Found Her
1152 Words
DAMIEN’S POV
I’d been through countless interviews in the past week. New managers, analysts, assistants, every candidate blending into the same blur of handshakes and over-rehearsed smiles. I wasn’t expecting anything different this morning.
But the second the door opened, the air in the room changed.
She stepped inside, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
Her hair was the first thing I noticed. That fiery red, swept back into a neat low bun, though a few loose strands framed her face. It wasn’t just red, it was that deep, warm shade that seemed to catch the light like flame.
Then her eyes, sea-green. I knew that color. I knew the way it could pierce right through a man and make him forget where he was. Those freckles across her nose and cheeks… the same pattern I used to trace with my gaze five years ago.
Five years.
She was older now. Sharper. There was something in the way she carried herself, calm, controlled, but I could see a shadow of the girl I once knew. The girl who disappeared without warning. The one I searched for in every crowd and every dream until I convinced myself I’d never see her again.
And now here she was, standing in my office, with a new identity, like she belonged here.
Her eyes met mine, steady. I didn’t look away.
She walked toward the chair opposite my desk, heels clicking softly against the polished floor. Every step was measured, like she knew exactly what effect she had on a man. She sat without being told. Confidence rolled off her, if you ask me, she was too confident for a job interview.
I cleared my throat, forcing my mind to focus. “Miss Harris,” I said, my voice even, “let’s talk about what you know of my company.”
She nodded slightly. “Of course.”
I leaned forward, resting my forearms on the desk. “What’s the main focus of Carter Enterprises?”
“Cyber security,” she replied instantly. “You specialize in data protection, penetration testing, and network defense solutions for corporate and government clients.”
Not a pause. Not a flicker of doubt.
I studied her face as she spoke, searching for a crack in her composure. But she was unreadable.
“What’s the first thing you’d do if a client reported a breach?” I asked.
Her answer was crisp. “Contain the threat before it spreads. Isolate the affected systems, run diagnostics, and identify the entry point before applying countermeasures.”
Her tone had the precision of someone who had been doing this far longer than her résumé suggested.
“Do you know our biggest client?”
She didn’t even blink. “Merrick International. You’ve worked with them for three years. Recently, you secured their new financial encryption system.”
That wasn’t on her application. She’d done her research.
My jaw tightened. Either she was just extremely prepared, or she’d been keeping an eye on me far longer than I’d kept an eye on her. The thought stirred something in me, a strange mix of curiosity and heat.
I decided to push further. “How would you deal with an internal threat? An employee selling confidential data?”
She tilted her head slightly, as if considering whether my question was a test. “Investigate quietly to gather evidence. Secure the compromised systems, terminate the employee’s access, and, if necessary, involve legal action. But first, find out if they acted alone.”
Her gaze stayed locked on mine the whole time she spoke. Not a single glance away. Most people couldn’t hold my eyes this long.
I sat back in my chair, pretending to think. But the truth was, I’d already decided. She was hired. And not just because she was good, though she clearly was.
I wanted her here.
“You’re hired,” I said finally.
If she was surprised, she didn’t show it. There was no widening of her eyes, no sudden intake of breath, just a calm nod, like she’d been expecting it all along.
“When do I start?” she asked.
I almost smiled. She wasn’t wasting time. “Immediately.”
I reached for a stack of files on my desk and handed them to her. “Sort these. Then I’ll give you further instructions. You’ll be using the office next to mine.”
Her eyes flicked to the glass wall between my office and the smaller one beside it. She knew exactly what I meant, that I’d be able to see her whenever I wanted.
She stood, taking the files from me. “Thank you for the opportunity, Mr. Carter.”
I didn’t answer right away. My gaze followed her as she turned toward the door. There was something deliberate about the way she walked, straight-backed, unhurried, perfectly balanced on her heels. The skirt she wore clung just enough to hint at the shape of her legs, but it wasn’t just physical attraction pulling my attention.
It was her.
It had always been her.
She disappeared into her new office, setting the files neatly on the desk. Through the glass, I could see her rolling her shoulders slightly, loosening some invisible tension. Then she sat down, crossing one leg over the other, and began working like she had been here for years.
I leaned back in my chair, still watching.
The past five years slammed into me all at once. The searching. The unanswered questions. The nights I thought about her when I shouldn’t have. The times I tried to forget, only to have her face appear in my mind again and again.
I’d buried it. Told myself it was over. Blamed myself for the loss of her family, at my ignorance.
But now?
Now I was looking at her through glass, close enough to speak to her, close enough to walk over and…
I stopped the thought before it went too far.
Instead, I reached for my phone and scrolled to my brother’s contact.
It rang twice before his voice came on, rough with sleep. “You ruined my sleep, Damien. This better be good.”
I didn’t waste time. “I’ve found her.”
There was a pause. “Who?”
I glanced through the glass again. She was bent over the desk now, scanning a page, lips pressing together in thought.
“Isabella Roberts,” I said quietly. “My first love.”
The silence on the other end stretched, my brother processing what I’d just said. Finally, he let out a sharp breath. “You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
“What the hell is she doing there?”
“She’s working for me now.”
I could almost hear his disbelief. “You’re insane.”
“Maybe,” I said, my eyes still on her. “But I’m not letting her slip away again.”
- Writer
