CHAPTER 3
1117 Words
(ADELA’S POV)
In my room, I was mentally spiraling. I replayed my conversation with Nikolai over and over. I didn’t believe almost anything he told me because of what I overheard first hand earlier in the day at the office.
“Adela.”
“What are you doing there?” He asked.
I was nervous. I had been caught and I had no story.
‘Maybe because nothing about your job here requires you to be in front of the office’ I thought.
I concluded that my best way out was to tell the truth.
“I overheard you.” I confessed.
“When? Saying what?”
“Earlier this evening. About my dad?”
I could see him freeze. He was smart enough to collect himself within those few seconds but I noticed it. That's when I knew I was on the right trail. I just didn't know whether he'd be truthful or how else I could get the info I wanted.
“I hardly know you Adela. How would I know anything about your father?”
I knew he was lying. What were the odds that he was talkint about a different Adela? and he mentioned Alan’s name.
“But you said something about Alan..” I started.
“Look, I don't wish to justify what you think you heard. But sneaking around here isn't polite or right. You should go to bed.”
I knew I had no say. I quietly returned to my room, and here I was. Replaying our conversations trying to think what I could've done differently throughout the day to have guaranteed effortless entry into the office.
THE NEXT MORNING
Within the first 5 minutes of waking up, my mind already wandered back to the previous night. But, I didn't have time to. I had already gotten up kind of late and needed to offer whatever help I could before leaving.
I walked out of the room to see Nikita at breakfast with Theo.
“Morning! Did you sleep well?” She asked.
“Yeah. So good that I slept in a little.” I joked off the awkwardness I felt about waking up later than her.
I gave Theo a high five and finished frying the rest of the pancakes. Nikita began packing up his lunchbox.
“So, I never asked. What do you do for work besides this?”
I wasn't expecting it but she never made it awkward to be around her, so I guess small talk wasn't far fetched for her easygoing nature.
“Oh I’m a PR Specialist. I also create content sometimes.” I responded.
“Really?? Woah. That's cool! I wouldn't have guessed that. Where do you work?”
“Well I work at a journalism company right now. Cali-Connect. But I’m looking for a new job. Something with better pay for my qualifications.” I told her.
“That's great actually. OlegTech has an opening for PR. They're looking for a HOD.”
“OlegTech? The biotech company?” I asked.
“What about it?” A man's voice called. We turned to see.
It was Nikolai. I could feel butterflies. It happened often when he was near.
“What about OlegTech?” He asked again.
“Well Adela’s a PR Specialist. Aren't you on the lookout for one?”
“OlegTech is your company?” I asked suddenly. They both turned to me and nodded.
“What are your qualifications though? It was my grandfather's company. It's a very sensitive topic for us.”
I was stunned at her subtle mood change and was about to answer when Nikolai spoke up.
“Well her social media growth speaks for itself. She's intelligent and integrates a few different niches into her content creation smoothly. She’s been doing this while juggling babysitting here and her main job. And I guess she's professional enough, because you've kept her this long.” He said.
Nikita and I were both stunned. He sounded more like he was listing these out to himself and less like he was giving her a response.
A warm feeling enveloped me all over. How did he know all these about me? It means he had probably visited my pages online. Woah.
“Well. It seems my brother’s convinced you're qualified for an interview. Good luck love.” She gave me a smile just before she took Theo out to the car.
“You can come in for an interview this afternoon. 2:00pm sharp. Don't be late.” He stated and left.
This was good. I could get closer to him in the workplace and it meant I could see him enough to get my hands on any information I could.
But what would this mean for the side of me that was into him?
I tried not to think too much about the way his eyes lingered on me before he left the kitchen. Or how naturally he had listed my qualifications without needing to ask one question.
Nobody had ever paid attention to me that carefully, and he was the type of man I least expected it from.
I returned home after eating and cleaning up their kitchen. April had already gone to her lectures. I spent the rest of the morning preparing for my interview, but my mind kept drifting back to him.
I found myself imagining what his office looked like or what kind of boss he was.
And there was also the bigger issue.. my father.
The memory of what I overheard crawled back into my mind every few minutes.
“He might be Adela’s father.” The sentence refused to go away.
By noon, I was already dressed for the interview. I stood in front of the mirror longer than usual, adjusting every part of my outfit.
“You're overthinking this.” I told myself. But deep down, I knew this interview wasn't about a job anymore. It was about Nikolai.
About the secrets hidden behind his unreadable expressions and his cold eyes. Eyes that still managed to fascinate me. About how Alan’s name had somehow become tangled up with my father.
My phone buzzed on the dresser. I picked it up absentmindedly, expecting April or a random social media notification.
But instead, my stomach dropped at the name on the screen.
It was Alan. I grew more anxious, with each passing second, as I opened the text.
‘Stay away from OlegTech. Some secrets are better left buried.’
I stared at the text in horror. A second one appeared soon after.
'Especially the ones involving your father.’
My blood went cold. How did he know where I was?
What exactly was everyone hiding from me?
- Writer
