THE LAST LIE

Chapter 1 The Job Interview “I didn’t come back to New York for revenge. I came back for justice.” The sentence repeated inside my head like a promise I had forced myself to keep. Justice. Not revenge. If I allowed revenge to take control, I would become like the people who destroyed my family. But the truth was ugly. Justice and revenge were beginning to feel like the same thing. I tightened my fingers around the folder in my hand and walked forward. Five years. Five years since I left this city with nothing but fear and a secret growing inside me. Five years since Paris Blackwell disappeared. Now Siena Black has returned. New name. New life. New mission. But the past had sharp teeth. It waited patiently. And today I was walking straight into its mouth. The receptionist looked up when I approached. “Good morning. Your name?” Her voice was polite. Professional. But my heart still beats a little faster. “Siena Black,” I said calmly. I watched her type the name into her computer. A small pause followed. A tiny pause. It was enough to make my stomach tighten. Has she noticed something? Has she recognized me? No. Impossible. Paris Blackwell had been erased five years ago. Buried with the scandal that destroyed the Blackwell empire. The receptionist smiled again. “You’re here for the strategy consultant interview?” “Yes.” “Please wait a moment.” She made a quick call. Then she nodded toward the elevator. “Thirty-second floor. The interview panel is waiting.” I thanked her quietly and stepped into the elevator. The doors closed. Silence filled the space. My reflection stared back at me on the metal surface. Long black hair. Green eyes. Calm expression. But inside my chest, my heart was beating faster with every second. Five years ago, my name had opened doors across the world. Paris Blackwell. Daughter of one of the richest families in America. People used to stand when I entered a room. Now I had to lie just to get a job interview. Life had a twisted sense of humor. The elevator stopped. The doors opened. I stepped out slowly. Three people sat at a long table inside the meeting room. Two men. One woman. They studied my resume carefully. The woman smiled politely. “Miss Black, please sit.” I sat down calmly and placed my folder on the table. The first man leaned forward. “Your qualifications are impressive.” “Thank you.” “You’ve worked for several private firms in Europe.” “Yes.” “Your financial strategies helped increase their revenue significantly.” “I simply did my job.” He nodded thoughtfully. The second man studied me more closely. “You seem very young to have such an experience.” “I started early.” The woman tilted her head slightly. “And what made you decide to return to New York?” The question made my chest tighten. But my smile remained steady. “Opportunity.” She watched me carefully. “Nothing else?” I held her gaze. “No.” I had practiced this answer many times. But my mind whispered the truth anyway. You came back for answers. You came back for justice. You came back because someone murdered your parents. The man flipped through my file again. “Kade Corporation is not an easy place to work.” “I understand that.” “Our CEO is very demanding.” “I respect demanding leaders.” Another small silence passed between them. Then the door opened. The moment I heard the footsteps, something strange happened inside my chest. My body reacted before my mind did. A cold wave rushed through me. Slow. Sharp. Familiar. I turned my head slowly. And the world stopped. Him. Damien. He looked exactly the same. Maybe more dangerous. His dark hair was slightly messy. His suit was perfectly fitted. His expression is calm and unreadable. But those eyes. Those dark eyes. I knew them. I would recognize them anywhere. Five years disappeared in a single second. The bar in Paris. The whiskey. His voice. The hotel room. The night that changed my life forever. My fingers tightened under the table. No. Not here. Not now. He hadn’t noticed me yet. He was speaking to the panel members. “Continue,” he said calmly. Then his gaze moved toward me. Our eyes met. Recognition exploded across his face. Not confusion. Recognition. Sharp. Immediate. Unmistakable. My heart slammed against my ribs. He knew. Oh God. He knew. But I forced myself to stay calm. Breathe. Just breathe. His expression changed slightly. He walked closer to the table. The room was silent now. The panel members looked slightly nervous. “Miss Black,” the woman said quickly. “This is Mr. Damien Kade.” Of course it was. The most powerful billionaire in New York. The CEO of the company I had come here to investigate. And the man who had once held me all night like I belonged to him. I stood politely. