CHAPTER1
1480 Words
Alice adjusted her bag on her shoulder as she stepped inside the Ardonia House of Nations (AHN) International Headquarters, as if she were walking into another world, as the glass door slid open with a soft hiss.
Her pulse thudding, at least she wasn’t walking in alone. Beside her, Samuel strolled with hands in his pockets, grinning at the towering glass building like it was a theme park.
“Nervous?” he asked, glancing at her pale face.
“A little,” she admitted.
“Relax,” Samuel said, nudging her elbow. “It’s just paperwork and people in suits. Worst case, we sign away our souls. Best case, we get free coffee”
She couldn’t help but smile. Trust Samuel to turn her stomach-churning anxiety into something bearable.
She would often refer to Samuel as her distant cousin, because he was her Uncle’s Wife’s Sister’s Son.
The reception was so big- marble floors shining like still water, the ceilings were really high, and the golden lights spilt down from chandeliers, the ambience was like something out of a palace. She took a look at her acceptance letter again.
She felt a tingling in her chest.
This internship had cost her nights of crying, endless applications, and the gentle but persistent encouragement of her uncle. There were months she had given up completely, thinking no one from her background would ever get the chance. But her uncle hadn’t let her quit. He pushed, he wrote recommendations, he spent hours helping her polish her CV, but most of all, she knew it was his connections that finally got them an internship.
And now—here she was.
She had graduated and was no longer just a student from a modest neighbourhood. She was an intern in Velora City—the capital of Ardonia, the seat of power, old money, and politics money.
“Hmm, the air”, she murmured, “smells different. Like perfume and polished wood. Expensive”
Samuel gave a small chuckle “That’s not the air. That’s conditioning and money”
The click of her heels echoed as she crossed the polished floor. Two uniformed officers behind the reception table welcomed them and told them to sign in.
Finding the administrative office was a hard task. The building was a maze of glass hallways, silver elevators, and people who all seemed to know exactly where they were going. She finally spotted a door labelled Administration and slipped inside with relief.
A young woman sat behind a desk, typing furiously. Alice smiled nervously.
“Good morning, ma,” she greeted softly.
The woman paused, looked up, and let out a small laugh.
“Oh no,” she said, pressing a hand to her chest. “Don’t ‘ma’ me. I’m an intern just like you.”
Alice blinked, then laughed too, embarrassment warming her cheeks.
“Sorry, I didn’t know.”
“Don’t worry. You’re new, it happens. I’m Anna,” the girl said, her tone friendlier now.
“I just got accepted”, Alice said, handing over her letter. “Congratulations”, Anna said, smiling as she pushed her braids behind her shoulders and gestured toward a stack of files. “You’ll need to fill out some documents first. After that, I’ll take you to the admin officer to brief you. Just follow the process.”
Relieved, Alice took the forms and settled down to work. The paper smelled faintly of ink, her handwriting shaking a little as she filled in her details.
Samuel, who had been hovering just a step behind, finally cleared his throat. He looked almost as flustered as Alice had been a moment ago.
“Uh—good morning,” he said quickly, then cracked a half-smile. “And don’t worry, I’m not about to call you ‘ma.’ Though, if you like, I could—”
Anna rolled her eyes, amused. “Save the charm, new guy. Letter, please.”
Samuel chuckled, sliding his acceptance letter across the desk. “Fair enough. Just trying to make a good first impression.”
“You and every other intern,” Anna teased, handing him a form. “Sit, fill. The admin officer isn’t patient with delays.”
Halfway through, she excused herself to find the restroom. On her way down the corridor, she noticed how different everyone looked here. The staff looked so polished.
Two women stood talking near the corridor—both well-dressed, laughing softly in a very friendly manner that made them seem like office best friends. Alice admired their sleek hair, their expensive perfume drifting lightly through the air. She smiled to herself, already labelling them as “the office besties” in her head.
By the time she returned, her forms were finished.
The admin officer finally appeared—an older man with greying hair and kind eyes.
“So you’re Alice and Samuel,” he said, flipping through her documents. “International Relations student, yes?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. You’ll be joining the Policy and Strategic Department and Samuel, Legal Department. That should suit your field perfectly.”
Alice’s heart skipped. Policy and Strategic.
It sounded so official, so important.
“You’ll begin fully tomorrow,” he continued. “But before today ends, I’ll take you two to your department so you’re familiar with the team. For now, wait in the lobby. Some of the interns are there—you can meet them.”
Alice nodded eagerly and thanked him.
The intern lobby was buzzing with chatter. A small group had gathered around, eating snacks and laughing. When they noticed Alice and Samuel, one of them—a tall, broad-shouldered boy with a warm smile—stood up.
“New faces!” he declared. “Welcome. I’m Charles. We’re like family here, so don’t feel lost.”
Alice’s nerves loosened.
“I’m Samuel”, he declared as if he’d been waiting for the spotlight. “This one’s my cousin. Kind of. Complicated family tree. But the important part—she’s stuck with me now.”
The group chuckled.
Alice rolled her eyes, letting out a sigh.
The others introduced themselves, and soon she was laughing along as though she had known them for longer than a few minutes.
Among them was Sarah, a chubby, stylish girl, who lit up when she learned Alice would also be in Policy and Strategic.
“That’s my department too!” Sarah said excitedly. “You’ll love it. We work hard, but it’s interesting. I’ll show you the ropes.”
Gratitude swelled in Alice’s chest. Maybe this wouldn’t be so hard after all.
True to his word, the admin officer returned to escort Alice to her department first.
The Policy and Strategic office was larger than she imagined, with sleek partitions separating workstations. Each desk had massive curved desktop screens, glowing with spreadsheets and graphs. Alice stared in awe and with a little excitement.
“Alice, meet Linda and Nora,” the admin officer said.
Alice’s heart gave a little jolt. These were the two women she had seen earlier in the corridor.
Linda, elegant in a silk scarf, raised an eyebrow at her. She looked to be in her early forties, with a calm but sharp expression. Nora, younger and slimmer, leaned back against her desk, arms crossed.
“You’re welcome,” Nora said shortly.
“You’re a bit disrespectful,” Linda added. “We saw you earlier. You didn’t greet, just stared.”
Alice’s mouth fell open. “—I’m so sorry,” she stammered. “I didn’t mean to. I thought—”
The admin officer quickly stepped in, smoothing over the tension. “And over here is Daniel’s desk, though he isn’t around today.”
Alice nodded, cheeks burning as she followed him. She was assigned a small desk of her own. Though she smiled politely, her stomach knotted from the encounter. So much for first impressions.
By five o’clock, her first day was officially done. Alice packed up, slung her bag over her shoulder, and sought out the Legal department on the ground floor.
As she turned toward to exit the elevator, she collided with someone.
Strong hands steadied her instantly.
“I’m sorry!” she gasped, looking up—
And froze.
The man towering over her was striking. Tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in an immaculate suit. His eyes—dark, sharp and commanding—locked on hers, and for a brief second, time seemed to pause.
Alice’s breath caught. Something about the way he looked at her made her pulse race.
She stepped aside quickly, murmuring another apology.
He gave no reply, only the faintest nod, before striding toward the elevator. Two security guards immediately fell into step behind him.
The doors slid shut, swallowing him whole.
Alice stood for a moment, her heart pounding.
He must be someone important, she thought.
- Writer
