Chapter 1 — The Job I Needed
2469 Words
“Are you sure this is the right building?”
I looked up at the tower in front of me.
“Unfortunately, yes.”
Sophie Carter laughed beside me.
“You say that like you’re about to walk into a prison.”
I tightened my grip on my handbag and stared at the silver letters above the entrance.
VEYRON HOLDINGS.
The name alone seemed to carry weight.
Fifty-four floors of glass and steel rose above us, reflecting the morning sunlight. People in expensive suits hurried through the revolving doors. Black cars stopped at the curb. Security guards stood near the entrance, watching everyone who entered.
I looked down at my own clothes.
Navy trousers.
White blouse.
Black heels I had bought because I couldn't afford to look underdressed on my first day.
Everything about me suddenly felt too ordinary for this place.
Sophie nudged my arm.
“You're doing it again.”
“Doing what?”
“Overthinking.”
“I am not.”
“You've been staring at the building for three minutes.”
“I’m appreciating the architecture.”
“You're terrified.”
I smiled despite myself.
“Maybe a little.”
“That’s normal.”
“For you, maybe.”
“I was terrified on my first day too.”
“You've been here six months.”
“And I still don't understand half the things people say in meetings.”
That made me laugh.
For a few seconds, the knot in my stomach loosened.
Then my phone vibrated.
I already knew who it was.
Mom.
I answered.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Are you there?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
I looked at the building again.
“It’s huge.”
“How huge?”
“Big enough to make me question every decision I've ever made.”
She laughed softly.
“You'll be fine.”
I smiled.
“I know.”
There was a pause.
Then her voice became quieter.
“Remember why you're there.”
My smile faded slightly.
I knew exactly what she meant.
I hadn't moved to New York because I wanted an exciting adventure.
I had moved because I needed a fresh start.
Back home in Bellmere, my last name had become something I couldn't escape.
Bennett.
For years, people had associated it with my father's financial scandal.
Before the scandal, my father had been respected. He had worked hard, built a good reputation, and provided for our family.
Then everything changed.
His employer accused him of financial misconduct.
The newspapers had a field day.
People who once shook his hand stopped answering his calls.
Friends disappeared.
Money became tight.
My father withdrew into himself.
And our family spent years living with questions nobody seemed willing to answer.
I had never believed he was guilty.
But believing something and proving it were two completely different things.
So I had made myself a promise.
I would build my own life.
Without favors.
Without connections.
Without allowing my father's past to decide my future.
“Amelia?”
I realized my mother was still on the phone.
“I'm here.”
“Don't let anyone make you feel like you don't belong.”
I swallowed.
“I won't.”
“You earned this job.”
Those words meant more than she knew.
“I'll call you tonight.”
“All right.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
The call ended.
Sophie was watching me.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah.”
She smiled.
“Then let's go make you rich.”
I laughed.
“I'll settle for employed.”
“Fair.”
We walked toward the entrance.
The moment I stepped inside, I knew I was no longer in Bellmere.
The lobby was enormous.
Black marble covered the floor. The walls were made almost entirely of glass. A large digital display showed company announcements while employees moved around us with coffee cups, tablets, and phones.
Everyone seemed to know exactly where they were going.
I didn't.
Not yet.
Sophie noticed my expression.
“Reception is over there.”
“I can see it.”
“Good. You're already adapting.”
I rolled my eyes.
At the reception desk, I presented my identification.
The receptionist checked my name and handed me a temporary access card.
I looked down at it.
AMELIA BENNETT
CORPORATE STRATEGY — JUNIOR ASSOCIATE
For a moment, I simply stared.
It was real.
I had actually done it.
A small smile formed on my face.
Sophie noticed.
“See?”
I looked at her.
“I got the job.”
“You did.”
“I'm actually here.”
“You are.”
I clipped the badge to my blouse.
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“I can do this.”
“That's better.”
We headed toward the elevators.
There were six of them.
Two were separated from the others by a glass panel.
Sophie pointed toward them.
“Those are executive elevators.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning people like Adrian Veyron use them.”
I glanced at the doors.
“That's the CEO?”
