Chapter One

Lily

Get it together.

I stare back at the reflection of myself in the mirror, trying hard not to give in to the panic rising in my chest as I nervously run my hand over my dress. It's a smart green number that stops just above my knees, and although Dana swore it's perfect, I can't help but feel anxious. It's my first time interviewing for a job at a corporate organization, and although I passed the first stage of the interview, I'm not so confident that I'll get so lucky the second time around.

Just then, in walks Dana, a stunning petite woman with shiny brown hair that's presently tied in a messy ponytail. Ever since she saved me from bullies in third grade, Dana has always been my biggest ally. Even now, when it seems like the universe has turned its back on me, she continues to stand by me. She welcomed me into her tiny one-room apartment and put up with me for the past month since I arrived in Chicago. And even though she had to work double shifts at the club to keep up with our bills, she's never complained or made me feel guilty about it.

But I do feel guilty watching her get back from work early in the morning with dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep. That's why I accepted the interview for this job when she told me about it, even though I feel so inadequate.

"You got this, Lily," Dana says, coming to stand behind me in the mirror.

"I'm not sure I do," I reply with a soft sigh. "I basically have no work experience."

"Yes, you do," Dana says, her tone reassuring. "You got to the final interview stage, and that counts for something. Now, you need to leave if you want to make it in time."

I glance at my old leather watch and a loud gasp escapes my lips. "My God! I'm going to be late."

I spin around so suddenly that I almost knock heads with Dana. She sidesteps me just in time, used to my clumsiness. Quickly grabbing my handbag from the bed, I rush towards the door.

"Bye, Dana!"

"Good luck, hun!" she calls after me.

Thirty minutes later, my taxi pulls up in front of an imposing skyscraper with fancy signage that spells ECOTECH SOLUTIONS INC. I look up in time to see the taxi driver watching me through the rearview mirror, his kind, weathered face lit up with a knowing smile.

"First day, is it?" he asks. "You look nervous as hell."

I shake my head. "I'm here for an interview."

"Oh," he mouths, then smiles wider. "I'm sure you'll do well."

I wish I could believe him. And Dana.

"Thank you," I say anyway, handing him my payment.

I get out and return his little wave with a small smile. I watch the car zoom off and for one insane moment, I think of running after it. But I've come too far to chicken out now.

Taking a deep breath, I head towards the building. Once inside, I stop to look around me. Although I've been here before, it still feels strange to be surrounded by such opulence.

Just like the first time I came for the preliminary interview, I feel like I've been suddenly transported into a whole new, shiny world that I don't belong in. The gleaming marble floors… The dazzling chandeliers and gold-plated signage on the walls… Everything feels so overwhelming. Even the employees resuming work in their well-tailored suits and elegant dresses all seem intimidating. They looked goal-oriented and accomplished, far removed from the reality I'm used to. I instantly feel small, intangible.

Everything in me wants to run, but I have no choice. I need the money – and fast. The phone call from my mother has been replaying in my mind all day.

"Lily."

"M- Mom?"

I still couldn't believe she was calling me. It was the first time in seven months... The first time since the incident.

"I guess you're alive then," she said dryly. "I called to tell you that your sister's condition has worsened and she'll be needing an emergency surgery."

"Oh, Ella…" I muttered breathlessly, my chest tightening with a fresh wave of guilt and pain. It had been so long since I'd seen her. The last time I'd spoken to her was Christmas, when she called me behind Mom's back during a dialysis appointment. She sounded okay. Could things really have gotten so much worse in just a couple months?

"Luckily, the hospital moved her name up on the recipient list," Mom continued. "She's been scheduled for an emergency kidney transplant, but they need an initial deposit of two hundred thousand dollars."

"What?!" I blurted, my eyes opening wide with shock. "I don't…"

"It's your fault we lost our financial support, Lilian," Mom said, her voice growing edgier. "You messed it up, so you need to fix it."

My throat tightened painfully. "Mom..."

"You nearly took one life. Do you want to be responsible for this one, too?"

And with that, she dropped the call.

Taking care of my little sister is worth all of this. I have to be here. I have to get this job. After all the damage I've done to my family, this might be my only chance to make it right.

Anxiety claws at my chest, and just as I'm about to hightail it out of there, I hear a high-pitched voice beside me.

"Hello, ma'am. Welcome to Ecotech. How may I help you?"

I look up to the familiar face of the front desk receptionist, a pretty blonde woman with a polite smile that always seems a little too practiced. I glance at her nametag to recall her name. Amanda Sanchez, that's it.

