CHAPTER.2
1455 Words
The alarm buzzed at Five. Alice was already awake, staring at the ceiling in the guest bedroom of her uncle’s flat. She had to leave home and travel to another state for this job. Her uncle was already in the kitchen, dressed in his suit. He worked at a bank in town, and his resumption time was very rigid. He poured himself coffee while humming faintly.
“You’re up early again,” he said, not looking surprised.
Alice tugged her cardigan closer around her shoulders. “I don’t want to be late. Not even once.”
He smiled
By seven, the car was parked outside AHN. Alice wasn’t alone this time. Samuel had flopped in the back seat beside her, humming tunelessly while scrolling on his phone. Sometimes, he would join her and her Uncle in the morning since he didn’t live too far from them.
When they stepped out of the car. Samuel teased, “Pretty girl. I’m sure some of these Men have started coming for you. Have you found a Sugar Daddy yet?”
“Shut up”, she said while letting out a small laugh. “That’s not my style”
“Too bad, for me, I’m on a mission to find a Sugar Mummy, someone rich to take care of me, you know”, Samuel said
Alice blinked at him “Are you serious?”
“Dead serious”, Samuel said, though his smirk gave him away.
She shook her head, wasn’t so surprised tho. With Samuel, she couldn’t tell when he was joking or serious. He was reckless, flirted with anything in a skirt, too carefree for her liking, but she was grateful she had someone to show her round the city and a companion at work.
Samuel spread his arms wide “Another glorious day in Velora City, can you smell the power in the air?”
Alice rolled her eyes. “All I smell is car exhaust, and you’re so annoying”
He laughed, slung an arm briefly around her shoulders, and then the two of them walked inside.
The office floor was almost empty. The air smelled faintly of lemon polish. She slid into her seat, smoothed the edges of her desk, and arranged the few pens they had given her yesterday.
Her stomach fluttered. She stood, walked around the cubicles, and peeked into the copy room. Everything was so big, so sharp, so modern. Nothing like the student library where she used to spend nights cramming with instant noodles at her side.
By eight, the spell broke. Elevators dinged open, voices rose, heels clacked. The quiet office turned into a stream of activity—voices overlapped with laughter, greetings, the smell of coffee and perfume drifting in the air. Alice sat straighter, a little stiff, smiling too quickly whenever someone glanced her way.
“Morning!” Sarah’s voice cut through the hum. She swept in with her oversized tote bag and a burst of perfume, her hair bouncing. “Early bird again, huh? You’re really trying to impress.”
Alice flushed. “Just… habit. My uncle leaves early, so I come with him.”
Sarah leaned against the edge of her desk, grinning. “Well, it’s working. The bosses love punctuality. Speaking of which—want me to give you the tour today? I promised yesterday.”
Relief rushed through Alice“Yes, please. I’d really appreciate it.”
They set off down the corridor, Sarah pointing out every office with the confidence of someone who’d been there longer.
“That’s Communications. You’ll hear them arguing a lot—don’t worry, that’s normal. And that’s Legal. Everyone there looks like they haven’t slept in months. Oh, and this hallway? Always smells like coffee because of the machine at the end.”
Alice laughed, her nerves softening. Sarah had a way of making the maze feel less intimidating, like she wasn’t completely invisible in this world of confident, polished people.
They were turning a corner when Alice almost ran straight into someone.
He stopped first. Tall, broad, dark hair a little too perfect, suit fitting so well.
Alice recognised him instantly; she had memorised his eyes. The same commanding stare, sharp enough to pin her where she stood.
He glanced at Sarah, then at her. “New?”
Alice swallowed, forcing her voice to stay steady. “Yes. Alice Hart.”
For a beat, his gaze lingered on her. Then: “Ethan.” His tone was casual, but there was something behind it, like he didn’t waste words unnecessarily.
She nodded quickly, the syllables sticking in her throat. “Nice to meet you, Ethan.”
He gave a small tilt of his head, the faintest curve at his mouth—as though amused by her effort to say his name just right and then continued down the corridor.
Alice exhaled only after he was gone.
Sarah raised her brows. “You don’t know who that is?”
Alice frowned. “I mean… he said Ethan.”
Sarah snorted. “Ethan Hale….he is on the Director’s floor; you know what that means?”
Alice’s mind flashed back to the marble lobby, the way security had trailed after him. “Oh.” She tried to sound casual, but her tongue tripped. “I—I see.”
Back at her desk, Linda and Nora were already at theirs. Linda smiled, quick and tight, the kind that said welcome and don’t get too comfortable at the same time. Nora didn’t bother to hide her scepticism.
“Try not to wander too much,” Linda murmured, tapping at her keyboard. “There’s a lot of work to be done.”
Alice nodded quickly. “Of course. I’m just getting familiar.”
“Familiarity can look like distraction,” Nora added, not even looking at her.
Alice’s throat tightened. She managed a small smile anyway. “Noted.”
Linda handed her a stack of files. “Alice, could you take these to the director’s floor for processing?”
“Okay”
The files felt heavy in her arms as she rode the elevator up. Her reflection in the glass doors stared back—neater hair than usual, lipstick faint but there, eyes wide with nerves.
The director’s floor was quieter, colder “Hmm, A.C. in the hallway? What a waste”, she sighed. The silence felt like luxury. She followed the corridor signs, her heels making a steady tap against the tiles, the papers clutched to her chest. “Maybe I should stop wearing heels if I were doing this a lot. I wouldn’t mind if I worked on my table from morning till closing hours, but this,” she thought.
“Lost?”
The voice came from behind her.
Alice’s pulse jumped. She turned.
It was Ethan, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a folder. His tie was loosened slightly, like he’d been working hard—or maybe like rules bent around him instead of the other way. He looked stylish and around his forties, probably too stylish for his age.
“Um—no, not lost. Just… looking for the processing office.” She lifted the files a little, almost like proof.
He stepped closer, not enough to crowd her, but enough that she caught the faint mix of cologne and something warm, like cedar. “It’s down this hall. Just left of my office.”
Her eyes flicked past him. The door at the corner, sleek and dark. His office.
He must have seen the way she glanced, because his mouth curved faintly. “If you ever want to visit, it’s just there.”
Her breath caught. She wasn’t sure what to make of that. Friendly? Teasing? Something else?
She forced a light laugh. “I’ll… keep that in mind.”
Ethan’s gaze lingered a little before he moved past her and disappeared into his office.
Alice stood for a moment, the files heavy in her arms.
She shook herself and hurried on. She wasn’t here for distractions.
And yet, as she delivered the documents, her mind kept circling back to the way he’d said it. If you ever want to visit.
By the time she returned to her desk, the day had blurred into emails, whispered instructions, a few times, Linda’s cool eyes, or Nora’s glance caught her in the act of simple existing, and she wondered if she was failing some invisible test.
When five o’clock finally came, Alice packed her bag slowly. Sarah waved, calling out something about coffee tomorrow.
Alice smiled, but her mind was elsewhere.
As she stepped into the corridor, she glanced toward the elevators. Toward the floor above.
And wondered if Ethan had meant it.
- Writer
