she wasn't.
Why would she think she was?
She stepped further inside, heels clicking softly against the marble. A few heads turned subtly. Quick glances. Assessment. Silent competition.
She suddenly felt very aware of herself.
Her height.
Her posture.
The way her hands were holding her folder just a little too tightly.
"Good morning," the receptionist greeted smoothly as Aria approached.
"Good morning," Aria replied, hoping her voice didn't betray her nerves.
"Name?"
"Aria Vale."
The receptionist typed something into her computer, eyes scanning the screen briefly before nodding.
"You're here for the internship program assessment?"
Assessment?
Her heart skipped.
"Yes."
"Take a seat. You'll be called shortly."
Shortly.
Aria nodded politely and moved toward the seating area.
There were only three empty chairs left. She chose one near the middle, placing her folder neatly on her lap.
Silence settled again.
Not uncomfortable.
Just tense.
She glanced around discreetly.
To her left sat a tall guy with wire-frame glasses, flipping through what looked like a financial portfolio. On her right, a girl in a navy suit tapped her foot rapidly while whispering formulas under her breath.
Everyone looked prepared.
Everyone looked confident.
Aria swallowed.
She replayed everything she knew about Obsidian Holdings.
Elite acquisition firm.
Ruthless in business strategy.
Selective recruitment.
Mysterious leadership.
She'd assumed the internship program meant guaranteed placement.
Now she wasn't so sure.
Across from her, two candidates were whispering.
"I heard they only take three interns."
"Three? Out of how many applicants?"
"Hundreds."
Aria's pulse quickened.
Three?
She resisted the urge to check her email again.
Her phone buzzed quietly in her bag.
She froze.
Slowly, she reached for it.
Lila.
She exhaled softly and answered in a low voice.
"I'm here," Aria whispered.
"Are you freaking out?" Jenna asked immediately from the background.
"Only internally."
"Good. That means you look calm on the outside."
Aria smiled faintly. "There are so many people."
"You're just as qualified as them."
"I know. I just… didn't realize it would be like this."
"High-stakes companies don't do easy, Aria."
She knew that.
That was why she applied.
After ending the call, she placed her phone face-down in her bag.
A soft chime echoed through the lobby.
The elevator doors at the far end opened.
Every head turned.
A man in a dark suit stepped out, not young like the rest of them. Older. Confident. Sharp gaze.
He scanned the room once.
Silence deepened.
"Internship candidates," he called evenly. "Follow me."
Twelve people stood at once.
Aria's heartbeat thudded in her ears.
This was it.
She adjusted her blazer subtly and walked toward the elevator with the others. No one spoke now. The earlier whispers had disappeared.
The elevator ride was quiet.
Too quiet.
The higher they went, the more her ears popped slightly. Floor numbers climbed steadily.
The doors opened onto a sleek hallway lined with frosted glass offices. Staff members moved with quiet efficiency. No one wasted time. No one lingered.
The man led them into a conference room.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the entire city.
The view was breathtaking.
And humbling.
"Take a seat," he instructed.
They obeyed immediately.
Aria chose a chair near the end of the long table.
The man remained standing.
"My name is Mr. Laurent," he began. "I oversee talent acquisition at Obsidian Holdings."
His eyes swept over them.
"You are not here because you are average."
A pause.
"You are here because someone believed you may be exceptional."
Aria's fingers tightened slightly around her folder.
"But understand this clearly," he continued calmly, "Obsidian does not reward potential. We reward performance."
The words settled heavily.
"You will undergo a case analysis assessment today. Group and individual components."
Group?
Aria glanced around subtly.
So they would be working together.
Competing.
All at once.
Mr. Laurent pressed a remote. Screens lit up along the wall behind him.
Charts. Financial data. Company performance metrics.
"Your task," he said evenly, "is to determine whether Obsidian should acquire this failing logistics firm. You have two hours."
A ripple of movement spread through the room as documents were distributed.
Aria took hers.
Her pulse steadied.
This she understood.
Numbers were simpler than shadows.
Data was clearer than intuition.
She scanned the first page quickly.
Revenue decline.
Poor leadership decisions.
Undervalued assets.
Her mind began organizing the information automatically.
Across the table, the guy with glasses was already scribbling notes.
The girl beside Aria adjusted her glasses and began typing.
Competition.
Focus.
You wanted this, she reminded herself.
Outside the conference room, down the hallway, behind a set of opaque black double doors, another room remained silent.
A live feed of the conference room streamed across multiple screens.
Every candidate visible.
Every expression captured.
Every hesitation recorded.
A shadowed figure stood near the window, hands clasped loosely behind his back.
Watching.
Two hours later, Aria's brain felt like it had run a marathon.
