The Replacement
1112 Words
Episode Three
The glass door slid open as Adele stepped inside,
Cool air rushed over her skin, a sharp contrast to the heat outside.
She slowed for a second.
Everywhere felt polished and quiet aside from the humming of the elevators.
Everyone moved with purpose, their footsteps measured, their voices low, no one looked rushed. No one looked uncertain.
Adele adjusted her bag and walked towards the reception desk.
“Good morning,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. I’m here for an interview.
The receptionist looked up, her expression calm and professional.
“Your name please?” She asked,
“Adele”
The woman typed quickly then paused.
“Oh, you are the one scheduled for the interview at 10:00AM."
Adele nodded.
“Yes”
The receptionist picked up the phone.
“HR? She's here.”
The receptionist dropped the call, but something about her tone felt different and sounded more urgent…
“Take the elevator to the third floor,” the receptionist said, already looking past her. “Someone will meet you there."
“Thank you”.
The elevator took a moment to arrive. “Guess today was a busy day for everyone," she thought.
When the doors finally opened, she stepped in, the doors slid shut behind her..
Silence wrapped around her immediately, she stared as the numbers climbed, her reflection staring back at her in the mirror—like doors.
She could barely recognize the person staring back at her.
She looked like someone who needed a nap that would last a whole week.
She suddenly remembered, today was Friday. She had just registered her courses earlier in the week, no lectures till the following week. Also, most of her classes this semester were scheduled for the evening.
The elevator chimed softly.
Third floor.
She stepped out.
And almost immediately a woman in a fitted suit appeared almost immediately.
“You’re Adele?”
“Yes”
“Come with me”
No introduction, no pause.
Adele followed quickly, trying to match the woman's pace.
“What's going on?” Adele asked softly.
The woman didn't slow down .
“The CEO’s personal assistant went on emergency leave this morning.”
“Emergency?”
“Her water broke prematurely, she had to be rushed out”
We need someone to fill her role immediately.
Adele's eyes widened slightly.
“Oh”
“We have investors coming in today. The CEO is also flying in as well. We don't have time to delay anything.
They stopped in front of a door. The woman finally turned to her.
“Can you handle pressure?”
Adele hesitated for a moment.
Then nodded.
“Yes”
“Good, Can you follow instructions quickly?”
“Yes”
“Can you start immediately?”
Adele froze.
Immediately?
That wasn't how she knew interviews worked.
However, something about the woman's expression made it clear there was no room for confusion.
“Yes,” she said again.
The woman nodded once, her decision already made.
You will shadow me for 30 minutes, then you take over.
Adele's eyes widened slightly.
“Wait—”
“No time,“ the woman cut in. If you can't handle it, we will know immediately.
She turned and started walking again.
Adele hesitated for only a second — then followed.
The next few minutes blurred together—names, instructions, schedules, everything arriving too fast to fully catch.
“Meeting Room A—set it up.”
“Coffee. Black. No sugar.”
“Print these.”
“Stay alert.”
Adele moved quickly, forcing her feet to keep pace with the demands. She couldn’t afford a mistake— not now. Not when it felt like this job had been waiting for her long before she ever walked in.
When she returned after completing the tasks, slightly out of breath but composed, the woman looked up.
“Good,” she said at last, checking her watch. “You’ll do.”
She paused for a bit, then said,
“Follow me.”
She led Adele to the office next door.
On the door was a plaque: Personal Assistant.
“This will be your office for now,” the woman said evenly, gesturing lightly around the space. “Take a moment to settle in and get familiar with your surroundings. The CEO should be in shortly.”
She paused, her gaze settling briefly on Adele.
“And don’t forget—you have a meeting to prepare for this afternoon. Make sure everything is in order.”
Adele stepped inside, but her attention didn’t linger on the desk or the chair waiting for her. It drifted instead to the second door inside the office—connected, deliberate, and far more imposing.
CEO.
She paused for a fraction of a second, her gaze lingering on the CEO door.
So she would be working directly with the owner of the company.
The woman extended her hand. “Welcome to Maximal Group,” she said. “I’m Stephanie—the one who called you this morning.”
Adele took her hand. “Thank you, Stephanie,” she replied.
Stephanie gave a small nod, already turning slightly toward the exit. “If you need anything, you know where to find me.”
She finally had a moment to sit down after the strain of the morning. Letting out a quiet sigh, she eased her bag onto the desk, the tension in her shoulders slowly beginning to loosen.
She was just about to unpack when she heard footsteps outside the door.
A second later, it opened.
A very tall man stepped in, broad-chested, built with a quiet, imposing strength that made the room feel smaller. He looked to be in his mid-thirties. Fair-skinned. His hair carried the marks of restless fingers, yet it only added to his sharp, effortless appeal.
He didn’t just look good. He looked dangerous in a controlled way.
Adele looked up and met his eyes.
The moment their eyes met, her heartbeat faltered, she inhaled a little too sharply, then steadied herself, confused at how quickly her body had reacted.
And somehow… it felt as though he noticed too.
Adele opened her mouth to greet him, but no sound came out. Her voice caught somewhere between her thought and action.
For an instant, Adele thought she noticed something strange in his eyes. She couldn’t explain it properly, but it caught her off guard enough to make her blink.
When she looked again, everything seemed normal. She quickly looked away, unsettled by how strongly his presence affected her. None of these made sense, yet for some reason she felt totally drawn to him.
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