“You really don't know anything about this company, do you?”
“I researched the company.”
“Not the people?”
“I was busy preparing for the interview.”
She shook her head.
“Adrian Veyron is thirty-two. Billionaire. CEO. Extremely private. Extremely demanding.”
“Sounds charming.”
“He isn't.”
“Good to know.”
She lowered her voice.
“And whatever you do, don't get on the wrong side of him.”
“I don't plan to.”
“Everyone says that.”
The general elevator arrived.
The doors opened.
We stepped inside.
A few employees were already there.
I moved toward the back.
Then someone outside called out.
“Hold the elevator.”
Without thinking, I reached forward and pressed the door-open button.
A man stepped inside.
The first thing I noticed was his suit.
Dark charcoal.
Perfectly fitted.
The second thing I noticed was that everyone suddenly became quiet.
He stood beside the control panel, looking at his phone.
Tall.
Broad shoulders.
Black hair.
Sharp features.
There was nothing particularly dramatic about him.
Except for the way everyone seemed to react to his presence.
He pressed a button.
The elevator moved.
I looked at the display.
Then at him.
Then back at the display.
He had pressed the executive floor.
I frowned.
Maybe Sophie was right.
Maybe I should have asked more questions.
The elevator continued upward.
Nobody spoke.
I glanced at the man again.
He caught me looking.
“What?”
His voice was calm.
But not friendly.
I immediately looked away.
“Nothing.”
He returned his attention to his phone.
The elevator stopped.
Two people stepped out.
Then it started moving again.
I glanced at the man.
He was still standing there.
Something about his expression annoyed me.
Maybe it was the complete lack of interest in anyone around him.
Maybe it was the fact that he had entered without acknowledging anyone.
Or maybe I was simply nervous.
Either way, I spoke before I could stop myself.
“Are you supposed to be in this elevator?”
His eyes lifted from his phone.
The silence that followed was painful.
“Excuse me?”
I immediately realized how ridiculous I sounded.
But I couldn't take it back.
“You pressed the executive floor.”
“Yes.”
“This is the general elevator.”
He stared at me.
“And?”
I hesitated.
“I thought executive staff used the other one.”
One corner of his mouth moved slightly.
Not quite a smile.
More like disbelief.
“Thank you for the information.”
I folded my arms.
“You're welcome.”
Someone behind me made a tiny choking sound.
I ignored it.
The man looked at me for another second.
Then he said, “I'll try to remember that.”
The elevator stopped.
The doors opened.
He stepped out.
Before the doors closed, he looked back at me.
“Have a good first day, Ms...?”
My eyes dropped to my badge.
“Bennett.”
His expression changed.
Only for a moment.
But I noticed.
“Bennett,” he repeated.
Then the doors closed.
I released a breath.
Sophie looked at me.
“You have no idea what you just did.”
“What?”
She stared at me.
“That was Adrian Veyron.”
I froze.
“What?”
“The CEO.”
My stomach dropped.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Amelia.”
“Oh, no.”
Sophie covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
“You argued with the CEO.”
“I didn't argue.”
“You questioned whether he belonged in his own elevator.”
“I thought he was an executive.”
“He is.”
“The CEO?”
“The CEO.”
I closed my eyes.
My first day had been going so well.
For approximately twenty minutes.
By the time I reached the Corporate Strategy department, I had decided to forget the elevator incident.
That lasted approximately five minutes.
“Amelia Bennett?”
I turned.
A man in his thirties stood behind me holding a tablet.
“Yes.”
“Daniel Hayes.”
He offered his hand.
I shook it.
“Welcome to Veyron Holdings.”
“Thank you.”
He smiled.
“Your desk is over here.”
I followed him through the department.
The atmosphere was calmer than the lobby.
Employees sat behind glass partitions or worked at long desks with dual monitors. Conversations were quiet and professional.
Daniel showed me my workstation.
“Your access has already been activated. You'll receive your schedule shortly.”
“Okay.”
“And don't worry if things seem overwhelming today.”
“That obvious?”
He smiled.
“Everyone looks overwhelmed on their first day.”
I sat down.
Daniel handed me a folder.