The room no longer felt intimidating. It felt heated.
Voices had overlapped during discussions. Disagreements had sparked. Someone had tried to dominate the conversation. Someone else had withdrawn completely.
Aria had surprised herself.
She didn't speak first.
But when she did, she spoke clearly.
She pointed out the undervalued distribution network. The overlooked warehouse assets. The leadership restructuring opportunity.
Mr. Laurent had watched her carefully when she spoke.
That made her more nervous than anything.
Now, all twelve candidates sat quietly again.
Waiting.
Mr. Laurent stood at the front of the room, tablet in hand.
"You've all performed well," he began.
That sounded like a "but."
"However, Obsidian Holdings only selects three interns per cycle."
A subtle shift in the room. Shoulders tightening. Breathing changing.
Aria clasped her hands together under the table.
This was the moment.
Mr. Laurent began reading names.
"The first candidate selected…"
A pause.
Aria's heart pounded loudly in her ears.
"…Daniel Cho."
A quiet exhale from somewhere across the table.
"The second candidate…"
Another pause. Deliberate.
"…Sofia Martinez."
The girl beside Aria stiffened slightly. Then straightened with visible relief.
Only one spot left.
Aria's mouth went dry.
She told herself not to hope too hard.
"The final candidate…"
The silence stretched just a second too long.
"…Aria Vale."
For a moment, she didn't react.
It took her brain half a second to process her own name.
Then her breath left her in a quiet rush.
She did it.
She actually did it.
She kept her expression composed, though her fingers trembled slightly in her lap.
The remaining candidates gathered their belongings quietly. Some disappointed. Some expressionless. Some avoiding eye contact altogether.
Mr. Laurent nodded at the three of them.
"Congratulations. You will return tomorrow at 9:00 AM for briefing and department assignment."
Aria stood with the others, heart still racing, but this time from pride.
She stepped into the hallway, phone already buzzing in her bag.
Lila, probably.
She couldn't wait to tell her.
As she reached the elevator, a voice called out behind her.
"Miss Vale?"
She turned.
One of the administrative assistants approached her, expression polite but unreadable.
"Yes?"
"Could you remain for a moment?"
Her stomach dipped slightly.
"Of course."
Daniel and Sofia exchanged quick glances but didn't question it. The elevator doors closed, leaving her alone in the hallway with the assistant.
"The CEO would like to see you."
Aria blinked.
"I'm sorry—who?"
"The CEO."
Her brain stalled.
Obsidian Holdings' CEO?
The one no one knew?
The one who never appeared publicly?
She almost laughed out of disbelief.
"Me?"
"Yes. Please follow me."
Her heartbeat changed.
Not excitement.
Something else.
A faint, creeping unease.
She told herself it was just nerves. Of course the CEO might want to meet selected interns. That wasn't strange.
It wasn't.
Right?
The assistant led her down a quieter corridor. The lighting felt softer here. The walls darker. The hum of office activity faded the further they walked.
They stopped at large double doors, matte black, no nameplate.
The assistant knocked once.
A low voice answered from inside.
"Send her in."
Her pulse jumped.
The assistant opened the door and gestured.
"Please."
Aria stepped inside.
The office was enormous.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city. The skyline stretched endlessly beyond the glass. The decor was minimal, black desk, dark wood shelves, subtle silver accents.
Power without clutter.
The door closed behind her.
The sound echoed louder than it should have.
At the far end of the room stood a man.
His back was to her.
Tall.
Still.
Hands clasped behind him as he looked out over the city.
For a brief, irrational second, her mind went completely blank.
"Sir?" she managed, her voice steady but quieter than usual.
Silence.
Then...
He turned.
Not quickly.
Not dramatically.
Just… slowly.
And the moment his face came into view, her body reacted before her thoughts did.
Her stomach dropped.
Her chest tightened.
Her mind screamed one word.
Run.
It was him.
The man from outside the classroom window.
The one she told herself she imagined.
The one she convinced herself wasn't real.
He looked exactly the same.
Sharp features. Dark hair. Eyes that held hers with unsettling calm. Dangerously beautiful.
Not glowing.
Not supernatural.
Just intensely, impossibly familiar.
He studied her expression carefully.
As if he'd been expecting it.
As if he'd been waiting for this exact reaction.
Her throat went dry.
This wasn't coincidence.
This wasn't stress.
This wasn't coffee.
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as the door behind her suddenly felt very far away.
"Miss Vale," he said smoothly.
Her name sounded different coming from him.
"Welcome to Obsidian Holdings." He smirked, "I'm Kael Draven, your new boss."
And in that moment, Aria realized something terrifying.
She hadn't imagined him.
Not even once.