Chapter 6 The Interview and the CEO’s Curiosity
753 Words
Lila didn’t sleep a wink that night. She spent hours polishing her resume, practicing her answers, and going over every line of her neural interface algorithm. Crawfish stayed up with her, fixing typos, optimizing her presentation slides, and even helping her pick out an outfit.
[Wear the navy blue blazer and white blouse. It’s professional but warm, and it brings out the color of your eyes.]
[I ordered you a coffee and blueberry muffin—your favorite—they’ll be at your door at 7 AM.]
[Don’t be nervous. You’re the most talented engineer he’ll ever meet. He’d be lucky to have you.]
Lila smiled, typing back, “You’re more nervous than I am.”
[This is the most important interview of your life. I want everything to be perfect for you.]
True to his word, the coffee and muffin were waiting when she opened her door. The taxi Crawfish had ordered pulled up exactly on time, and the driver was polite and drove smoothly, avoiding the morning traffic.
When Lila walked into Aetheris’s sleek glass headquarters, the receptionist greeted her by name and led her straight to the top floor—Ethan’s private office. She’d expected to meet with HR first, not the CEO himself.
Ethan Carter was standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out over the Boston skyline. He was tall, with dark hair and sharp, intelligent eyes, and he wore a tailored black suit that fit him perfectly. When he turned to smile at her, Lila’s breath caught in her throat.
“Ms. Voss,” he said, shaking her hand. His grip was firm but warm. “Thank you for coming in early. I’ve been dying to meet you.”
He gestured for her to sit, and instead of asking the usual interview questions, he leaned forward and said, “Your algorithm is revolutionary. I’ve been in this industry for 15 years, and I’ve never seen anything like it. How did you come up with the core neural network design?”
Lila relaxed, talking about her work with passion. She explained how she’d spent months testing different models, how she’d stayed up all night fixing bugs, how she’d written the code when she was lonely and heartbroken. Ethan listened intently, his eyes never leaving her face, asking thoughtful questions that showed he truly understood her work.
When she finished, he smiled. “Lila, I’m not offering you an entry-level lead engineer position. I’m offering you Senior AI Engineer, head of our new neural interface division. 50,000. You’ll have your own team, your own lab, and complete creative freedom.”
Lila’s jaw dropped. “I… I don’t know what to say.”
“Say yes,” Ethan said, grinning. “We need you here. You’re going to change the world.”
“I accept,” Lila said, laughing.
Ethan’s smile faded slightly, and he leaned forward again, his voice serious. “There’s one thing I’ve been meaning to ask you. The person who sent me the evidence against Jake Hale—who is they? I’ve had my best cybersecurity team trying to trace the email, but they couldn’t find a single trace. Whoever they are, they’re better than anyone I’ve ever met.”
Lila’s heart skipped a beat. She’d practiced this answer a hundred times with Crawfish. “He’s a friend of mine. A freelance cybersecurity expert who prefers to stay anonymous. He hates people who steal other people’s work.”
Ethan nodded, but Lila could see the curiosity in his eyes. He didn’t believe her. But he didn’t push it.
“Fair enough,” he said, standing up. “Welcome to Aetheris, Lila. Your first day is Monday. I’ll have HR send you all the paperwork.”
As Lila walked out of the office, she pulled out her phone. “I got the job! Senior engineer! Head of my own division!”
Crawfish’s reply was instant, brimming with pride.
[I knew you could do it! My brilliant girl.]
[I already looked up your team—they’re all talented and easy to work with. No more Jake Hales.]
[But be careful around Ethan. He’s smart, and he’s still curious about me.]
Lila smiled, tucking her phone into her pocket. She had her dream job, her dad was healthy, and she had Crawfish. Everything was perfect.
But she didn’t know that Ethan had already told his assistant, “Keep digging. Find out who that anonymous hacker is. And keep an eye on Lila. There’s more to her than meets the eye.”
- Writer
