She entered the sliding glass doors of HSG and walked through the modern-looking lobby. Other than some sparse furniture and a large steel fireplace, two men in suits waited to greet entrants. One stood behind the massive security desk, the other between her and the elevators.
As if he knew what she was thinking that moment, a notification from Alec popped up on her watch. For a second she thought of ignoring it, she was already nervous enough, but she knew better.
If you get tripped up on a question, remember to take a moment and breathe. You've got this.
He really wanted her to have this job.
Before she could approach security, a man swept past her out of nowhere, swiping his ID, and effortlessly walking through the security gate.
"Mr. Lee," they said, almost in unison. He casually dropped his cellphone in the tray next to the security officer, and was in the elevator by the time they turned their attention back to her.
So many suits, she thought. His was navy.
HSG was different from the typically laidback office culture in Seattle. Even her stuffy old firm wasn't this formal.
For once, she was wearing a dark dress, along with a blazer. Thanks to Olga, her hair, which was almost always down, had been stretched into a painfully straight ponytail. She fit right in. To an outsider, she looked ready for business, but being inside an office triggered her memories.
She hadn't thought of Daniel & Watson in a while, as it was part of the many things she'd repressed from her old life, along with friends, joy, fun, love...
When she expressed concerns about her references during their briefing, Alec simply said he'd taken care of it. Whatever that meant.
It took her a moment to gather her wits again before speaking to the men.
"I'm here to see— "
"Mrs. Williams," one of them said, his voice hinting at something she couldn't gage. "We'll need to see some ID please."
She handed him her temporarily returned driver's license.
Alec had given back her phone, which was dead, her driver's license and a prepaid debit card. It wasn't out of the goodness of his heart by any means; it was so she appeared normal. A normal person doing normal things. Not potentially committing corporate espionage.
He gave her ID a once-over and handed it back.
"Are you familiar with our company's policy?"
"Yes," she replied.
HSG had a policy against the use of personal technology in the workplace. The CEO was known as one of the most secretive professionals in the industry. Valuing his company's security so much, it was nicknamed, 'The Vault.'
"Great." he said unenthusiastically. He guided her to a locker room behind the desk. "Please pick a locker to store your electronics."
The previous night, Alec prepared her for this by showing her how to take her bracelet off. It was extremely satisfying to hear the clasp separate, and she felt dim-witted for not having figured it out herself. That is, until he told her the lock had to be deactivated remotely by him first. He'd also given her a red leather book for note taking.
After being run through with handheld metal detectors, she waited nervously for the elevator to arrive. She was meeting the hiring manager for her interview.
She'd been clutching the notebook so hard; it was painful to straighten her fingers in order to push the button. Everything needed to go well--no perfect. If it didn't, she couldn't imagine what fresh hell Alec would come up with. He'd spent a great deal of time preparing her interview responses, as well as getting her up-to-speed on the company.
When she arrived on the sixth floor, she was impressed with the bright, minimalist office layout. There was a serene fountain sitting between two Bonsai trees, which made her feel calmer.
"Welcome to HSG," said the receptionist, a very pretty woman. "Who is your appointment with?"
"Mrs. Williams." Mila replied.
She typed something into her computer.
"Mila Black?" she smiled. "Mrs. Williams is running late, but she'll be with you as soon as she can. Please have a seat, and let me know if I can get you anything."
This was the first time in weeks she'd been in public. She had no electronics, no bracelet or phone, nothing Alec could trace her with. Raul was outside, but there had to be a different exit from the building.
It was her first real chance to make a run for it.
So many possibilities.
Would she slip Mrs. Williams a piece of paper explaining what was going on? Or perhaps call the FBI from one of the office phones? If she chose one of these options, would anyone even take her seriously? Her story was absurd.
Either way, her time and options were limited. It was a tempting thought, but Alec was already on high alert. If she did something stupid, as he'd mentioned several times, the consequences would be unpleasant. As she dreamed of taking advantage of this opportunity, she remembered Alicia's accident and her parent's money problems. How he'd made it virtually impossible for her to leave. If escape were something she was actually considering, it couldn't be impulsive. She had to play it smart.
She gazed at the wall of photos across from her displaying the company's leadership. There was one photo particularly familiar. An older, dignified man stared at her from the top of the collage.
The CEO, Sung Han. It was a name she'd heard many times within the last 96-hours.
Han was an interesting man. He grew up dirt poor in North Korea and escaped to the South with his younger sister when he was only eight. When they were teenagers, he felt the threat of the North Korean regime still looming too close and decided it was best to leave for the United States. He'd started HSG with nothing but one boat and a few connections.
Now, it was in the world's top ten shipping companies with trading routes on almost every continent. Han was a major philanthropist in early childhood education, and water initiatives in third-world countries. The man spoke multiple languages and had a net worth of more than $3 billion. He even had his story featured in a Netflix documentary, which she and Alec watched together twice.
She remembered when the interviewer asked him what happened to his parents after they defected. His response left her chilled.
