One Office, Two hearts

“I’m late!” Seraphine sprinted out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her damp body. She flew over to the bed, grabbed her phone, and stared at the screen in pure horror. 8:21 a.m. She stood frozen for three seconds. Then, she screamed. "No, no, no, no!" Today was the day. The interview at Carter Enterprises. The job she had spent an entire week preparing for, the one she desperately needed. And she had slept right through her alarm. Dropping her phone, she rushed towards her wardrobe. Normally she spent an hour deciding over what outfit to wear. But today she had only less than forty minutes.! So she went on to grab a white blouse. Too plain. Tossed. She picked up a blue dress. Too much. Tossed too. Finally, she grabbed a cream blouse and a black skirt. “This will do.” It wasn't perfect but it would have to do. She hurriedly got dressed and ran back to the mirror. Her long hair was slightly wet and a few strands were already sticking to her face. Seraphine then grabbed a brush and quickly ran it through her hair. She tied part of it back, then stopped. “No.” She untied it. She tried again. Another look in the mirror. She sighed. “Good enough.” She grabbed her handbag and bolted for the door. Only to be halfway down the stairs when her stomach let out a loud, angry growl. Seraphine stopped. "Oh" breakfast. She looked toward the kitchen. She had absolutely no time. But if she didn't eat something, she would probably faint during the interview. So she opened the fridge and found only a slice of bread and a banana. She sighed quietly. Grabbed it, spread some butter on it and stuffed the bread in her mouth. She then picked up the banana with one hand and her bag with the other. She took another bite of the bread. Ring, Ring! Her phone started ringing. She looked at the screen. Mia of course. Her best friend. Seraphine answered while trying to put her shoes on. “Hello?” “Please tell me you’re awake.” “I am.” “Seraphine.” “Yes?” “What time did you wake up?” Mia questioned. Seraphine glanced her watch and answered. “Eight.” Dead silence. Then, a shriek that nearly blew out her eardrum: “EIGHT? Your interview is at nine!” “I know!” “You set three alarms!” Seraphine stopped dead in her tracks. "Wait, what Three?” "Yes!” "I didn't hear any of them.” She frowned. Mia couldn't help but facepalm herself. "That is exactly why I told you not to stay up until two in the morning watching dramas!” “It was getting interesting!” "You have a job interview damn it!” “I know!” Seraphine grabbed her keys from the table. “Mia i have to go.” “Wait. Did you eat?” She looked at the half-eaten bread in her hand. "Yes.” "What did you eat?” “Bread.” “And?” “Banana.” “That's not breakfast.” “It is today.” Mia could only sigh. “Okay. Just get there safely.” She said softly. “I will.” “And Sera?” “Hmm?” “Don't panic.” Seraphine opened the door. "I'm not panicking.” Seraphine blurted. "You sound like you're running.” “I am running.” “Exactly.” Seraphine laughed despite herself. “I'll call you when I get there.” She said. “You better.” Seraphine then ended the call and hurried outside. The morning air hit her face. She immediately started running. Her handbag bounced against her side as she hurried down the street. She raised her hand when she saw a taxi approaching. “Taxi!” One passed. Seraphine groaned. "Seriously?” She waved at another. Thankfully, it had stopped. She jumped inside. “Carter Enterprises, please.” The driver looked at her through the mirror. “Big interview?” “Very big,” she gasped, pressing herself against the seat. Her heart hammered against her ribs. She checked her phone: 8:39 a.m. Twenty-one minutes. She could still make it. She had spent days preparing for this. Had researched the company, practiced answers in front of her mirror and even prepared questions to ask at the end of the interview. She just couldn't mess this up. Carter Enterprises was one of the biggest companies in the city. Getting a job there could change everything for her. Suddenly, the taxi slammed on its brakes. Seraphine looked out the window. A wall of brake lights stretched as far as the eye could see. The cars weren't moving an inch. After a agonizing few minutes, the traffic finally started moving forward onto a wider road. Seraphine sat up. Towering ahead was a massive, sleek glass skyscraper. CARTER ENTERPRISES. “That one!” she told the driver. She shoved cash into his hands, thanked him, and hopped out. She smoothed her blouse, checked her hair, and looked at her phone. 8:56 a.m. A massive grin spread across her face. “I made it.” She took a deep breath and started toward the entrance. She was going to be fine. She was... “Move!” She stopped. A crowd had formed around the front doors. Security guards were shouting, employees were whispering, and phones were flashing. She checked her watch. 8:57. She didn't have time for this. She pushed into the crowd. “Excuse me. Sorry, I need to get inside.” A woman shook her head. “Wait.” “For what?” “He’s coming.” “Who?” Before the woman could answer, a wall of security guards pushed past, followed by a group of men in sharp suits. 