29/04/2025
Scene 2: Welcome to the Jungle
Mabel
“Third floor, left corridor, office marked PA to the CEO,” the secretary said, already walking away. “Don’t get lost.”
I didn’t answer. My heart was still catching up with the fact that I had a job. A real job. His job.
The elevator dinged open and I stepped inside, gripping the employment packet like it might vanish if I blinked. The doors slid shut, sealing me inside a mirror box where I could finally let go—just for a second.
I leaned against the wall and exhaled, my breath fogging the polished metal. This was it. I could afford Eli’s meds. Maybe even pay a fraction of the rent. Maybe I wouldn’t have to sell my last pair of decent shoes.
But then I remembered Damon Blackwood’s eyes—how they lingered just a second too long. Like he’d almost seen something behind my mask.
I straightened just as the elevator opened.
The third floor was nothing like the sterile elegance upstairs. It was buzzing. Phones ringing. People walking fast, papers flying, coffee being sloshed. This was the real heartbeat of Blackwood International.
“Mabel?” a voice called from the corner.
I turned to see a woman with bright red braids, gold-rimmed glasses, and an expression that said she’d seen things—and wasn’t impressed.
“That’s me,” I said cautiously.
She extended a hand. “Latoya Bell. Executive Assistant to the CFO. Also your future lifeline when you want to scream into the void.”
I smiled. She was the first warm thing in this place.
“You must be brave,” she added, eyeing my folder. “The last PA quit by lunchtime.”
“Lunch is a luxury,” I muttered.
Latoya snorted. “You’ll fit in just fine.”
She gave me a quick tour—breakroom, bathrooms, panic spots for mental breakdowns—then stopped at a sleek office with a glass wall and minimal furniture. It was empty except for a desk, a desktop computer, and a stack of pre-signed NDA agreements.
“Your kingdom,” she announced.
“Do I get a crown?”
“Only if you survive the first week.”
I stepped inside, suddenly aware that every step brought me closer to a man who, unknowingly, had turned my life upside down four years ago.
“Do you like working here?” I asked.
Latoya considered. “I like the paycheck. I like my team. The CEO? Let’s just say... he’s an acquired taste.”
“Like expired wine or frozen sushi?”
She grinned. “Exactly.”
Before I could sit, my phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number:
Report to my office. Ten minutes. Bring your schedule. – DB
I stared at the initials. It felt like someone just dropped a steel weight on my chest.
Latoya looked over my shoulder. “He texts like a Bond villain. You better go.”
I nodded and turned toward the elevator again.
New job. New boss. New lies.
And only one rule: Don’t get caught.
