AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Since he doesn’t move to his seat, I know he isn’t satisfied with my answer.
“I chose to change my career path due to some personal events, Mr. Lawson. I needed diversity in my life, to get away from the financial sector, and seek a more fulfilling career. Marketing and publishing spiked my curiosity, and here I am.” I crane my neck to look at him, and find him gawking at me. “I know I have no previous experience, but I might be quite an asset if you give me a chance,” I add, basking in his warmth seeping into my pores.
He straightens up and walks around the table to take his seat as his partner takes over the interview. Mr. Lawson doesn’t speak again, but his burning gaze stays fixed on me, searching for something, pushing against my façade. The quiet intensity he directs at me is unnerving and yet weirdly pleasing at the same time.
“Let’s talk about your position here, Mrs. Cade,” Robert finally begins.
But he is cut off by Mr. Lawson. “What happened in your life to make you seek such a different career?”
“That’s quite a personal question, Mr. Lawson.”
He arches his eyebrow at me and his luscious mouth stretches into a smirk, transforming his face in an instant. My heart skips a beat as he leans forward again, resting his elbow on the dark wood table, rolling a pen between his fingers.
“Cassandra, your name’s quite well known. A few years back, you were all over the media. If we’re to hire you, we need to know why you aren’t working at the investment bank. Don’t they trust you to do your job well?”
I take a calming breath, knowing this was coming. It is hardly a secret who the Cades are in the business world or who I am for that matter. The media plastered my story all over the Internet and newspapers, trying to tell the world about Logan Cade’s secret bride and their children. The back of my eyes burn with tears, but I blink them away, digging my nails into my palms, determined to get this job regardless of my painful past, haunting me like a ghost.
“My family’s a very complicated matter, Mr. Lawson. I’m not comfortable to discuss my family politics or dramas with you. But I can assure you, I made this decision deliberately. I didn’t feel that working in the financial sector is my calling, and after surviving a car accident, I decided not to waste my life with something that doesn’t fulfill me.”
“Do you think this position might be fulfilling?”
A beam of warmth in his curious gaze makes me feel safe to answer.
“I love reading books, owning them, smelling the ink on their pages. They helped me get through some hardships, escape from painful realities. When my sister suggested trying to go this route, it made me feel excited. So yes, I think this position might be what I was looking for.”
“But only time will tell,” he speaks in a low voice, and I nod, looking straight at him as some sort of understanding passes between us. Excitement returns, and my lips stretch into a smile and my confidence grows about this interview.
“Thank you, Mrs. Cade, for coming. I think we have everything we need to make a decision. We’ll give you a call in a few days to let you know if you got the position,” Robert speaks, breaking our private exchange.
I collect my handbag from the floor and hook it onto my shoulder, ready to leave. Robert extends his hand, beaming at me.
“This was an amazing interview, Cassandra. I think you’re one of the strongest contenders for this position.”
“Thank you, Robert. I'd love to work with you. I hope you’ll call me soon with great news.”
I turn to Mr. Lawson, standing next to his partner with his hands in his dark blue suit pants. Admiring how well his suit fits him, I extend my hand to him. He removes one hand from his pocket, enclo
ses my small palm in his large one, and electric shocks zap through me at the contact. My gaze snaps to his in surprise and my lips part in astonishment.
“Call me Mark, Cassandra.” He rolls my name on his tongue softly like a delicious treat, and a shiver treks down my spine. My cheeks burn, affected by the masculine timbre undertones. “Thank you for answering my questions. Trust is vital in a working relationship. I hope you understand my persistence to know about your choice to work with us.”
“Of course. I hope I didn’t disappoint you with my answers. Consider giving me a chance to prove I can be an asset to your company.” I can’t seem to be able to take my eyes off him.
Robert clears his throat, and I retract my hand from Mark’s palm, losing the comfort of his touch. After a few words of goodbyes, I finally leave the room.
“What the hell just happened in there?” I ask myself, resting my back against the panel while the elevator descends to the ground floor.
That man is something else. I can’t shake his alluring presence from my mind. There’s something so familiar about him too.
A memory of me meeting Logan at the conference in Liverpool hits me like lightning, and I choke up with emotions I tried to keep at bay. Maybe that’s why? This interview reminds me of how we met.
Despite the unexpected attraction to Mark, I’m thrilled about the possibility of working at Fading Ink. Their publishing house seems like a place to grow and establish my career. This job might be just what I need to feel like a person again, with some fire under the layers of scars etched on my skin, buried deep in my soul.
As I leave the foyer, my bag starts to vibrate. And by the way it persistently rings, I think I know who it is. I dig my hand into the handbag to find my phone and answer with a smile on my face.
“How do you know I’m done?”
“Oh, come on, I waited long enough. Spill the news, sister.” The excitement is evident in Aisha’s voice.