8:58. Panic flared. Seraphine tried to slip past a guard, but he stepped right into her path. She went left; he went left. She went right; he went right. “Are you serious?” she snapped. “I have an interview, I’m already late!” She tried again to squeeze past him, but someone in the shifting crowd shoved her hard from behind. She lost her footing. “Whoa!” Her arms flailed. But before she could land on the floor, her hand caught the sleeve of a man’s suit jacket and she held on for dear life. Everything stopped. Seraphine slowly looked up. He was tall, wearing a flawless black suit. Dark hair neatly styled with a few strands slightly fallen over his forehead. His face was strikingly handsome. Not the ordinary kind of handsome that made someone glance twice. There was something almost unfair about his face. He look like someone who belonged on the cover of a magazine. Even better than that But it was his eyes that caught her completely off guard. Dark, intense, and terrifying cold. They seemed to look straight through her. Seraphine completely forgot what she was about to say. And for one embarrassing second, she simply stared. Wow. Was he even real? Was her thoughts. She quickly looked away when she realized she was still holding his jacket. “Oh my God,” she breathed, stumbling back. “I’m sorry.” The man looked at his sleeve, then at her. "I didn't mean to grab you,” she stammered, offering a grimace. "I was pushed.” Still no words uttered by him. "Not that I’m blaming you.” She stated again. Then one dark eyebrow of his ticked upward. Seraphine wanted the ground to swallow her whole. “I mean... I wasn't blaming you. I was just explaining.” His gaze didn't waver. “Um okay. I will be going now.” Seraphine said awkwardly and hurriedly left. Behind her, the man watched her as she disappeared into the building. One of the guards beside him leaned closer. "Sir, should we continue?" The man's expression however remained unreadable. Before he finally uttered "Let's go.” ---- Inside, Seraphine rushed toward the reception desk. “Good morning. I'm here for an interview.” The receptionist looked up. “Name?” “Seraphine Tales.” Seraphine replied calmly The receptionist checked her computer, looked at the clock, and watched the digital numbers tick over to 9:01. Seraphine’s smile died. “I’m only a minute late haha.” Seraphine smiled nervously. The receptionist gave her a small smile. “Don't worry. "You're fine.” Seraphine let out a breath. "Thank goodness.” She was handed a visitor pass and directed toward the elevator. As she walked away, she glanced back toward the entrance. The man she had bumped into however was nowhere to be seen. She shook her head. What a strange morning. Hopefully, the interview would go better. She thought. She stepped into the elevator and pressed the button. As the doors closed, Seraphine leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. “Okay.” She took a deep breath. "You can do this.” She tried to motivate herself. She looked down at her visitor pass. Carter Enterprises. She felt content. She actually made it. ---- Upstairs, behind the doors of the executive floor, Sam Carter had just arrived. Years overseas at his father's strict command had shaped him into a ruthless businessman. Now he was back, and today was his first official day taking the reins at Carter Enterprises. After a while, the elevator doors opened and Seraphine stepped out and immediately straightened her blouse. She took a deep breath. And noticed how the executive floor was completely different from the lobby. It was quiet. Too quiet. There were no people rushing around. No phones ringing loudly. No employees talking. Everything looked expensive and perfectly organized. Seraphine followed her directions and stopped in front of a heavy door marked Human Resources. She knocked and went in. A woman looked up from her desk. “Seraphine Tales?” "Yes.” “Please take a seat. The interviewer will be with you shortly.” Seraphine sat down, rubbing her cold hands together. You can do this. A few minutes later, the woman’s phone rang. She listened, said, “Of course,” and hung up. She looked at Seraphine. “Miss Tales?” “Yes?” “The interview will be held in the CEO's office.” Seraphine blinked. “The CEO? I thought I was meeting the HR.” “You were. But there’s been a change. The new CEO wants to meet some candidates personally.” Seraphine swallowed hard, forcing a tight smile. “Okay.” She followed the woman down the hall to a massive wooden door. The receptionist knocked, a deep voice rumbled, “Come in,” and the door opened. “You can go in.” “Thank you.” Seraphine took another deep breath and stepped toward the open door. Her fingers tightened around the folder in her hands. She had no idea what awaited her on the other side. She only knew she had one chance to make a good impression. With one last nervous breath, she walked inside. But the moment her eyes lifted She froze....