Free Web NovelChapter 13: Chapter 13: My ex is my interviewer?
For a moment, my mind went completely blank.
No. There’s no way. Out of everyone in this city, it couldn’t possibly be him.
Yet there he was, looking just as devastatingly handsome as the last time I saw him—clad in a dark tailored suit that boasted his strong physique, sharp jawline, and those damn dark eyes fixed solely on me like prey caught in a trap.
Rhys Carson. My ex-fiance. Aside from the trash that was my soon-to-be ex-husband, Lucas, Rhys was probably the last man I wanted to see.
Instinctively, I took a step back, my mind screaming at me to run straight out of that door. But before I could even make another move, I only watched as he gestured to someone behind me and heard the door click shut.
Then all of a sudden, it was just the two of us alone in this huge office space. Though right now, it felt a lot smaller, and all I wanted was to dig a hole and bury myself in it. Silence descended upon us, and unspoken tension crackled in the cool air.
"Well," he drawled, leaning forward as he steepled his hands under his chin. "Didn’t think I would see you here."
"What are you doing here?" I blurted out carelessly.
He smirked. That same damn infuriating smirk. "What am I doing here?" He echoed my own words as he glanced down at the desk while gesturing to it. "If you can’t already tell by the name plate on the desk and the chair I am sitting in, I work here, Evelyn."
"I—I didn’t know—"
"That I work here?" A deep chuckle rumbled in his throat as he leaned back into his seat casually. "I’m the new CEO."
The words slammed into me harder than they should have. My stomach dropped. Of course he was, because the universe was out to get me, like it hadn’t already tortured me enough.
Since when on earth does the company CEO do interviews? I glanced back at the door for a split second, seriously contemplating whether I should simply bust through those heavy wooden doors.
"Thinking of running away already? Didn’t think you would give up so easily." His casual voice caused me to whip my head back around. When our eyes locked from across the office, he was already looking at me with an arched brow, his tone equal parts sarcastic and amused.
He was right. But I forced my feet to stay planted. I needed this job too badly, I needed to prove everyone wrong. So instead, I lifted my chin.
"Mr Carson," I replied coolly, even though my pulse was spiralling out of control. "Who said anything about running away or giving up?" freēwēbηovel.c૦m
The corner of his lip twitched at my response, but he didn’t say anything for a while. Only his gaze slowly travelled over me, lingering just long enough to make my skin crawl, and not in a good way.
"You applied for the executive assistant position," he said, flipping through the papers in front of him. "Impressive credentials." ƒгeewёbnovel.com
I swallowed hard. "Thank you, Mr Carson."
His eyes snapped up to meet mine. "Call me Rhys."
"Right, thank you...Rhys."
He looked away, as if pleased with himself. Uncomfortable silence enveloped us as he continued to scan my resume in front of him, unaware of how my heart was still drumming in my chest.
I was starting to think that maybe I should have just run out instead of acting all cool and calm. "Look," I began. "I don’t want to make things hard for you. I could just leave now if you want me to."
"Who said anything about leaving? If I wanted you to leave, you wouldn’t still be standing here right now."
"But—" I started, only to be cut off by him.
"There’s one thing I’m curious about. Why would someone like you apply for a job beneath your qualifications? Why not go back to the OR? Weren’t you a surgeon?"
Because my ex-husband cheated on me with my younger sister, and she took everything away from me—my husband, my daughter, my job at Hart Group. Because there was something wrong with my hands. Because I wanted revenge on the people who wronged me.
But I smiled politely instead. I wasn’t about to trauma-dump on my ex. "I’m looking for a fresh start."
Something flickered across his face at those words. But if he was unconvinced, he didn’t press for more.
Instead, I watched as he rose from his seat and started stalking towards me. Each stride made my heart beat even faster than the last second, and I couldn’t help but hold my breath as he slowly closed the distance between us.
He finally stopped in front of me. He was so close that I could smell the cologne on him—warm cedar and sandalwood wrapped around us like a thick duvet.
"How much do you want this job?"
"A lot more than you think."
He tilted his head, his voice thick when he spoke. "And are you good at following orders, Evelyn?"
The question sounded innocent enough, but the look in his eyes wasn’t. Something flared inside of me, and heat rushed to my face as memories I had spent years trying to bury clawed their way back to the surface.
I hated that he still had this effect on me.
"I’m perfectly capable of doing my job professionally," I answered tightly.
His smirk deepened as he stepped closer, forcing me to move back to create some distance between us. "Oh, I don’t doubt that."
I kept my gaze steady as I looked up at him, his body still towering over mine intimidatingly, but I forced my lips into a polite smile. "Is there anything else you would like to know?"
"No need. I already made up my mind."
