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Emma sat up straighter, the tiredness gone in a heartbeat. This was too good to be true.
“Yes, this is she.”
“Wonderful. We received your application for our junior art appraiser position and it looks like a good match. I wanted to ask if there’s any chance you’re free this afternoon for an interview.”
“Let me just look over my calendar,” Emma said. Of course, she was free; her whole calendar was completely empty for the day. Still, she didn’t want to appear too eager, even though everything was riding on this job. After pausing for what felt like a sufficient length of time, she spoke again. “Yes, this afternoon looks good. What time do you have in mind?”
“Two o’clock?”
“That works for me.”
“Excellent. The interview will be with myself and Owen Li, who is the director of our art acquisition department.”
Emma noted this down on a piece of paper, along with the time. “Perfect. I’m looking forward to meeting both of you.”
“That’s great. Thanks, Emma. See you this afternoon.”
“See you then.” Emma hung up and slumped back onto the bed, feeling like a puppet with her strings cut. The relief that washed through her was as strong as a wave. Maybe there was a chance for her to pull off this impossible task. At least she had a foot in the door. Now all she had to do was ace the interview, get the job, somehow become close with Patrick Daniels, get invited to his house, find a forgery of Aurora, steal the original without him noticing, and give it to Aleksander Ariti. All in less than four weeks.
Emma’s stomach clenched with nerves as the relief washed right back out of her. Once again, this task felt almost impossible. Still, there was no use worrying about it. She needed to focus on this interview and her preparations. Everything else would fall into place later. It had to.
* * *
A few hours later, Emma walked into LWC Capital wearing her best interview outfit: a black pencil skirt, kitten heels, and a blue blouse that was both classy and flattering. Her hair was swept up into a French twist, and she had a notebook in her bag full of her research on LWC Capital’s art department.
A pretty young woman with clear blue eyes and blond curls was waiting in the lobby, a clipboard tucked under her arm. As soon as Emma entered, she waved her over.
“Emma Reynolds, right?” She held out a hand.
“Yes, and I would guess that you’re Julie Peterson?” Emma took her hand and gave it a firm shake.
“Right, you are.” Julie smiled. “I’m here to bring you up for the interview. The office can be a bit of a maze.”
“Thanks, I really appreciate it.” Emma let herself be led toward the bank of elevators. “Is this whole building LWC Capital?” Her old habits of corporate espionage made her throw out the question, even though there was really no need to be casing the office. Her target was in Patrick Daniels’ home, not his business. Still, there was no harm in getting to know her surroundings.
“Only the top ten floors.” Julie smiled as she pressed a button for the thirty-eighth floor. “The lower floors are other businesses, a coworking space, and a few restaurants. There’s a yummy Chinese place on the second floor if you’re looking for lunch after this.”
“Thanks for the tip.” Emma flashed Julie a smile in return. She liked the other woman immediately. Something about her cheerfulness put Emma at ease.
“Anytime.”
“Do you like working here?”
“Definitely. I’ve only been at LWC for about half a year, but it’s already much better than my last job. Our CEO really emphasizes work–life balance and employee benefits — even though he doesn’t seem to have any work–life balance himself.” Julie rolled her eyes jokingly and Emma gave a polite laugh, even as her heart started to race. Here was a chance to get some information.
“Your CEO… Patrick Daniels, right? I read about him.”
“I’m not surprised. A lot of businesses try to emulate what he does, since he was able to build LWC from the ground in just a few years.”
“Have you met him?”
Julie shook her head. “Not many people have. I heard him speak a couple times, but he’s really focused on his work, and I don’t think he has a lot of time to chat with all of us. He’s a great boss, though, if you’re wondering. Like I said, he really emphasizes a good working environment for all his employees.”
“That’s great.” Emma smiled, but her heart sank. It wasn’t great. She’d counted on working at LWC Capital as a way into Patrick Daniels’ circle, but if he didn’t spend much time with his employees, it might not be as smooth as she’d hoped. Still, working here would be a step in the right direction.
Just then, the elevator slowed to a stop and the doors opened. Emma and Julie stepped into a hallway lined with glass office doors. It was a nice office, clean and pleasant, and Emma had the momentary thought that she might like working here, even if she didn’t have to. That was silly, though. She hadn’t even seen much of the office.
Emma followed Julie to the end of the hallway and into a conference room, where a tall man with dark hair was waiting for them. He stood as Emma entered and reached out to shake her hand.