“Read through these company guidelines before lunch. After that, we'll go over your department responsibilities.”
“Absolutely.”
He turned to leave.
Then stopped.
“Oh.”
I looked up.
“Yes?”
“Try not to worry about the elevator.”
My face warmed.
“Everyone knows?”
“Adrian has a good memory.”
He walked away before I could respond.
I stared at my computer.
Great.
Apparently, my first impression of the CEO was now company entertainment.
I forced myself to focus.
For the next several hours, I worked.
I reviewed reports.
I studied company policies.
I went through previous quarterly presentations.
And slowly, something changed.
The building stopped feeling intimidating.
The work felt familiar.
Numbers made sense.
Reports made sense.
Business strategy made sense.
People were harder, but I could learn that too.
Around noon, Sophie appeared beside my desk.
“How's your first day?”
“I survived.”
“That's not an answer.”
“I embarrassed myself in front of the CEO.”
“We covered that.”
“I know.”
She laughed.
Then she leaned against my desk.
“Seriously, how do you feel?”
I looked around.
“I think I can do this.”
Her smile softened.
“You absolutely can.”
That was exactly what I needed to hear.
Then a message appeared on my computer.
FROM: HUMAN RESOURCES
Subject: Employee Orientation
I opened it.
A list of meetings and procedures appeared.
I began reading.
My eyes stopped when I saw something.
Executive Floor Access — Restricted.
I frowned.
I hadn't even realized my temporary badge had access to certain floors.
I clicked through the employee profile attached to the message.
My name appeared at the top.
AMELIA BENNETT.
I stared at it.
For years, I had hated seeing my name attached to anything official.
It always seemed to remind me of my father.
Of the scandal.
Of everything we had lost.
But today, for the first time, it looked different.
It was simply my name.
My job.
My future.
I smiled faintly.
Then my computer chimed again.
A new message.
FROM: DANIEL HAYES
Please report to Conference Room Three tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m.
I read it twice.
Tomorrow.
That was soon.
I closed the message and looked toward the glass doors separating our department from the executive offices.
For some reason, I thought about Adrian.
The way he had looked at my badge.
The brief change in his expression when he heard my surname.
I told myself it meant nothing.
It had probably been nothing.
There were thousands of Bennetts in America.
There was no reason for a billionaire CEO to care about mine.
I returned to work.
I didn't notice the man standing several floors above me.
Adrian Veyron stood behind the windows of his office, looking down at Manhattan.
Marcus Reed entered carrying a tablet.
“You wanted to see me?”
Adrian turned.
“Yes.”
Marcus waited.
Adrian held out a sheet of paper.
“Who is Amelia Bennett?”
Marcus looked at the name.
“New junior associate in Corporate Strategy.”
“I know where she works.”
Marcus glanced at him.
“Then what are you asking?”
Adrian was quiet for a moment.
He had spent years training himself not to react to things without understanding them.
A name shouldn't matter.
A new employee shouldn't matter.
But when the young woman in the elevator had said Bennett, something in his memory had shifted.
Not a complete memory.
Just a warning.
A name from years ago.
A file he hadn't thought about in a long time.
Adrian looked back at the document.
“Find her employee file.”
Marcus frowned.
“Why?”
“I want to know who hired her.”
“That's a normal HR question?”
“No.”
Marcus studied him.
“Then what is it?”
Adrian's eyes remained on the paper.
“Find out where she came from.”
Marcus nodded slowly.
“Anything specific?”
Adrian finally looked up.
“Everything that's publicly available.”
Marcus took the document.
He reached the door, then stopped.
“Is there a problem with her?”
Adrian looked once more at the name.
Amelia Bennett.
He didn't know what the connection was.
He didn't even know if there was one.
But he knew one thing.
He had heard that surname before.
And whatever it meant, he wasn't prepared to ignore it.
“Not yet,” Adrian said.
Marcus left.
The door closed.
Adrian remained alone.
For several seconds, he stared at the city.
Then he looked down at the name again.
Bennett.
For the first time in years, a forgotten part of his family's history had suddenly walked into his company.
And Adrian Veyron intended to find out why.
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