Chapter 3 - The New Intern
The offices of Apex Architectural Group occupied the top three floors of a gleaming glass skyscraper overlooking Lake Michigan. It was the epitome of wealth and prestige.
As Nora Vance, boasting an impeccably forged resume detailing years of high-end administrative and project management experience in Boston, I walked into the HR department. They were desperate for an executive assistant to the Senior Partner, Marcus Thorne—a notoriously difficult man who fired assistants every two months.
"He's a monster to work for," the HR director warned me, sliding the contract across the desk. "Are you sure you can handle it, Miss Vance?"
"I've dealt with far worse monsters, believe me," I said, my voice smooth and utterly devoid of the warmth Hannah used to possess. I signed the paper.
My first week on the job was a blur of high-stakes scheduling, fetching specific espresso orders, and enduring Marcus Thorne’s screaming fits. But I didn't care about his temper. I cared about the seating chart for the upcoming summer internship cohort.
On Monday of my second week, the interns arrived.
I stood by the glass partition of the main lobby, holding a clipboard, watching them line up. And there he was. Tyler Miller. He looked healthier than ever, dressed in a tailored navy suit that my father had definitely paid for. He carried himself with the smug confidence of a boy who had never been told "no" in his entire life.
When his eyes met mine, my heart stopped for a fraction of a second. I braced myself.
But his gaze lingered only on my blonde hair and my sharp glasses before sliding away with mild interest. To him, I was just another corporate drone. He didn't recognize his own sister. Why would he? His sister was buried in a cemetery in Columbus, Ohio.
"Hi, I'm Tyler Miller," he said when he reached my desk, giving me a charming smile that he usually reserved for girls he wanted to impress. "I'm the new design intern for Team A."
"Welcome to Apex, Tyler," I said, my voice dropping an octave, perfectly controlled. I handed him his security badge. Our fingers brushed briefly. He didn't feel the chill that ran through my veins.
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"If you need anything at all, Miss... Vance, is it?" he read my badge. "Just let me know."
"Oh, I'll definitely let you know, Tyler," I smiled back, a sharp, dangerous expression that he completely misread as flirtation. "We're going to be spending a lot of time together."
