THE INTERVIEW
662 Words
Chapter One: The Interview
The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, revealing a marble-floored lobby that smelled faintly of leather and money. Luna’s hands clenched around her folder, her heart pounding harder than she wanted to admit.
Breathe, Luna. You’ve survived worse than a job interview.
Still, there was something about Moretti Enterprises that made her uneasy. Maybe it was the silence — that perfect, almost sterile quiet — or maybe it was the way everyone she’d passed seemed to move with rehearsed precision, like soldiers rather than employees.
She stepped up to the receptionist’s desk, forcing a polite smile.
“Good morning. I’m here for the executive assistant interview.”
The woman’s eyes flicked up, professional but distant. “Luna Evans?”
“Yes.”
“Mr. Moretti will see you now.”
Luna blinked. “Now?”
“Yes. Top floor.” The receptionist gestured to a private elevator. “He prefers to meet candidates personally.”
That… wasn’t normal. But Luna nodded and thanked her before stepping into the sleek elevator, feeling the strange pull in her stomach tighten.
As the doors slid shut, the city disappeared beneath her, the numbers climbing higher until the screen simply read PH — Penthouse Level.
When the doors opened, she stepped into an office that didn’t feel like an office at all. Floor-to-ceiling windows framed the skyline, and in front of them stood a man in a tailored black suit, his back to her, hands in his pockets.
“Miss Evans,” his voice was deep, smooth, and unsettlingly calm. “You’re early.”
Luna swallowed, gripping her folder tighter. “I— I thought it would be better than being late, sir.”
He turned then.
The moment their eyes met, the air seemed to shift.
He was beautiful in a cold, dangerous way — sharp lines, dark eyes, and a stillness that made her pulse skip. He looked like a man who could destroy things with a single word, and perhaps he often did.
“Good,” he said quietly, studying her. “Punctuality is rare these days.”
Luna nodded, trying not to fidget as she met his gaze. There was something too steady about it, like he could see straight through her.
He gestured toward the chair opposite his desk. “Sit.”
She obeyed, setting her folder down. He didn’t open it. Didn’t look at her résumé. Just leaned back slightly, his attention fixed entirely on her.
“You’ve worked in marketing before,” he said finally. “Small companies, nothing like this.”
“Yes, sir. But I learn quickly.”
“I don’t doubt that.”
Silence stretched — not awkward, just heavy. Charged. His eyes lingered, unreadable, before flicking briefly to her hands, then back to her face.
“You’re nervous,” he observed.
Luna lifted her chin. “A little. Anyone would be.”
For the first time, something close to amusement flickered in his expression. “Fair enough.”
He stood, moving toward the window. “Tell me, Miss Evans… why this job?”
She hesitated. “Because I need a fresh start. Somewhere I can… rebuild.”
He turned back, and his gaze softened — just slightly.
“Rebuild,” he repeated quietly, like he understood more than she’d said.
For a second, the world outside the glass faded, and it was just them — the powerful man who ruled half the city, and the woman who didn’t know she’d just stepped into his world.
Then he straightened, all emotion gone.
“You’ll hear from HR by tomorrow.”
“That’s it?”
“For now.”
As she stood to leave, his voice stopped her.
“Miss Evans.”
She turned.
His eyes held hers, dark and unreadable. “Welcome to Moretti Enterprises.”
Something in the way he said it sent a chill down her spine — and somewhere, beneath that chill, a spark she couldn’t explain.
- Writer
