one night, one desire

chapter seven

Rebecca practically sprinted out of the coffee shop, her heels clicking rapidly against the pavement as she made her way to the looming skyscraper where her interview was set to take place. She cursed herself for getting distracted by the arrogant man back at the shop—how dare he just assume he could cut in line and treat her like that!

Arriving at the Luxe Estate headquarters, Rebecca’s heart was racing. The sleek, modern building stood before her like a monument of success, with its reflective glass panels and sharp, angular design. It was intimidating, but also exciting. This was where she wanted to be.

As she made her way inside, her heels echoing on the polished marble floor, she saw a group of other applicants gathered near the reception area. They were all impeccably dressed, their resumes in hand, eager to make a good impression.

Rebecca took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, making her way over to the group. She noticed several of the other applicants shooting her looks of appraisal, sizing her up as potential competition. A young woman in a smart blazer and an upturned nose gave Rebecca a tight smile, her eyes searching between Rebecca’s stylish outfit and her own.

Rebecca nodded back, giving the woman a small smile of her own. Just then, the receptionist appeared, gesturing for the applicants to follow her. Rebecca heaved a sigh of relief, glad she made it in time.

The receptionist led the group of applicants down a long, brightly lit hallway lined with sleek, modern artwork. They passed by several closed doors, each bearing the name of a different department within Luxe Estate. Finally, they arrived at a large conference room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, where they were met by a tall, imposing figure standing at the head of the table. It was none other than Isaac Nikolai.

As he turned around to face them, Rebecca felt all the colour in her face drain and the blood in her veins turn cold. Realising it was the same stranger she had meet at the café only just a few minutes ago. Now standing in his office, she cursed herself silently as she remember how she had spoken to him. No wonder the Batista kept giving her side glances. But how was she supposed to know he was the CEO of luxe estate?

Stealthily, the woman slid behind a rather tall man, hoping he hadn’t spotted her admits the people, but whom was she kidding! But upon closer inspection, Rebecca was certain without a shadow of a doubt in her heart anymore, that this was the same man from her night at the hotel, it only made sense, the similarities were uncanny.

If he truly was the same man, Rebecca wanted to jump out the window if possible, it would mean she had potentially shared the same bed with her Boss?! A scandalous act indeed. Her mind was running at twice its capacity now, barely able to keep up with the room which seemed to be spinning now. She just hoped she had hidden herself well enough from his view.

But as he turned to face them all, his eyes landed on Rebecca, and a small smile played at the corners of his lips, clearly amused by her shock. But he quickly regained his composure, his expression once again impassive and professional as he addressed them.

“thank you all for coming today,” he began, his voice deep and measured. “as you know, Luxe estate is a company that values excellence, precision, and drive. You were selected out of hundreds of applicants for this position because we believe you possess those qualities. Today, we will be interviewing each of you individually. But first, I’d like to say a few words about what we expect from our employees.”

Isaac’s gaze swept across the room, taking in the faces of each applicant. His eyes lingered on Rebecca for a moment before moving on.

"And as the active CEO of Luxe Estate, I’m always on the lookout for the best and brightest talent to join our team. And that’s why I’ve brought you all here today—to see if any of you have what it takes to join our elite ranks.”

He paused again, his eyes scanning the room, as if daring anyone to challenge him.

“But let me make one thing clear,” he added, his voice hard as steel. “I don’t tolerate anything less than excellence. we’re a company that rewards hard work and initiative. We expect our employees to go above and beyond, to always strive for perfection. If you are willing to put in the hours, to take on new challenges, to learn and grow, then you may find yourself rising quickly within the ranks of our company. But if you are not willing to do so, then I’d kindly suggest you turn around now and save us all some time.” His words hung in the air like a warning, the silence profound. Rebecca felt her heart racing as she looked around, waiting for what would come next.

Somehow, after discovering Isaac’s real identity, a part of her wanted to quit now that she was ahead, but another part of her that really wanted this job over powered those whispering woes.

“great!” he exclaimed, his voice jolting Rebecca out the recess of her thoughts. “with out any objections, you will each be interviewed by a member of our executive team, who will report back to me with their findings. From there, I will make the final decision on who will be joining our team. Any questions?”

