Chapter one: The job interview
711 Words
Her mother was rushed to the hospital, where the doctor told her she needed surgery.
Jane knew she needed money to save her mother’s life.
She sat in silence, lost in thought, trying to figure out how to raise the money for the surgery. Her father was drowning in debt, and she knew one thing for certain—
She needed money. Now.
Then a thought came to her.
Wolfe Enterprises.
It was her only hope—her only chance to save her parents, to pay off her father’s debt, to keep everything from falling apart.
So she made the decision.
She left the hospital and went home later that night, determined to wake up early and go for the interview at Wolfe Enterprises.
People said the boss was cold—young, handsome, and impossible to please.
No one lasted more than a day working for him.
Some didn’t even last hours.
They said he demanded perfection.
Jane dressed carefully, choosing a simple black skirt and a fitted blouse. Nothing flashy. Nothing that would draw attention.
Unfortunately for her, the weather that day was terrible.
Rain slammed against the windows as if it were trying to break in.
Jane Blackwood stood in front of the towering building, her worn heels soaked, her fingers trembling around a thin folder that held everything she had left—her certificates, her hope, her last chance.
Wolfe Enterprises.
The biggest company in the country.
Owned by the Wolfe family.
Run by Adrian Wolfe.
Everyone feared him.
He was cold. Ruthless. A man who didn’t give second chances.
That was why most people couldn’t work for him.
But she was desperate.
She needed this job.
I really need this job, she told herself, clutching the folder tighter.
“Miss Blackwood?”
She turned sharply.
A sharply dressed woman stood by the revolving door, tablet in hand, her eyes scanning Jane like she was already unimpressed.
“Yes.”
“Follow me. Mr. Wolfe doesn’t like to wait.”
Of course he didn’t.
Men like him never did.
The office was cold.
Not just in temperature—but in presence.
Adrian Wolfe didn’t even raise his head when she entered.
He sat behind a massive desk, sleeves rolled up, his jaw sharp enough to cut glass. His eyes flicked up once—just once—and Jane felt it like a blade across her skin.
“Sit,” he said.
Jane sat immediately, afraid he might change his mind.
“You’re underqualified,” he added, still focused on his laptop.
“I’m adaptable.”
For the first time since she entered, he raised his head.
“I don’t pay for adaptability. I pay for precision,” he said.
“And I learn fast,” she replied quietly. “Faster than most.”
Adrian leaned back, studying her like she was a problem he might enjoy solving.
“You need this job.”
“Yes,” she answered quickly.
Because her father’s debts were drowning them.
Because her mother’s health was failing.
Because she had no one left to save her.
“I don’t quit,” she added.
Something shifted in his expression.
Not warmth.
Something darker.
“Everyone quits,” Adrian said softly. “Eventually.”
“I won’t.”
A pause.
“Is that so?” he murmured.
Jane held his gaze.
“Yes.”
Another silence.
Then—
“You’re hired.”
Jane blinked.
Just like that?
“No,” Adrian added coldly. “Not just like that. I have a condition.”
Of course he did.
“You belong to this job,” he continued. “My schedule. My demands. My rules. You fail once—you’re gone.”
Jane’s heart pounded.
“I understand.”
Adrian stood.
He was taller than she expected. Broader. Dangerous in a quiet, controlled way.
He walked around the desk, stopping just close enough for her to feel the heat of him.
“Don’t misunderstand me, Miss Blackwood,” he said, his voice low. “I don’t make the same mistake twice.”
Jane frowned slightly.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
His lips almost curved.
“You will.”
As she stepped out of the building, the rain had stopped.
But something else had just begun.
- Writer
