WE WERE NEVER RANDOM

Chapter 2:Ashford Global

The elevator doors opened with a soft chime.

Abigail stepped inside with the other trainees, suddenly aware of how quiet she had become.

The glass walls reflected her back at herself.neat hair with carefully chosen clothes,hands clasped tightly around her bag strap like it was the only stable thing in the building.

A man in a navy suit stood beside her, scrolling through his phone without looking up,another trainee whispered something about departments,someone else laughed too loudly but Abigail stayed silent.

The elevator began to rise,floor numbers blinked upward in steady rhythm 10… 15… 20…each level felt like a step further away from the world she had known.The apartment with thin walls,her grandmother’s voice in the kitchen early in the morning,late nights spent balancing part time work with lectures

Here, everything felt sharper,faster and heavier.The elevator slowed “Twenty-second floor,” a voice announced,the doors opened and the atmosphere changed immediately,no more chatter,nervous laughter just controlled silence.

A woman in a fitted blazer stood waiting with a tablet in hand,her expression was unreadable “Graduate trainees,” she said follow me.

Abigail adjusted her grip and stepped out.

The corridor stretched long and polished, lined with glass offices and framed awards she couldn’t read fast enough,names she didn’t recognize appeared on doors,people who probably shaped decisions she had never been part of.They were led into a training hall,rows of chairs faced a wide presentation screen at the front stood a man explaining rotation schedules, departments and expectations.Abigail listened carefully, writing notes even when she wasn’t sure she needed them,that was how she had survived school by paying attention even when it feels unimportant.Her pen paused when a slide changed ARCHIVE & FINANCIAL RECORDS DIVISION — TEMPORARY PLACEMENTS Something about the words pulled her attention sharpely old records,digitization,Internal audits,she leaned forward slightly,this was where information lived after everyone stopped caring about it and where mistakes usually hid.

A few seats away, someone yawned,another trainee whispered something about wanting investment banking instead Abigail didn’t look away from the screen.

At the same moment several floors above,Damien Ashford stood behind a wall of glass that overlooked the entire city.Ashford Global stretched beneath him like something that no longer required permission to exist originally built from inheritance amd rebuilt from obsession but maintained by control “Orientation is underway,” Lucas said behind him Damien didn’t turn “Anything unusual?”Lucas hesitated.

“…No.”that answer should have been the end of it but Damien stayed silent Lucas stepped closer “Twenty-three trainees,standard intake,no red flags.”Damien’s eyes remained on the city below

“People rarely look like red flags at the beginning,” he said Lucas exhaled lightly “You’re in one of those moods.”Damien finally turned “I’m in a realistic one.”Lucas almost smiled.

“Right. The world is full of conspiracies and everyone is lying except you.”Damien didn’t respond instead he walked toward his desk and on it lay the same fifteen year old file he had been reviewing earlier,the same gaps,the same inconsistency,and same unanswered questions.

His fingers gently tapped once against the edge of the paper and stopped “Send me the trainee placement list,” he said Lucas blinked.“That’s not part of your schedule.”Damien’s gaze lifted slightly.“It is now.”Lucas stared at him for a moment longer and turned.

Down in the training hall, Abigail’s phone vibrated softly in her pocket but she ignored it.The presentation continued but something about the room had shifted for her not dramatically but visibly.Just a quiet awareness settling in like standing too close to something important without knowing why.

The speaker clicked to another slide“Your first assignments will begin immediately,” he said. “Most of you will rotate through departments over the next few months.”Abigail wrote that down immediately that word mattered every word did,opportunities here didn’t wait,neither did mistakes.

The session ended an hour later and trainees began to disperse in small groups,some were laughing,some already networking,some rushing off to explore the building like tourists.

Abigail stayed behind for a moment longer, gathering her notes and when she finally stepped out into the corridor, she almost collided with someone.She quickly stepped back

“Sorry”

but the man didn’t respond immediately just paused looked at her for half a second too long then stepped aside

“Watch where you’re going,”

he said flatly,his voice wasn’t loud,it didn’t need to be there was something about it that made space around him feel narrower Abigail frowned slightly,the arrogance in his voice was immediate and effortless

“Maybe don’t stand in the middle of the hallway,”she replied before she could stop herself and then a pause followed,the man turned his head slightly their eyes didn’t properly meet but something in that moment shifted like recognition without explanation ten he walked away.

Abigail stood still for a second,that was… strange but she shook it off "just another executive,just another floor,just another day".

She turned toward the elevators,behind her, unseen,Damien Ashford continued walking

with the first real awareness that something inside his building had just changed.