Application after application had been rejected. Some companies never responded at all, while others had sent polite emails thanking her for her interest before informing her that they had chosen another candidate.
She had started wondering if something was wrong with her.
Maybe she wasn't experienced enough.
Maybe she wasn't good enough.
Maybe-
No.
Elena pushed the thought away.
Today was different.
Today, she had a job.
Taking a deep breath, she crossed the street and walked toward the entrance of Knight Holdings.
The moment she stepped inside, she was greeted by an enormous lobby filled with marble floors, soft lighting, and the quiet sound of heels clicking against the polished ground.
Everything looked expensive.
Almost painfully expensive.
Elena glanced down at her simple outfit and suddenly felt completely out of place.
"First day?" a voice asked.
She turned.
A woman standing behind the reception desk smiled at her.
Elena returned the smile nervously. "Is it that obvious?"
The receptionist laughed softly. "A little."
Elena walked closer.
"I'm Elena Brooks. I'm supposed to meet someone from Human Resources."
The receptionist checked her computer.
"Yes. They're expecting you."
Elena's heart skipped.
"They are?"
The woman nodded. "Twenty-second floor. Someone will meet you there."
"Thank you."
Elena walked toward the elevators, trying her best not to look as nervous as she felt.
Inside the elevator, she stared at her reflection in the shiny metal doors.
Her brown hair had been carefully arranged, although a few loose strands had already escaped around her face. She smoothed her blouse and took another deep breath.
You can do this.
The elevator doors opened.
Twenty-second floor.
Elena stepped out and immediately noticed how different everything looked.
The atmosphere was quieter.
More serious.
The employees here moved with purpose, speaking in low voices as they carried documents and tablets from one office to another.
"Elena Brooks?"
She turned.
A woman in a neat grey suit was walking toward her.
"Yes?"
"I'm Margaret from Human Resources."
Elena smiled. "Nice to meet you."
Margaret shook her hand.
"Welcome to Knight Holdings."
"Thank you."
Margaret began walking down the hallway, and Elena followed closely behind her.
"You've been assigned to the executive department," Margaret explained.
Elena nearly stopped walking.
"The executive department?"
"Yes."
Elena blinked. "I thought I was going to be working as an administrative assistant."
"You are."
Margaret looked at her briefly.
"An executive assistant."
Elena felt her stomach tighten.
That sounded much more serious than she had expected.
"Is something wrong?" Margaret asked.
"No," Elena quickly replied. "I'm just... surprised."
Margaret smiled slightly.
"You'll get used to it."
Elena wasn't so sure.
They continued walking until they reached another set of elevators.
Margaret pressed a security card against a small scanner.
The doors opened.
Elena looked inside.
"Another elevator?"
"The executive floor has restricted access."
Of course it did.
Elena stepped inside beside Margaret.
As the elevator moved upward, she felt an unfamiliar nervousness growing inside her.
Something about this place made her feel as though she had stepped into a world she didn't belong in.
When the doors finally opened, Margaret stepped out first.
Elena followed.
And immediately froze.
The executive floor was breathtaking.
Large windows overlooked the city below. Modern artwork decorated the walls, and every office looked more luxurious than the last.
But the thing that caught Elena's attention wasn't the view.
It was the silence.
Everyone seemed careful.
Almost tense.
Elena lowered her voice.
"Is it always this quiet?"
Margaret glanced at her.
"Usually."
That wasn't a reassuring answer.
They stopped outside a large desk where a woman with short blonde hair was typing quickly on a computer.
"This is Clara," Margaret said. "She works directly with the executive office."
Clara looked up.
Her eyes landed on Elena.
"So this is the new assistant?"
Elena smiled politely.
"Yes. I'm Elena."
Clara studied her for a second before returning the smile.
"Good luck."
Elena frowned slightly.
"Thank you?"
Clara's smile widened, as if she found Elena's confusion amusing.
Margaret cleared her throat.
"Clara."
"What?" Clara asked innocently. "I'm being nice."
Elena looked between them.
She had the strange feeling that there was something nobody was telling her.
Margaret turned back to Elena.
"You'll learn more about your responsibilities today. For now, Clara will show you around."
"Okay."
Margaret gave her a final nod before walking away.