Rebecca glanced around, noticing the slight fidgeting of the other applicants in the room. They all seemed nervous, eager to prove themselves. But she didn’t raise her hand. She didn’t want to draw anymore attention to herself than necessary.

“excellent” Isaac grinned, his lips curled back to reveal perfectly lined and pearly white teeth.

And with that he asked the secretary to usher them to where the interview would be held, while Isaac had gotten a business call to which he had to attend.

As he strode pass the applicants, with Rebecca still slightly out of view, she stared hopelessly at the Boss as he passed, her mystery man. Her heart couldn't help but swoon, but somehow it all felt wrong.

Isaacs caught her stares like a predator and Rebecca quickly averted her gaze from his as she sunk behind some other applicants. He gave her a lopsided smile that barely went past his crooked lips as he spoke on the phone before disappearing through the doors.

Did he even recognise her as the woman from that night? After all they had both been drunk when they had spent the night together, just thinking about it again had her pressing her thighs together in order to suppress those thoughts as she gulped softly.

His movements were well coordinated and the air of authority that shrouded him made him even more handsome, and Rebecca couldn’t help but think back to the first time she had first encountered Isaac. She had just stepped out of the club for some fresh air when she’d bumped into him in the empty halls of the hotel. He had been like a brick wall standing in her way, his figure towering over her, but when his arms snaked round her waist and pulled her closer to his body, she felt her bare skin tingle with sensation from the warmth of his body and the smell of his expensive cologne mixed with equally expensive alcohol.

He had been all animalistic passion then, his touch wild and reckless. Kissing her until she was left dazed and breathless. But here, he was a different man-calm, controlled, and utterly in command of the room. It made her shiver to think of the duality within him, of the hidden beast lurking beneath that composed exterior and deep black eyes that could hold a person down.

Tried as Rebecca might to push those carnal thoughts out of her mind, it was nearly impossible to hide the fact that his presence had an effect on her. Even at the café today, she had felt a tug of attraction to him, like a siren song calling her from deep within.

The entire interview process was grueling and nerve wrecking as Rebecca sat in the waiting room, her palms sweating, listening and watching as the other applicants come and go, each one looking wearer than the last.

Finally, it was Rebecca's turn as she was ushered into a smaller conference room by the young blonde secretary, where a middle-aged woman in a sleek, black suit sat behind a desk, waiting for her as she Browsed through the candidates file to see whom was next.

“ah, Ms. Hartley, I’m Elise mercer, head of HR at Luxe Estate. I’ll be conducting your interview today” the woman said as she motioned to the empty seat before her, her voice cool and all professional like.

The interview was an intense one, the kind that could either break or make the candidates, but Rebecca held her own, answering each question with a mix of poise and confidence. She spoke about her past experience, her strengths and weaknesses, and even a few examples of times she’d gone above and beyond in her work.

She knew she was a strong candidate, but it was hard to gauge Elise’s tight knit reactions. The woman’s expression remained neutral throughout without giving away anything that could indicate her true thoughts about her performance, her questions measured and controlled. It was impossible to read her.

At last, after what felt like hours of labour, the interview drew to a final close.

“thank you for taking the time to interview with us today, Ms. Hartley,” Elise said, rising from her chair. And for the first time since Rebecca had come into the office, she saw a smile break the surface of Elise's lips, albeit a professional one. “I appreciate your honesty and professionalism.”

Rebecca stood as well, smoothing her skirt and offering a polite smile to the woman. “of course, Ms. Mercer. I’m happy to have had the opportunity.” Said Rebecca.

But as she turned to take her leave Out of the office , Elise stopped her, her voice taking on a more personal tone. “I can tell you’re a strong candidate, Ms. Hartley. Just remember that Luxe estate isn’t for the faint of heart. We demand a lot from our employees.

“…”

“that being said, I think you might just have what it takes to succeed here,” Elise continued. “I’ll make sure Mr. Nikolia knows my thoughts on your candidacy.” At the mention of Isaac, Rebecca felt her heart race, but the promise of a good word being passed on to him about her employment by the HR was even more thrilling, she could barely contain her excitement as the smile on her face spread.