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Kade.” My voice did not shake. That surprised even me. His eyes studied my face slowly. Too slowly. Then he spoke. “Have we met before?” The question fell into the room like a stone. The panel members looked confused. My heart pounded once. Twice. Three times. But my smile remained calm. “I don’t believe so.” Silence followed. His gaze did not move. Not even a little. He was studying me the way a hunter studies prey that refuses to run. “You look familiar,” he said quietly. “I get that sometimes.” “You do?” “Yes.” I tilted my head slightly. “Perhaps you saw someone who looks like me.” One corner of his mouth lifted slowly. “Perhaps.” But his voice said something very different. He didn’t believe me. Not for a second. The first man cleared his throat nervously. “Mr. Kade, we were just reviewing Miss Black’s qualifications.” Damien did not look away from me. “I can see that.” The woman spoke again. “She has excellent strategic planning experience.” He walked around the table slowly. His movements were calm. Controlled. But something about him felt dangerous. Very dangerous. He stopped behind my chair. Too close. Close enough that I could feel his presence. “Miss Black,” he said softly. “Yes?” “What interests you about Kade Corporation?” The question sounded normal. But I knew it wasn’t. This was not an interview question. This was a test. I looked straight ahead. “Your company is powerful,” I said carefully. “That is obvious.” “But power attracts attention.” His voice lowered slightly. “And?” “And attention creates opportunity.” “Opportunity for what?” “For growth.” Silence again. Then he leaned slightly closer. “Or for revenge?” The word hit me like a slap. My pulse jumped. Did he know? No. Impossible. He couldn’t know. I turned my head slowly to look at him. “Mr. Kade, I’m not sure what you mean.” Our eyes locked again. For a long moment neither of us spoke. Then he straightened and stepped away. “Continue the interview,” he said calmly. The tension in the room broke instantly. The panel members resumed their questions. But Damien did not leave. He stayed near the window. Watching me. Studying me. Listening to every answer I gave. And the entire time my mind screamed one question. Does he remember? Or is this just coincidence? The interview lasted another twenty minutes. Finally the woman closed the folder. “Thank you for coming, Miss Black. We will contact you soon.” I stood politely. “Thank you for your time.” I turned toward the door. But before I reached it, Damien spoke again. “Miss Black.” I stopped. Slowly I turned around. “Yes?” His expression was calm again. Too calm. “I look forward to reviewing your application personally.” I nodded. “I appreciate that.” Then I walked out of the room. My legs felt strangely weak. The elevator doors closed behind me. Only then did I allow myself to breathe again. My heart was racing. What just happened? Did he recognize me? Or was he simply suspicious? Five years had passed. I had changed. But he had looked at me like a man staring at a ghost. And ghosts did not belong in corporate interviews. Meanwhile, inside the meeting room, Damien remained standing in silence. His assistant approached carefully. “Sir?” Damien’s gaze remained fixed on the closed door. “That woman,” he said quietly. “Yes?” His eyes darkened. “Something about her is very familiar.” The assistant nodded. “Would you like me to review her background?” Damien did not hesitate. “Do more than review it.” His voice dropped lower. “Find everything about her.” The assistant looked slightly surprised. “Everything?” Damien’s expression turned cold. “Yes.” He turned slowly toward the window. And whispered one final sentence. “Because if I’m right…” His jaw tightened. “…she’s been hiding from me for five years.” Outside the building, I stepped onto the street. The wind brushed against my face. But the cold feeling in my chest refused to leave. I had come to Kade Corporation searching for answers. Instead, I might have awakened the most dangerous man in the city. And something inside me whispered a terrifying thought. What if Damien Kade remembers everything? And what if he starts asking the one question I cannot answer? Where did you disappear to after that night in Paris?