The moment she disappeared down the hallway, Elena turned toward Clara.
"Why did you say good luck like that?"
Clara leaned back in her chair.
"Didn't Margaret tell you who you'll be working for?"
Elena hesitated.
"Not exactly."
Clara stared at her.
Then she slowly pointed toward the enormous office at the end of the hallway.
Elena followed her finger.
The office doors were closed.
"Mr. Knight."
Elena's eyebrows pulled together.
"Adrian Knight?"
Clara nodded.
"The CEO."
Elena looked back toward the office.
She had heard the name before.
Everyone had.
Adrian Knight was one of the youngest and most successful CEOs in the country. Knight Holdings had grown into a massive company under his leadership, and business magazines constantly described him as brilliant, ambitious, and impossible to please.
There were also other descriptions.
Cold.
Distant.
Ruthless.
Elena swallowed.
"He's my boss?"
Clara gave her a sympathetic smile.
"Apparently."
Elena looked back toward the closed office doors.
Something strange stirred inside her chest.
A feeling she couldn't explain.
For some reason, the name Adrian Knight sounded familiar.
Not in the way famous names were familiar.
Something deeper.
Something distant.
Like hearing a song she had forgotten years ago.
Elena frowned.
That's strange.
Before she could think about it any further, the sound of footsteps echoed through the hallway.
Everyone suddenly seemed to straighten.
Clara immediately looked back at her computer.
Elena turned.
A man was walking toward them.
Her breath caught.
He was tall.
Much taller than she expected.
His dark suit fit him perfectly, and his expression was calm but unreadable. His black hair was neatly styled, though a few strands fell naturally across his forehead.
But it was his eyes that made Elena stop breathing.
Grey.
Cold.
Beautiful.
And strangely familiar.
Adrian Knight stopped walking.
His eyes met hers.
For one long moment, neither of them moved.
Elena felt something shift inside her.
A strange pressure.
A memory trying to surface.
A voice.
A laugh.
A boy-
Gone.
The feeling disappeared as quickly as it came.
Adrian's expression changed.
Only slightly.
But Elena noticed.
He looked at her as though he had seen a ghost.
"Mr. Knight," Clara quickly said.
Adrian didn't respond.
His grey eyes remained fixed on Elena.
Elena suddenly felt incredibly nervous.
She forced herself to speak.
"Hello."
Silence.
Then Adrian finally blinked.
"Who are you?"
Elena's confidence immediately disappeared.
"I'm Elena Brooks. The new assistant."
His face became completely unreadable.
But something was wrong.
She could feel it.
Adrian looked at her for another long moment.
Then he turned toward Clara.
"Who hired her?"
"Human Resources," Clara answered carefully.
"I know that."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
Elena suddenly understood why everyone seemed afraid of him.
Adrian looked back at her.
"Come with me."
Elena's eyes widened.
"Me?"
His expression didn't change.
"Unless there's another Elena Brooks standing behind you."
Clara quickly looked down to hide a smile.
Elena's cheeks warmed.
"Right."
She grabbed her bag and followed him.
As they walked toward his office, Elena couldn't stop staring at his back.
Something about him felt wrong.
Not dangerous.
Not exactly.
Familiar.
As if she had known him before.
But that was impossible.
She would remember someone like Adrian Knight.
Wouldn't she?
He opened the office door and stepped inside.
Elena followed.
The doors closed behind her.
Adrian walked toward his desk but didn't sit.
Instead, he turned around.
His eyes settled on her again.
"Elena Brooks."
She nodded slowly.
"Yes."
He repeated her name quietly.
Almost as if he were testing the sound of it.
Then he asked the question that made her heart stop.
"Do you remember me?"
Elena stared at him.
"What?"
Adrian's expression hardened slightly.
"Have we met before?"
She opened her mouth.
But no answer came.
Because deep inside her mind, something had begun to move.
A blurry image.
Rain.
A young boy.
Grey eyes.
And a voice calling-
Lena.
Elena's breath caught.
But the memory disappeared before she could hold onto it.
She looked at Adrian.
"I'm sorry."
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"I don't think so."
For the first time since she had met him, Adrian Knight looked disappointed.
And Elena had absolutely no idea why.
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