Chapter Three—Into the Fire
1600 Words
The alarm clock rang earlier than usual, waking Ava up, but her body wasn’t ready to move. She stretched her hand to the side table and put off the clock so it could stop buzzing loudly. Then she just lay there, staring at the ceiling.Doubts filled her mind.
What if I just…didn’t go? She thought to herself.
The thoughts were quiet, like a whisper of escape and she was considering it but reality hit harder. She threw the sheets off and forced herself to get up. No turning back now. Not after everything.
She had a quick shower,towel-dried her hair, and twisted it up into a sleek bun. A quick thought about letting it loose came but she shoved it off, she didn’t want any distractions.
She put on a red dress. The dress hugged her figure in the right places—not too tight or too bold but enough to make a statement. She wore her black heels, picked up her Louis Vuitton handbag, and stepped out of the room.
The smell of pancakes filled her nostrils as she walked into the living room. The aroma was coming from the kitchen.Leah stood in front of the stove, flipping the pancakes like a professional chef.
“You're up early,” Leah said without turning around to look at her .“I made your favorite.”
Ava lingered by the kitchen dining table, it was like the warm kitchen soothed her cold nerves.
“They smell so good. I wish I had the stomach for it,” she said, offering a weak smile.“Tension
has taken away my appetite.”
Leah looked over her shoulder, nodding with understanding.“First days do that. Don’t worry, I won't push.”
Ava moved closer briefly, and gave her friend a quick side hug.“Thanks.For the pancakes.And for yesterday. I am so lucky to have you.”
“You smell amazing and look dashing my friend. Go get ‘em,” Leah said, grinning.“Make the Harrington building spin.”
“I'll try not to set it on fire,” Ava replied with a chuckle, then turned to leave.“ See you later.”
“Good luck, boss lady!” Leah shouted back as Ava walked towards the living room door.
The City was still half-asleep, but Harrington Corp was already wide awake. Ava walked through the glass doors, and past the security desk with a confident nod. She didn't need direction this time.
Two elevators stood waiting.
The left one was black—It was James Harrington’s private elevator. She’d used it yesterday, escorted like an outsider. Today, she was just another employee. Her place was with the rest.
She stepped into the public elevator where two other staff members were already inside —a man in a navy suit, and two women whose perfume filled the confined space.
Ava reached out to press the top floor button.
Then came the whisper.
“She’s the daughter of Victor Daniels, right?”One of the women asked the other.
“She is. Never thought I’d see the day when the daughter of the once-famous Daniels & Co. would be working here. Karma is a bitch.”The second woman replied.
Ava kept her face still, pressed the button, and said nothing. Silence had a power of its own.
One by one, they exited on different floors, leaving her alone.
Finally, she exhaled. Grateful for the silence as if it was the air she breathed.
When the elevator pinged and the doors slid open, she stepped into the top floor.
Her phone buzzed softly.6:40 a.m.
“Right on time.”She muttered to herself.
She walked slowly, taking her time to look around. The lighting was warm, and the decor looked like it belonged in a design magazine—marble tiles, glass, expensive big vases kept in the right places and expensive artwork hung on the walls.
Ava stood straight and started walking towards James Harrington’s office. She had only walked a few steps when she bumped into someone.
“Watch where you’re going,” a voice snapped.
Ava blinked and looked up—Hannah Leigh.
“I’m sorry,” Ava said, her voice calm.
Hannah scoffed as if the apology annoyed her more than the bump. She didn’t respond. Instead, she held out a small, black access card with Ava’s name written on it.
“This is yours. You’ll need it to move around this floor,” she said flatly, then turned .“Follow me.”
Ava obeyed and walked behind her. They stopped just before the massive double doors that led into James’s office. Off to the side, separated by a glass partition was another door.
“That’s your office,” Hannah said.“You’ll be assisting Mr Harrington directly.
Ava stepped inside.
The space was elegant—a glass desk, an arranged shelf, a leather chair, and minimal decor. The wall that divided her space from James’s office was transparent, but a discreet blind hung on his side, ready to draw for his privacy. It was too exposed for her liking, but she nodded.
Hannah gestured towards a stack of files on the desk.
“Start with these. They need sorting—names, dates, order of importance.No mistakes.”
She handed Ava a smaller stack.“This contains Mr Harrington’s meeting schedules and email briefs. Read them, you’ll need to know them inside out by the end of the day.”
Ava nodded, placing the folders gently on the desk. Hannah was already halfway out when she paused.
“Mr Harrington has a meeting in the next 20 minutes with an investor. Get coffee ready before then. And try not to spill anything.”
Ava found the staff kitchen, she made the coffee exactly as the instructions said—black, no sugar, and a pint of cinnamon. Her hands were shaky because she was tensed but she ignored it and carried the tray carefully.
When she got to the door, she pushed the door gently with an elbow and walked in. James was on a call, his voice was low. Just as she reached the desk, the tray shifted slightly and the cup tipped over.
Hot coffee spilled across the sleeve of his shirt.
He looked up slowly.
Ava’s heart stopped.
“I…oh my God, I’m sorry,” she whispered, reaching for a napkin on the tray.
He didn’t shout or flinch, it was just his cold eyes that stared at her.
“This is the first task on your first day, and you’re already making an impression, Miss Daniels?” he asked, his voice cold-calm.
She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
“Just go,” he said quietly. “Get back to your desk.”
She turned and returned to her glass-walled office. She hadn’t even sat down before she noticed the small folded note on her desk. It hadn’t been there earlier.
She opened it.
Welcome to the lion’s den, Ava Daniels.
No name. And she didn’t recognize the handwriting.
Her fingers tightened around the paper. Was this what Leah meant? When she said, you’ll see?
Ava sat slowly, forcing herself to focus. She picked up the first file from the pile and started reading. Her throat was tight. She wanted to cry. But not here.
***
Hours passed by, and Ava was stuck with endless files, flipping the pages, trying to understand what she had to do exactly. Every time she thought she'd gotten it right, something slipped.
She misfiled a contract.
Forwarded the wrong version of a report to the legal department.
Even accidentally called one of James’s long-standing clients by the wrong name during a call transfer and got a brutal correction from Hannah.
By noon, her confidence was a mess, and her heels were hurting like crazy. She had skipped lunch because there was a lot of work to do.
By evening, her eyes burned from staring at the computer screen for too long, and her fingers felt numb from typing. But she made progress. She’d sorted nearly all the files, color-coded and labeled the schedules, and left sticky notes on things she still didn’t understand yet.
She looked at the time: 6:48 p.m.
Just twelve minutes to freedom.
The idea of kicking off her heels, collapsing onto the couch, and ranting to Leah about her day replayed in her head.
Then came the knock.
The door swung open and James Harrington stepped in.
Ava sat up straighter.
“Sir…”
He held up a hand.
“Dinner,” he said simply. “I have a meeting tonight with business partners. You’re coming with me.”
She blinked. “Tonight?”
“Yes. You’ll be taking notes. Is there somewhere you need to be?.”
She hesitated. “Can I… go home and change first?”
James reached into his back pocket, pulled out a card, and placed it on her desk. “No need. My designer will be here soon. He’ll handle what you’ll wear.”
Ava stared at the card, her pulse was so loud in her ears.
“You have fifteen minutes,” James added. “Don’t be late.”
Then he turned and left, the door clicked shut behind him.
Ava looked down at the designer’s card, her fingers tightening around it.
Dinner with business partners? Notes? A custom outfit?
This wasn't just work anymore. It was a test and she had no idea what she was walking into.
She thought the worst was behind her. But the real game was only just beginning.
- Writer
