Chap 1

Emma rushed through the glass doors of Sterling & Co., her heart pounding in her chest. Her first day, and she was already late. The company’s strict card-based entry system meant there was no hiding it. She could already picture the HR manager’s disapproving look as she scanned her card at the security gate.

“Damn it,” she muttered under her breath.

“You too, huh?”

Emma turned to find a woman standing beside her, holding an identical employee card between her fingers. She was tall, dressed in an elegant black blazer over a simple white blouse, her dark hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail. But what caught Emma’s attention was her kind of smirk—calm, confident, and entirely unfazed by their shared predicament.

“Yeah,” Emma sighed. “Not the best first impression.”

The woman chuckled. “It’s just a few minutes. They won’t fire you on day one.”

Emma swiped her card, hearing the soft beep of the gate unlocking. “Hopefully.”

They walked toward the elevators together, Emma stealing a glance at her unexpected companion. She looked effortlessly put together—no signs of the frantic rush Emma had just been through. Maybe she was a senior employee or someone important.

“So, new here?” the woman asked.

Emma nodded. “Yeah. First day. I barely slept, and then the subway decided to betray me.”

“Ouch,” the woman said with a sympathetic nod. “Welcome to the jungle.”

Emma laughed. “I’ll take that as a warning.”

They stepped into the elevator, the doors closing behind them. The silence stretched for a moment before Emma turned to her. “What about you? Late often?”

The woman hesitated, then smiled. “You could say that"

"You shouldn't be late to work too much. This company will decrease your salary. Mine also got so" The woman add in.

She talked and not looked at Emma.

The elevator chimed, stopping at one of the upper floors. As the doors slid open, the woman turned to Emma. “Good luck today.”

Emma smiled. “Thanks. You too.”

Then she was gone, disappearing into the hallway before Emma could ask for her name.

In the way to the department place, Emma was still thinking about her elevator companion when she arrived at her department. The office was a blend of sleek modern design and quiet efficiency, with rows of desks, glass-walled meeting rooms, and the soft hum of conversations.

Her new manager, a sharp-looking woman named Karen, greeted her with a polite smile. “Emma, welcome to the team. I hope your first day goes smoothly.”

“Thank you,” Emma said, trying not to let her nerves show.

Karen gestured toward an empty desk. “That’ll be yours. Take some time to settle in, and I’ll introduce you to the rest of the department later.”

Emma nodded, setting down her bag and turning on her computer. Just as she started exploring the company’s internal software, a voice cut through the office.

“Good morning, everyone.”

Emma looked up.

Standing near the entrance, effortlessly poised, was the woman from the elevator.

Her dark blazer was unbuttoned now, and she held a tablet in one hand, her gaze sweeping across the room with quiet authority.

Emma blinked in surprise. She works here too?

The room had shifted the moment she arrived—postures straightened, conversations lowered, and all attention was subtly drawn to her.

Karen turned to Emma. “That’s Lena Sterling. She doesn’t come down here often, but when she does, everyone pays attention.”

Emma nodded slowly, studying Lena as she exchanged words with a few employees near the entrance. There was something about her presence—she wasn’t just a regular worker. Maybe a department head? Someone important, clearly.

Lena’s eyes briefly flickered to Emma’s, and for the second time that morning, Emma found herself caught in that knowing gaze.

Lena smirked—just slightly—before returning to her conversation.

Emma quickly looked down at her screen, heart beating faster than she’d like.

Who exactly is she?

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