Chapter 4 — The Interview
995 Words
By the time Aria Bennett stepped out of the subway station the following morning, exhaustion had already settled into every part of her body.
She had barely slept.
Every single time she closed her eyes, flashes from the previous night came rushing back with humiliating clarity.
The expensive hotel suite.
His hands against her skin.
His low voice against her ear.
The way she had completely lost control.
Aria shut her eyes briefly as she tightened her grip around the leather portfolio tucked beneath her arm.
No.
She was not doing this.
Last night had been a mistake.
A reckless moment brought on by anger, betrayal, too much alcohol, and a desperate need to forget Jason Reed existed.
That was all it was.
One stupid night.
Nothing more.
She inhaled slowly before finally lifting her eyes toward the towering glass skyscraper standing directly across the street.
Blackwood Atelier.
Even from outside, the building radiated wealth powerful enough to make ordinary people feel small.
The massive mirrored glass panels reflected the morning sun like polished crystal.
Luxury vehicles lined the private entrance.
Employees dressed in tailored corporate wear moved quickly through the revolving doors, each carrying the kind of confidence that only came from working inside one of the most exclusive fashion houses in the country.
Aria stared at the building for several seconds.
This was it.
This interview could change everything.
If she got accepted here, she could finally stop worrying about overdue hospital bills.
She could pay for her mother’s treatment.
She could finally build the career she had spent years dreaming about.
Nothing else mattered.
Not Jason.
Not last night.
And definitely not the stranger whose face had been haunting her thoughts since dawn.
Straightening her shoulders, Aria crossed the street and stepped inside.
The lobby was breathtaking.
White Italian marble floors stretched across the entire entrance hall.
Massive crystal chandeliers hung from a ceiling so high it almost disappeared into shadow.
Large digital fashion displays rotated holographic runway collections along the walls.
The entire place smelled faintly of expensive perfume and polished leather.
A woman sitting behind the reception desk smiled professionally.
“Good morning. Name and appointment?”
“Aria Bennett. Ten a.m interview.”
The woman typed something quickly before nodding.
“Thirty-second floor. Executive interview division.”
Aria thanked her quietly and moved toward the elevators.
As the elevator doors closed, she caught her own reflection staring back at her.
Simple cream blouse.
Black pencil skirt.
Minimal makeup.
Hair neatly tied back.
Professional.
Controlled.
Nothing about her looked like the woman who had spent the previous night in a billionaire’s penthouse.
Good.
That was exactly how she wanted it.
Several minutes later, the elevator doors opened onto the executive floor.
The atmosphere here felt entirely different.
It was quieter.
Colder.
Even more intimidating.
Soft classical music played through invisible speakers while assistants moved silently between offices carrying expensive tablets and leather folders.
A young male assistant approached her immediately.
“Miss Bennett?”
“Yes.”
“Please follow me.”
Aria nodded and followed him down a long corridor lined with massive floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the entire city skyline.
The deeper they walked, the tighter the knot in her stomach became.
Finally, the assistant stopped in front of a pair of enormous black double doors.
He turned toward her politely.
“The interview panel is waiting inside.”
Aria swallowed once.
Then nodded.
She pushed the doors open.
And froze.
Her entire body locked instantly.
Her heart stopped beating.
Seated at the far end of the massive glass conference table was him.
The man from last night.
Damien Blackwood.
Except now he looked completely different.
There was no loosened collar.
No trace of alcohol.
No lazy amusement dancing behind his eyes.
He wore a perfectly tailored charcoal suit that probably cost more than six months of rent.
His dark hair was pushed neatly back.
Silver cufflinks gleamed against his wrist.
His expression carried a terrifying level of calm authority.
The kind of expression powerful men wore when entire industries moved because they said so.
For a brief second, Damien simply stared at her.
Recognition flashed instantly across his face.
His eyes darkened, not surprising.
Aria’s stomach dropped.
No.
No no no.
This could not be happening.
Seated beside Damien were three senior executives reviewing paperwork.
A woman wearing a sleek emerald blazer sat closest to him.
Victoria Sinclair.
Her cold eyes briefly scanned Aria from head to toe before looking mildly unimpressed.
Aria forced her legs to move.
Slowly, she walked toward the empty chair positioned across the table.
Every nerve inside her body screamed at her to run.
She sat down carefully, keeping her expression neutral.
Professional.
As if nothing had happened.
As if she had never seen Damien Blackwood before in her life.
The silence stretched for several seconds.
Damien leaned back slowly against his chair.
His dark eyes remained fixed on her face.
Studying.
Calculating.
The corner of his mouth twitched almost invisibly.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
One of the executives finally cleared his throat.
“Miss Bennett, thank you for coming. We’ll begin shortly.”
Aria nodded quickly.
“Yes sir.”
The man beside Victoria opened her portfolio.
“Your academic design portfolio is quite impressive.”
Aria opened her mouth to answer.
Before she could speak—
Damien spoke first.
His deep voice filled the room effortlessly.
Calm.
Controlled.
Dangerously smooth.
“Well…”
He slowly interlocked his fingers against the table.
His dark eyes never leaving hers.
“…this certainly wasn’t the reunion I expected.”
The entire interview panel went silent.
Victoria turned slightly toward him.
Confused.
Aria stopped breathing.
Damien tilted his head slightly, amusement flickering behind the dangerous darkness in his eyes.
Then he smiled.
Small.
Predatory.
Like a man who had just found something unexpectedly entertaining.
And Aria suddenly realized one horrifying truth.
He remembered everything.
Every single detail.
And somehow…
That was worse than if he didn’t.
- Writer
