CHAPTER 1 - "The Interview That Wasn't an Interview"
Zainab almost didn't go.
The email looked too strange.
"You have been selected for a private internship opportunity. No experience required. Confidentiality required."
No company name.
No address.
Just coordinates.
Still, she went.
Because rent doesn't wait.
The building wasn't listed anywhere on maps.
It looked like a normal corporate tower-but the moment she stepped inside, everything changed.
Silence.
No receptionist.
Just a single black table.
And a folder.
Her name was already printed on it.
Zainab swallowed hard.
"This must be a mistake..."
But then
A voice came from behind her.
Cold,calm,certain.
It's not a mistake. Sit.
She turned.
A man stood there like he belonged to another world entirely.
Dark suit. Sharp eyes. No emotion.
Kael Viremont.
She didn't know his name yet.
But her instincts told her one thing:
This man did not belong in her life.
He pushed the folder toward her.
"Read and sign."
Zainab frowned. "What is this job exactly?"
Kael looked at her for the first time properly.
Like she was something unusual.
Then he said:
"A second life."
Silence.
Zainab almost laughed. "That's not a job."
Kael leaned back slightly.
"It is for people who survive it."
Something about his tone made her chest tighten.
She opened the folder.
Inside was a contract.
But the title made her freeze:
"Dual Identity Binding Agreement."
Her name was already written on it.
Her fingers trembled.
"I didn't apply for this."
Kael's voice was calm.
"You were chosen."
Zainab looked up sharply.
"For what?"
A pause.
Then the answer:
"To belong to two worlds at once. And survive both."
The pen was placed in front of her.
One signature.
That's all it would take.
Kael's eyes stayed on her.
Not pressuring.
Not begging.
Just watching.
Like he already knew what she would do.
Zainab slowly picked up the pen.
And in that moment...
She had no idea her normal life was already over.