The Hate In His Eyes

AVALINE’S POV I was late. Rain battered the city in sheets, soaking me as I stumbled out of the subway, clutching my battered resume folder to my chest. I dodged taxis and puddles with equal desperation, ignoring the jeering shouts and flashing headlights. My heart pounded louder than the storm, matching the terror in her chest. I needed this job. I wished Kate had heard about the opening sooner,then I wouldn't be so late,soaked in rain and running on adrenaline and desperation One interview. One chance. I was hanging on by threads,of hope, of sanity, of dignity. I barely made it through the towering revolving doors of Westcorp Tower when I crashed hard, into a wall of muscle. My folder exploded, papers flying everywhere. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” I gasped, scrambling to gather the scattered pages of my resume. My ankle throbbed from the impact, but I ignored it, I didn’t dare stop. Not now. I was almost there. Rough, warm fingers reached out to me and I looked up and froze immediately. Icy blue eyes. Cold. Sharp. Unreadable. The man towering over me had black hair roughened by the rain, a well ironed black suit that somehow still looked impeccable, and an air of power so strong it made my chest tighten. He looked like he belonged on some cover of an expensive magazine. Every inch of him screamed wealth,power. Danger. My mouth opened but no words came out. I was too dazed to speak. The stranger narrowed his eyes, studying me with a stare that seemed to have me pinned to the marble floor. The seconds dragged heavy, suffocating. I reached out to his stretched hand and he started to pull me up,halfway,he let my hand go. I stumbled backward and crashed into the marble floor,wincing as pain shot up my spine. “Hey!” I gasped,humiliation burning my cheek. “What was that for?” “Oops,my hand slipped,” He said, giving me a smirk. Before I could say anything,another man came up beside him. “Logan,you seriously need to stop running off like that” He said. He was equally handsome and exuded some kind of confidence. “Sorry,Nathan,” He said, shrugging like it was no big deal. A knowing look flashed in Nathan's eyes when he finally looked at me and he gave Logan a questioning look. “I'm as surprised as you are,” Logan said,his voice low and mocking. “Come, let's go” He said to Nathan and they both walked off to the VIP elevator at the end of the lobby. I finally gathered myself, stood up and dusted off my clothes. I couldn't afford to miss this interview. It means a lot to me. I sat stiffly outside the glass-walled conference room, knees bouncing under the thin fabric of my decent interview skirt. My resume was a wrinkled mess, my hair a drowned rat situation, and my nerves were splintering apart. I tried my best to rearrange my hair and my resume. I also composed myself. I needed this job. I was drowning in bills. My mind immediately went to my step mother,Elise,and the last thing she said to me. “You are no good to this family” Elise's voice rang in my head again like a broken record and my eyes started to get teary. I quickly wiped it off. I couldn't cry in front of these people. The receptionist finally called my name. "Miss Avaline Monroe, they're ready for you." Swallowing the lump in my throat I stood up. With trembling hands,I gathered myself and stepped into the room. Two stern-looking executives sat behind a long table. A woman with a pinched mouth clicked her pen disapprovingly. A bald man barely glanced at my resume. I knew that I looked like a mess but they shouldn't make me feel like one. And then,a chair at the head of the table scraped back. My heart stopped. Who was here again? The ones present already didn't like me as it stands. The man from the lobby, the cold stranger walked in, his presence swallowing the room whole. He was followed by the other guy that joined them which I recognized as Nathan The executives immediately stood to attention. “Mr. West,” they greeted him. My stomach dropped. Mr. West? Logan West? The man I had bumped into in the Lobby was Logan West? The CEO. The owner of Westcorp. Why is he at my interview? He sat down slowly, his piercing gaze never leaving mine. Nathan also took a seat beside him looking all dissatisfied. “You didn't have to come” The woman executive said to Mr West. “It's fine,I wanted to see how it was going” Logan replied,signalling them to take a seat. "So, Miss Monroe," Logan said, voice smooth,cold. "Why don't you tell us why you would like to work for us?" I swallowed hard,scared. What was going on? It's not like I'm applying to be his assistant,why was he interviewing me directly. Logan leaned back, steepled his fingers, and smiled. It wasn’t a kind smile. It was the smile of a predator. Ready to devour his prey. “Mr West,” I started trying to remain calm and confident. “I'm drawn to this organization because of its innovative approaches and commitment to excellence. With my skills in business management I believe I can contribute meaningfully and grow professionally in a dynamic environment like yours” “Bullshit” Mr West muttered under his breath. I wonder what was wrong. I tried with the answer. "Miss Monroe, could you recount an instance where you effectively oversaw a project that was nonexistent, with a group of individuals who had yet to be born, and produced outcomes that challenged the principles of physics?” Mr West asked. I blinked. Was he serious? "Excuse me, but... I don't understand the question," I said, my voice almost a whisper. "Of course you don't," Logan said, and Nathan let out a short, sharp laugh beside him. The two of them laughed like it was some sort of inside joke, while I stood there frozen and humiliated. I wanted to run away. I wanted to run out of the room, run out of the company and never look back. The laughter finally died down, leaving a very awkward silence. Logan leaned back in his chair, tilting his head like he was considering something. Then, casually, almost lazily, he said the last thing I ever expected. "You know what?" he started. "You're hired.”