Under Her Authority

Chapter Three

Athenarie’s POV

The city was alive with noise and movement, and for the first time, it didn’t feel suffocating it felt like possibility. I stepped out of the apartment building, my bag slung over my shoulder, my eyes scanning the streets for anything that could lead me to work. Every step was tentative, careful. I had to blend in, avoid attention, and above all, keep my identity hidden.

Hours passed as I wandered through the city’s commercial district. Shops buzzed with activity, cafés filled with customers, and business offices humbly displayed “Help Wanted” signs in their windows. My stomach tightened with nerves. Applying for a job felt like stepping onto a battlefield, one where I had no armor, no allies only determination.

Finally, I spotted a small but neat office with a handwritten sign taped to the door: “Hiring – Temporary and Part-Time Positions Available.” My heart lifted. I approached, hesitated for a moment, then pushed the door open. The smell of coffee and faint perfume greeted me, and a woman behind the counter looked up with a polite smile.

“Hi, can I help you?” she asked.

“Yes,” I said, trying to steady my voice.

“I… I saw your sign. I’d like to apply.”

“Of course. Please fill out this form,” she said, handing me a clipboard with a stack of papers.

I scanned the questions, my mind working quickly. Name, age, contact number… standard stuff. But when it came to family or previous employers, my fingers hesitated. I couldn’t risk it. Not now. Not ever.

I wrote down my middle name, careful to leave my last name off the form. A name that would be enough to identify me professionally, but not enough for anyone to track me if they tried. My handwriting shook slightly, but I pressed on, filling in experience honestly enough to be employable, but leaving out any personal history that could connect me to my family. When I handed the form back, the woman glanced over it.

“Thank you. We’ll contact you if we need anything further. We don’t usually dig too deep into personal history for temporary positions, so you should be fine.” I nodded, relief washing over me.

“Thank you,” I whispered, almost to myself.

As I left the office, the first flicker of excitement sparked inside me. This was it the first step toward building my own life. No one knew who I really was. No one could control me here. I could work, earn, and survive on my own terms.

I walked through the streets with a lighter heart, letting the sounds of the city fill me with cautious optimism. For the first time since leaving home, I felt capable. I was Arie, yes, but Arie on my own terms. A small, temporary job didn’t erase my fears, my past, or the looming shadow of the Van Raay marriage my family had tried to impose but it was a start.

And for now, a start was enough.

The next morning, I woke with a mix of nerves and determination. Today was my first day at the company I’d applied to yesterday Greybell Solutions, a large, well-established firm specializing in event management and corporate logistics. The building loomed high above the city streets, sleek glass reflecting the morning sun. For someone like me, invisible and cautious, it felt intimidating but it was also full of opportunity.

I dressed simply, keeping my hair tied back in a loose ponytail. My apartment was small, but safe a place I could return to after facing the city. I checked my bag: notebook, pen, a small amount of cash. Everything else could wait.

The streets were already alive with commuters as I approached the Greybell headquarters. Employees streamed in and out, business chatter filling the air. I took a deep breath and entered through the revolving doors, trying to appear calm.

Inside, the lobby was huge, polished, and bustling with activity. A sleek reception desk ran along one side, and employees passed with purpose, talking into headsets and clutching folders. The receptionist looked up as I approached.

“Good morning! You must be the new hire. I’m Mara,” she said, offering a polite smile.

“Yes… good morning. I’m Arie. I’m here to start today,” I said, trying to steady my voice.

“The CEO is currently out of the country on business,” Mara explained, glancing at a large digital board behind her.

“They rarely meet new staff in person. For now, you’ll mostly assist with administrative tasks and coordination for various departments. Don’t worry Greybell doesn’t dig too deeply into personal history for new hires.”

Relief washed over me. I had used only my middle name on the application, leaving my last name blank. No one here needed to know my family, my past, or anything about the life I had left behind. Here, I could be just Arie, on my own terms.

I was shown to a cubicle on the fifth floor, near a row of desks that overlooked the city streets. My workspace was modest but functional computer, phone, filing cabinets. It felt tangible, real. I had a task, a place, a reason to exist outside the shadows of my past.

The day passed in a blur of emails, calls, and paperwork. Each completed task, each successfully scheduled appointment, felt like a small victory. For the first time in days, I felt capable. No one demanded I marry a stranger. No one questioned my choices. Here, I could breathe.

Throughout the morning, Mara occasionally checked in to answer questions or guide me through procedures. The staff were polite but distant, focused on their own work. I quietly observed them, studying their routines, trying to fit in without drawing attention. None of them knew who I really was and for now, that was exactly how I wanted it.

By mid-afternoon, I leaned back in my chair, letting out a soft breath. The CEO might be a figure I’d never meet in person, locked away in meetings and flights overseas. And that was fine. I didn’t need recognition, I didn’t need connections. I just needed a place to work, earn, and survive on my own.

For the first time in weeks, I felt a flicker of hope. The world outside was still uncertain and dangerous, but here, in the vast halls of Greybell Solutions, I had a foothold. I had a purpose. And slowly, carefully, I was beginning to feel… free.