CHAPTER 9
1249 Words
Morning sunlight spilled into Ethan Reed’s office like it knew it wasn’t welcome.
Ethan didn’t care.
He was already seated behind his desk, tie sharp, posture intimidating, eyes fixed on the digital clock mounted on the wall.
8:02 AM.
Victor was two minutes late.
Typical.
Finally, the door swung open and Victor rushed in, panting slightly.
“Morning, sir! Sorry, sir! The elevator stopped on every floor today—”
“Victor,” Ethan cut in without looking up. “The dataset. Bring it.”
Victor blinked. “The— the one your… I mean, the one the applicant worked on?”
“Yes.” Ethan tapped his fingers on the desk. “I want to review it myself.”
Victor swallowed. “Right away.”
He hurried out and returned seconds later with a tablet.
Ethan took it without a word.
The moment the analysis file opened, the room fell silent.
Utterly silent.
Because Ethan Reed — perfectionist, ruthless critic, king of high standards — was shocked.
Genuinely shocked.
The dataset wasn’t just organized.
It was elegant.
Efficient.
Every line of analysis was clean.
Every pattern was highlighted.
Every prediction cross-checked.
Every anomaly explained.
No clutter.
No guesswork.
No noise.
Just flawless work.
“This…” Ethan breathed, eyes narrowing as he scrolled, “is exceptional.”
Victor tried not to grin like a proud father.
“She did everything in six hours,” he said. “Alone.”
Ethan paused.
“She?”
Victor nodded.
Ethan looked at him for a long beat.
“Set up a one-on-one meeting,” he said finally, voice low. “I want to speak with her personally.”
Victor’s eyes widened.
“Yes, sir. I’ll schedule it immediately. Actually— sir, there’s something I should tell you. The applicant is—”
But before he could finish, Ethan’s phone rang sharply.
He answered. “Ethan Reed.”
A voice on the other end began talking fast — something about international partners, legal approvals, urgent documentation.
Ethan stood, back immediately straightening. “Handle nothing until I get there.”
He snapped the phone shut mid-conversation.
“Victor, cancel everything on my schedule for the next hour.”
Victor blinked. “Everything? Even the investment follow-up meeting?”
“Yes,” Ethan said, already striding toward the door. “And get her here as soon as possible.”
“But sir—”
The door shut in Victor’s face.
Victor exhaled deeply.
“Well… one disaster at a time.”
Mirabel woke up like she was in a Nollywood action movie.
Her eyes flew open, her hair scattered in five directions, and her phone was still playing a t****k video she slept off watching.
She stretched — only to hear something.
A soft sound.
Movement.
She sat up instantly.
Nuellah was at her dressing table, removing her earrings quietly, as if trying not to wake anyone.
Mirabel gasped dramatically.
“YOU.”
Nuellah froze. “Me?”
“WHY are you just coming in?!” Mirabel pointed accusingly. “Do you know what time it is? Do you know how many times I wanted to call the police? Do you know how—”
“Mirabel,” Nuellah sighed. “It’s 6:40 AM. I didn’t come in that late.”
“You left yesterday morning!” Mirabel threw her blanket aside. “And came back today like a ghost returning to its grave!”
Nuellah closed her eyes. “I went to my store after I finished at Reed Technologies.”
Mirabel blinked.
“Oh.”
Then she narrowed her eyes again. “Still! You should have told me!”
“I’m sorry,” Nuellah said, genuinely. “I didn’t realize time passed so fast.”
Mirabel softened immediately.
“Fine.” She crossed her arms. “So… how did it go?”
Nuellah shrugged. “Okay.”
“Okay? Just okay?” Mirabel hopped off the bed. “You did not sprint home like you won the Olympics. You did not faint. You did not scream. You did not roll on the floor. So either you did badly—”
“I didn’t.”
“—or you are hiding something!”
“I’m not hiding anything.”
Mirabel squinted suspiciously.
“What about Ethan? Did you see him?”
“No,” Nuellah answered quickly — too quickly.
Mirabel pointed again. “Hmm! That tone! That speed! You’re avoiding the topic!”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Nuellah said firmly, picking up her notebook and stuffing it into her bag. “I worked. I went to the store. I came home.”
Mirabel folded her arms dramatically.
“Well, fine. But when you become a billionaire employee, don’t forget me. I was the one that saw your glory before you saw it yourself.”
Nuellah laughed faintly. “Mirabel—”
“And if Ethan looks at you wrongly,” Mirabel said, jabbing a finger into the air, “I will fight him. I will fight his shadow. I will fight his ancestors.”
“I’m sure they’re shaking already,” Nuellah murmured.
Mirabel stuck out her tongue and flopped onto the bed again.
Then—
Nuellah’s phone buzzed.
A message.
From Victor.
She opened it.
Good morning, Nuellah.
Please, I need you to come to Reed Technologies today.
It’s important.
—Victor
Her stomach tightened.
Mirabel sat up immediately. “Who is that?”
“Victor.”
Mirabel’s eyes lit up. “Ehn ehn! Assistant General! What did he say?”
Nuellah handed her the phone.
Mirabel read the message and gasped.
“Are you going?” Mirabel asked quietly.
Nuellah didn’t answer.
Mirabel placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Nelly… listen to me. You are good at what you do. No man — not even a billionaire with piercing eyes and a mafia aura — should make you afraid to step into a place you deserve to be.”
Nuellah swallowed.
Mirabel squeezed her fingers.
“And besides…” Mirabel added, “if anything happens, call me. I will come with frying pan.”
Nuellah laughed despite herself.
She nodded slowly.
“Okay,” she whispered. “I’ll go.”
Mirabel threw a pillow in the air triumphantly.
“Yes! That’s my girl!”
Victor stared at his screen, reading Ethan’s message again.
“Confirm the meeting with her. I want her here by noon.”
He rubbed his face.
“God, please,” he muttered. “Let today not kill me.”
He knew Nuellah wouldn’t come if she knew the meeting was with Ethan.
He also knew Ethan wouldn’t believe him if he said she refused.
And he definitely knew that being caught between those two was like standing between a wildfire and a hurricane.
His phone buzzed.
A message from Nuellah.
I’ll be there.
Victor exhaled in relief and quickly text her the time.
Then tension rushed back twice as strong.
Because now…
Ethan would see her.
And when Ethan saw her…
things would get complicated.
Very, very complicated.
Across the city, Nuellah slipped on her shoes with trembling fingers.
Mirabel watched her with a proud, dramatic, emotional expression — the kind typical of a best friend who loved chaos.
“Go,” she whispered.
Nuellah inhaled deeply.
Then she left.
Unaware that Ethan Reed — the man she feared, avoided, and accidentally haunted — was waiting for her.
And this time…
He wasn’t planning to let her walk away so easily.
- Writer
