The Stranger Behind The Desk
1481 Words
ONE HOUR LATER
The taxi came to a stop in front of one of the tallest buildings in the business district.
I looked up at the towering structure, its glass exterior reflecting the bright morning sunlight.
Montefalco Holdings.
The name alone was enough to make me realize just how different this place was from Arcadia Corporation.
The building was enormous, elegant, and imposing. Its entire exterior was made of glass and steel, making it look more like a symbol of power than an ordinary corporate building.
I took a deep breath.
“You can do this, Amara.”
I adjusted my thick glasses and quickly fixed my ponytail before stepping out of the taxi.
I didn't think much about how I looked.
My outfit was simple a long-sleeved blouse, a modest skirt, and a pair of comfortable flat shoes.
It wasn't fashionable or expensive.
But it was clean, neat, and appropriate.
And that was enough for me.
I wasn't here to impress anyone with my appearance.
I was here because I wanted a chance.
A chance to prove to myself that I could do more than spend the rest of my life working quietly behind someone else's desk.
I glanced up at the building once more.
For some reason, a strange feeling settled in my chest.
But I ignored it.
I had no idea that the simple appearance I considered completely ordinary would make people underestimate me even more.
The moment I stepped inside the building, cool air brushed against my skin.
I stopped for a moment, taking in the breathtaking lobby.
Polished marble floors.
Massive modern chandeliers.
Elegant furniture.
Floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
Everything looked expensive.
Even the people walking around seemed to belong to a completely different world.
Men in perfectly tailored suits walked briskly across the lobby, while women dressed in elegant business attire moved confidently from one place to another.
I suddenly became aware of my simple clothes.
For a moment, I wondered if I looked out of place.
Then I reminded myself why I was here.
I took another deep breath and approached the reception desk.
“Good morning.”
The receptionist looked up and smiled politely.
“Good morning. How may I help you?”
“I'm here for the final interview.”
“Name, please?”
“Amara Castillo.”
She quickly checked something on her computer.
A few seconds later, she looked up.
“Yes, Miss Castillo. Your final interview will be held in the CEO's office on the thirty-second floor.”
My eyes widened slightly.
“The CEO's office?”
She smiled.
“Yes. Just take the elevator. Mr. Montefalco's assistant will meet you when you arrive.”
I swallowed.
“All right. Thank you.”
“You're welcome. Good luck, Miss Castillo.”
“Thank you again.”
I turned away from the reception desk and walked toward the elevators.
When I reached them, I pressed the button and waited.
A few seconds later, the doors slid open, and I stepped inside.
Once the doors closed, I pressed the button for the thirty-second floor and stood quietly in the corner.
The elevator began moving upward.
I watched the numbers on the digital display change one by one.
When the elevator finally reached the thirty-second floor, I suddenly felt a strange sense of nervousness.
I let out a quiet breath.
“You can do this, Amara.”
The doors slowly opened.
I stepped out.
The moment I entered the executive floor, I noticed how different it was from the rest of the building.
The atmosphere was quieter.
More private.
Almost intimidating.
There were no employees rushing around.
No ringing phones.
No loud conversations.
Everything seemed perfectly controlled.
I barely had time to look around before I noticed a woman standing a few steps away from the elevator.
She appeared to be in her late twenties, dressed in a sophisticated black suit. Her hair was neatly tied back, and she carried a tablet in one hand.
She looked at me and smiled politely.
“Miss Castillo?”
“Yes.”
“I'm Monique, Mr. Montefalco's executive assistant.”
“It's nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
She gestured for me to follow her.
“Please come with me. Mr. Montefalco is expecting you.”
I stepped forward and followed her down the hallway.
The farther we walked, the quieter the floor became.
Unlike the busy lobby downstairs, the executive floor was calm and almost intimidatingly silent.
My footsteps echoed softly against the polished floor.
After a few moments, Monique glanced over her shoulder.
“You're here for the final interview, right?”
“Yes.”
“You don't have to be nervous.”
I blinked.
“Is it that obvious?”
She chuckled softly.
“A little.”
I gave her a nervous smile.
“I'm not usually nervous during interviews.”
She looked at me briefly.
“I heard about your first interview.”
My eyebrows lifted.
“You did?”
“Yes.”
She smiled.
“The interviewers were impressed by your answers.”
I didn't know what else to say.
I lowered my gaze and continued walking beside her.
“You answered some pretty difficult questions,” she added.
“I just answered them honestly.”
“That's probably why they liked your answers.”
I smiled faintly.
I wasn't used to receiving praise, especially from people I had just met.
After a few more steps, Monique stopped.
I nearly walked past her before realizing she had stopped in front of a large wooden door.
My eyes moved toward it.
The door was simple, but everything about it somehow felt intimidating.
A small silver plaque beside it read:
ADRIAN MONTEFALCO
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
My heart suddenly began beating faster.
This was it.
The final interview.
Monique turned toward me.
“This is his office.”
As I stared at the door, a strange feeling warned me that the moment I stepped through it, everything was about to change.
Monique knocked three times before turning the doorknob and pushing the door open.
I stepped inside.
The moment I entered, everything around me seemed to disappear.
A man was sitting behind a massive desk, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit.
His dark hair was neatly styled.
His expression was cold and unreadable.
Commanding.
Untouchable.
Then his eyes lifted.
And settled on me.
For a brief moment, something changed in his expression.
Something I couldn't understand.
“Amara Castillo, right?”
“Y-Yes, sir.”
He leaned back slightly in his chair, his gaze never leaving mine.
“Take a seat.”
I slowly walked toward the chair in front of his desk.
I sat down and rested my hands nervously on my lap.
He picked up my resume and glanced through it.
“Three years at Arcadia Corporation.”
I nodded.
“Yes.”
“Executive Assistant.”
“Yes.”
His eyes lifted from the resume and met mine.
He studied me for several seconds.
“You left a stable position without having another job secured.”
I swallowed.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
I took a slow breath.
“Because I wanted a change.”
“A change?”
“Yes.”
His eyes remained fixed on me.
“And you believe this company can give you that?”
“Yes.”
Something almost unreadable crossed his expression.
Then he closed the resume.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
The silence felt heavier than it should have.
I couldn't understand why sitting in front of him made me feel like I was being watched by someone who already knew me.
Someone who knew more about me than he should.
“Ms. Castillo, may I ask you a personal question?”
I hesitated.
“About what, sir?”
His gaze remained on mine.
“Have we met before?”
My heart stopped.
“No, sir.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, sir.”
The corner of his lips lifted into the faintest smile.
For some reason, that smile made me uneasy.
I lowered my gaze, trying to calm the strange feeling in my chest.
But I couldn't shake the thought that there was something familiar about him.
Something I couldn't quite remember.
His voice.
His eyes.
The way he looked at me.
Something about all of it felt strangely familiar.
And judging by the way he continued to stare at me, I had a feeling he was thinking the same thing.
Only I didn't know the truth.
I didn't know that the man sitting across from me had recognized me the moment I walked through the door.
I didn't know that he remembered the woman from that unforgettable night.
And I certainly didn't know that the stranger I had spent three months trying to forget...
was now sitting directly across from me.
My future boss.
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