The First Warning
852 Words
Selene's POV
The alarm rang at exactly six o'clock.
I didn't need a second reminder.
Today was my first day at Blackwood Enterprises.
I sat up so quickly that I nearly fell off the bed.
"Mum!" I shouted.
"I'm awake," she called from the kitchen.
I laughed to myself.
For the first time in a long time, I wasn't waking up with anxiety.
I was waking up with hope.
After showering, I stood in front of the tiny mirror hanging on my bedroom wall.
The navy blazer I'd bought from a thrift shop fit better than I expected.
The skirt was slightly loose around my waist, but no one would notice.
Hopefully.
I tied my curls into a neat low ponytail before applying a little lip gloss.
Nothing fancy.
Just enough to look professional.
When I walked into the kitchen, Mum looked up from her tea.
Her eyes immediately filled with tears.
"What?" I asked.
"You look beautiful."
"Mum..."
"I'm serious."
She walked over and straightened my blazer.
"Your father would've been so proud."
The smile on my face faded.
Dad.
Even after eight years, talking about him still hurt.
I barely remembered his voice.
Only his laugh.
And the way he'd always called me Sunshine.
"I'll make you proud too," I whispered.
She kissed my forehead.
"I already am."
Blackwood Tower looked even more intimidating than it had during my interview.
Employees hurried in and out, coffee cups in one hand and phones in the other.
Everyone looked busy.
Everyone looked important.
I swiped the temporary staff card I'd been given.
The security guard smiled.
"First day?"
"Is it that obvious?"
He chuckled.
"You've got the nervous smile."
I laughed.
"Guilty."
The lift doors opened.
Just as I stepped inside...
A hand stopped the doors from closing.
My breath caught.
Damien Blackwood.
He stepped in without saying a word.
The air instantly felt different.
He smelled faintly of cedarwood and expensive cologne.
Not overpowering.
Just...
Comforting.
He stood beside me, hands in his pockets.
The lift was completely silent.
Thirty-two floors had never felt so long.
Finally...
"You're early."
His voice startled me.
"I didn't want to be late."
"Good."
That was it.
One word.
I looked down at my shoes.
Why did he make me so nervous?
The lift stopped.
As the doors opened, he stepped out first.
Halfway down the hallway, he stopped walking.
Without turning around, he said,
"Miss Carter."
"Yes?"
"Never stay in this building after dark."
I frowned.
"I'm sorry?"
He looked over his shoulder.
His expression was impossible to read.
"It's advice."
Then he walked away.
I stood there, completely confused.
What kind of advice was that?
My supervisor, Olivia, showed me around the office.
Everyone was surprisingly friendly.
There was Ethan from Finance, who made terrible jokes.
Sophia from Marketing, who talked faster than anyone I'd ever met.
And Maya from Human Resources, who had already invited me to lunch.
Maybe this job wasn't going to be so scary after all.
By midday, I'd almost forgotten Damien's strange warning.
Almost.
Until I returned from lunch.
A small black envelope was sitting neatly on my desk.
There was no name.
No stamp.
No sender.
I looked around.
"Did anyone leave this here?"
Everyone shook their heads.
Curious, I opened it.
Inside was a single white card.
Five words.
Leave before it's too late.
My smile disappeared.
A chill ran down my spine.
Was this some kind of prank?
I turned the card over.
Blank.
Nothing else.
I quickly shoved it into my drawer.
No.
I wasn't going to let one creepy note ruin my first day.
But for the rest of the afternoon...
I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching me.
Damien's POV
I watched the security footage in silence.
Camera 18.
Selene's desk.
At 12:43 p.m., a man wearing a maintenance uniform walked past her workstation.
He stopped for less than two seconds.
Long enough to place the envelope on her desk.
Then he disappeared.
Marcus paused the video.
"We've checked."
"He doesn't work here."
"I know."
"He used a fake ID."
"I know."
"They're getting bolder."
My jaw tightened.
"They're getting impatient."
Marcus looked at me.
"What do you want to do?"
I stared at the frozen image on the screen.
Zooming in, I recognised something on the man's wrist.
A tattoo.
A black serpent coiled around a dagger.
My blood ran cold.
"No..."
Marcus frowned.
"What?"
"I know who sent him."
His expression changed instantly.
"You can't be serious."
"I wish I wasn't."
"If they're involved..."
"They won't stop until they get her."
Marcus was silent.
"So what's the plan?"
I looked back at Selene's smiling face on the security monitor.
She was laughing with her new colleagues.
Completely unaware of the danger closing in around her.
"My plan?"
I picked up my suit jacket.
"I stop hiding."
"For eight years I've protected her from a distance."
I headed towards the door.
"Starting today..."
"I'm staying close."
Because if the Serpents had finally come for Selene Carter...
They were about to discover exactly why people feared the name Damien Blackwood.
- Writer