I clear my throat nervously, shuffling uncomfortably on my feet. "I'm here to interview for the role of Executive Assistant."

Her eyes flash with surprise, but it's gone quickly, replaced with that fake polite smile of hers as she gestures towards the elevator. "If you take the elevator by the right, it'll take you directly to the CEO's office."

"T-the CEO?" I stutter, staring blankly at her.

She nods, her fake smile dropping slightly. "You're going to be his assistant if you do get employed," she says, stressing the last part as if she didn't see the possibility. "So, yes, he'll be interviewing you himself."

My anxiety level instantly shoots up from ten to one hundred, but for some reason, I don't want to give this woman the satisfaction of seeing me intimidated. So I raise my chin to meet her condescending gaze squarely.

"Thanks for your time, Miss Sanchez," I say curtly, mimicking her fake smile. Without waiting for a response, I turn around and head in the direction of the elevator, praying desperately to the heavens that she doesn't see me quaking in my old suede heels.

The elevator ride is shorter than I hoped and before I know it, I'm standing in front of the CEO's office. I let out a shaky breath before knocking briefly on the door.

"Come in," comes a deep, velvety voice from within.

"Here goes nothing," I mutter to myself before pushing the door open.

This time, I can't marvel at the bold display of wealth in the large office because all my attention is focused on the tall, broad-shouldered figure standing by the window. Even with his back turned to me, I can feel the power emanating from him. Everything else seems to fade in comparison to the magnetic presence of his imposing figure. Then he turns around and I momentarily lose my sense of reality.

Holy moly! He's handsome!

I don't know what I expected the CEO of Ecotech to look like, but my imagination couldn't have prepared me for this magnificent Adonis standing right in front of me. I read somewhere that God has favorites on earth, and I'm pretty sure he's one of them with his perfectly sculpted face and silky dark hair. The edges of his sideburns are just beginning to turn white. And his eyes! They're the most gorgeous shade of gray I've ever seen, almost like storm clouds on a winter evening. Intense. Powerful.

His gaze meets mine and I feel my breath hitch in my throat. Something flickers in his eyes, but it disappears so quickly that I might have imagined it.

"You seem lost," he says quietly, his gaze pinning me in place. The husky timbre of his voice instantly sends goosebumps down my arms as I stare helplessly into his handsome face.

"Are you?" he asks, raising a perfectly arched brow at me.

"W-what?" I stammer, unable to form a coherent thought.

"I'm asking if you're lost."

"N-no. I'm not, I, uh – I'm sorry...'' I let my voice trail off, licking my lips nervously.

Something flares in his eyes. Anger? Disdain? I can't tell.

"Well, are you going to stand there and stutter all day, or are you going to state your business in my office?" he asks impatiently, his eyes never leaving mine.

There's something about the intensity of his gaze that has my stomach all tied up in knots. My palms feel sweaty and my heart is pounding at an unnatural pace.

Get your head on straight, Lily!

"I- I'm here for the interview. Sir," I add as an afterthought, clearing my throat nervously.

"I see."

An emotion akin to amusement flickers in his eyes as he walks over to his desk. He pulls out his seat and gestures to the visitors' chair. "Have a seat, Miss Thompson."

I blink at him in surprise, wondering how he knows my name. Then it dawns on me: of course he knows my name and the reason I'm in his office. He must have seen my resume, after all. Yet he made me seem like some random weirdo who wandered aimlessly into his office.

What a jerk.

"Thank you, sir," I murmur as I gingerly lower myself into the chair.

"Why should I employ you for this role, Miss Thompson?" he asks without any preamble.

I stare at the gold-plated nameplate that proudly displays his name and position: Gabriel Foster, CEO . I feel my chest closing up with anxiety all over again. I remember practicing the answer to this very question with Dana, but for some reason, I can't seem to recite my well-rehearsed response.

"Because I need the money," I blurt without thinking.

My eyes instantly open wide in realization, but it's too late to take my words back, so I clamp my lips together before I dig my grave further.

I probably wouldn't be getting the job, anyway.

"I see," he says, his expression unchanging. "You're hired."

I blink at him in confusion, wondering if I heard the words right. "What?"

"You heard me, Miss Thompson. You're hired, but not as my Executive Assistant."

"I don't quite follow, sir."

He leans forward in his seat, his eyes boring directly into mine in that intense way of his that makes my skin tingle. "I'm employing you to be my wife, Miss Thompson."

"What?!"