Scarlett's POV.
With shaky feet I stepped out of the interview room, sucking in a breath of relief. My palms were sweaty, my mind foggy as if the past 30 minutes hadn't happened. But the pounding of my heart against my ribcage was proof enough.
"You look like you've seen a ghost." Gabe, one of the men I'd gotten into a conversation with before stated, a hot chocolate drink in hand.
"You want one?" He offered but I shook my head, still catching my breath.
"That was nerve racking." I whispered as I slumped onto the chair beside him, the others silent.
"Tell me about it. I forgot my name."
I stifled the laugh threatening to break free.
"You're joking." I said, appalled at his words but he sent me a regretful but amused smile.
"I wish." He muttered, sipping from one of the paper cups in his grasp.
"You know what, I'll take that drink." I said, and he passed the untouched cup to me.
"Thank you." I appreciated as I took a greedy sip, my knotted stomach now relaxed after hearing the blunder he had committed.
My interview was a blur, but I couldn't pinpoint anything I'd done wrong, so that was a good sign. Just then, the door of the interview room swung open and our hushed murmurs halted.
Miss. Stacey, the stoic woman who has been in charge ran her eyes over our features, her expression unreadable.
"The company will get back to you all by the end of the week. I wish you good luck and enjoy the rest of your week." We thanked her as her heels clicked away. I released the breath I didn't realize I was holding in.
I waved Gabe goodbye, reaching for my phone and dialing Joshua's number. He picked on the third ring.
"Scarlett." His smooth and upbeat voice greeted me.
"Are you done with the interview?"
"Yes, I am. I just wanted to thank you again and let you know that I'll be leaving now." I replied and I heard a sharp hiss from the other end.
"You can't leave now. I mean, I'd like to see you before you go. Maybe introduce you to a few of your future co-workers." He urged, almost desperately.
"Oh, please. I'm not that confident."
"That? Then you are a little confident. That's a good sign. Come to the top floor. I'll be waiting." He ended the call before I could even reply and I sighed, exasperated by his stubbornness.
There was nothing I could do but march to the elevator, pressing on the 50th floor. By the time the elevator dinged open it felt like an hour had passed. That had to be the longest elevator ride I had ever been on.
I was met with two sturdy security men who eyed me like I was a monkey in the north pole.
"Are you lost, miss?" One asked, his voice deceptively lighter than his muscles would have you believe. It was almost comical if not for his hand reaching for something unnervingly shaped like a gun.
I was tongue tied
"Is that a gun?" The question slipped through my lips before I could stop myself, and I clasped my hands over my mouth, their eyes watching my every move.
Thankfully, before the situation could escalate, Joshua's familiar face came into view.
"Don't worry boys. She's my guest." He pacified them as he stopped a few feet away from me.
Their shoulders still stayed rigid, even as he reached for my hands, brushing against them lightly to show a sense of familiarity. I shivered at his touch, his fingers oddly cold
"You can relax now guys." He gave them an amused smile, their shoulders finally relaxing.
I walked step in step with Joshua, noticing other men in black who seemed more like security details than business men. Long wires adorned their ears, disappearing into their perfectly pressed suits.
"Why is this place so guarded?" I whispered to Joshua just as we passed some of the men, eyeing me suspiciously as we walked past.
"This is the top floor. The CEO's floor. Only his advisors are allowed here." He explained and I nodded, wondering if I would be lucky enough to get a glimpse of him.
After Layla delivered the news of my interview, I went into a wormhole of research. During my craze filled research, I got to see the CEO of the company. An eligible bachelor who was devilishly handsome.
I dived into gossip blogs which had plenty to say about him, both good and bad.
"What're you thinking about?" Joshua's inquiry snatched me out of my thoughts and into the real world.
I scrambled for a lie.
"Just how cool it is that you're one of his advisors. Although I would've expected you to be working at your father's company." My breath hitched as the words left my lips.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to pry. I just say things without thinking sometimes." I rambled and he watched me with a glint in his eyes, his dimpled smile deepening with every hurried word.
"You're smiling. Does that mean you're not offended?" I asked, my cheeks red as he pushed open a glass door with his name boldly printed on it.
I thanked him, taking a seat opposite his desk. Instead of him taking his designated seat, he took the seat beside me, rolling to face me.
I swallowed. Hard.
We were in such close proximity that our knees were touching. Joshua Jung was an incredibly handsome man, and this morning I had even felt attracted to him, but with the situation at hand, the fact that he was my best friend's brother and completely off limits was dazzlingly clear.
The thought of having anything romantic to do with him tied my stomach in knots. I felt like running through the glass doors but instead I kept my expression neutral, doing my best to hide the panic setting in my core.
"You don't have to apologize for that. I like that you don't hide your thoughts. And it is a really good question." He started, resting back on his chair and putting some much needed distance between us.
"Well, as you know I'm the second son of the Jung's. The company automatically belongs to my brother but I am a major shareholder. I was offered the position of COO, still mine if I want it but…" He paused, his teeth caressing his lips as he thought over his words carefully.
"I didn't want it handed to me. There are certain criteria you need to become a COO, and at that time I didn't meet up, but it could've been mine anyways. Just that I'd have some training before assuming the position. That felt like spoon feeding to me. So instead, I decided to meet those criteria outside my father's company, where I could be sure that it was a completely fair game."
"Does that mean you'll go to your father's company when you've met the criteria?" I asked, feeling a sense of respect towards him. He didn't have to be thrown out of his house to take on responsibility, unlike me.
"I already met it." He smiled a satisfied smile at my shocked gasp.
"As for going back, I'm not sure yet. The future will tell. But I must confess, I do like it here and I know you will too."
"Slow your roll." I laughed, amused by his confidence.
"I haven't gotten the job yet. And I must say, your confidence is a little suspicious. If you somehow have access to the results you better confess."
His eyes squinted as he let out a throaty laugh.
"But really though, you've already done a lot by getting me this interview. If I don't get selected on my own don't try to put in a good word for me. I want to prove myself, just like you. Maybe even more." My voice had slowed to a whisper, the mood suddenly sullen as the memory of my own parents pushing me out sent stinging tears to my vision, but I quickly blinked them away.
Abruptly, I stood, suddenly uncomfortable in his office. The sparse space suddenly suffocating.
"Are you okay?" He asked, rising up and assessing me with his eyes as if to see if anything was amiss.
"I'm perfectly fine. I just remembered I have something to do. I'll be late if I don't leave now." I lied straight through my teeth but if he knew, he gave to indication and I was grateful for it.
He nodded, worry still glinting off his midnight black orbs but respectfully, he led me out of his office, my heels clicking against the marble floors to fill the void of silence till we reached the elevator.
The ding of an elevator sounded from a few feet away but I couldn't see where it came from exactly due to Joshua's broad shoulders blocking the way.
I turned to him.
"Thank you, again. You have no idea how grateful I am for this opportunity."
"It was my pleasure. You take care, now." He whispered back.
I gave him a grateful smile before walking into the open elevator. Immediately it closed my shoulders slumped, the stinging tears running free now. My breathing grew laboured as broken sobs filled the silence of the elevator. I could only hope that one day, this pain would end.