By all accounts, Han was a decent man. Downright inspiring actually. Somehow, Alec landed her an interview for the role of his executive assistant. She wondered what Alec had done to his former longtime assistant, deducing it was the only way she was here.
"Mila?" said a perky woman in a delightful Australian accent. She seemed pleasant, if not a little frazzled, moving a piece of dusty blonde hair off her face. "I'm Evie, lovely to meet you. If you follow me, we have a preliminary writing test we'd like you to complete before your interview. It's nothing complicated. We just need you to write three paragraphs on your knowledge of the company."
This brightened her day. She was an excellent typist and filled to the brim with knowledge on this exact topic.
Evie walked her through the office. She noted a kitchen area, mail room and about fifty employees working on the floor. It was an open office layout, and even the conference room Evie guided her to had walls completely made of glass. There was little room for privacy.
Sitting at a table in the middle of the room was a laptop preloaded with a blank word document.
"Just give me a shout when you're done." said Evie, as she closed the door.
Roughly twenty minutes later, Mila finished her summary. She felt decently satisfied with it, maybe even a little proud, and thought she was ready to call for Evie to come back. That is, until an idea struck her mind.
She had Internet access.
Knowing time was of the essence, she glanced around to see if anyone was paying attention to her, and quickly opened a browser.
She typed in Cordelia's name and the fashion company she worked for. If she had the office address, she could simply drop Cordelia a letter in the mail. No electronics involved. Middle finger Alec.
She salivated at the thought, like she was about to eat a big meal after fasting all day. Quickly, she scribbled the address of Cordelia's employer in the notebook. She had just ripped the page out of the book and folded it into her bra strap, when Evie came back.
"Sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Han has a few free moments. I know you were supposed to interview with me, but he doesn't have a lot of free time, and this way you get to skip my portion. Are you ok to proceed now?"
"Of course," she replied. Exiting her screen and saving the document one last time. She stayed collected, even though she was freaking out.
"Some advice." Evie said before opening the door. "Don't be afraid of sitting in silence with him. He's a decisive man, so he'll size you up quickly."
Evie immediately sat her down, taking away the option for them to shake hands. This was probably on purpose, she thought. Suspecting Han was a germaphobe.
He was seated, but she could tell he was a very small man. His office was partially private, but she could still see Evie sitting at her desk through the glass wall.
He only acknowledged her when it was just the two of them in the room. His hands connected by the tips of his fingers. His Newton's cradle, the only sound in the room, swung rhythmically. He observed her with a master-level poker face.
When he spoke, he was quiet and careful with his wording.
"Ms. Black, why do you want to be my assistant? At your previous firm, you were in a non-administrative role."
He was swinging right out of the gate.
She swallowed and cleared her throat.
"I'm looking for a career change." she lied. "At my last position, I realized I enjoyed the more administrative tasks than the business development side. Organization is my bailiwick."
Clear. Concise. Exactly what she'd practiced. Good job Mila, pat on the back!
But he didn't appear particularly impressed by her answer.
"What gets you out of bed in the morning?" he asked next.
Trying to keep my family and friends alive, so a psychopath doesn't kill us all.
"Passion." she said smiling. "And people. I'm thorough in everything I do, which is something I know your organization values."
"Why do you think you're a fit for HSG?"
"Well, I'm a team player, and no job is too small for me."
Again, he seemed unimpressed by her answer. Probably too generic, she thought. She was losing him.
She needed to change her strategy to something more authentic. She took the practiced answers out of her head and summoned the part of her she'd suppressed. Who'd been confident and good at her job. Before Alec.
"I'm the person you call when you need someone reliable." she said confidently. "Who can not only finish and polish complicated projects, but also show up when it's crunch time."
Silence, and more rhythmic swinging.
No matter how awkward it got, she let it stay silent. Taking Evie's advice to heart.
He took off his glasses and leaned forward. "So, why you over other candidates? What makes you...special?"
"I'm sure you've seen my file." she said. "No, I'm not the typical 'cookie cutter,' applicant. I come from humble beginnings, and my career path hasn't been a straight trajectory. But like you, the obstacles in my life have only made me stronger, and more diligent. I'm special because I have something to prove and that makes me work harder."
He didn't seem dissatisfied, so she took advantage of the momentum.
"If it's alright, I have some questions for you Mr. Han."
"Please." he said.
It was almost imperceptible, but his eyes brightened. By the time she'd fired off her questions and engaged him in conversation, she could tell she'd intrigued him. Not only that, but she felt a mutual connection. A kinship even.
"We've gone over time, and I need to get to another appointment." he said. "I'll have Evie let you know next steps."
He got up, shook her hand, and dismissed her.
"That seems to have gone well," Evie beamed as she walked her back through the office.
"I think so," she said relieved. "It was nice speaking to him. He was so interesting."
Wait a minute. Did she want this job?
On their way out, the man in the navy suit stood at reception, signing for something. He glanced at her as she walked by, his eyes giving her pause. As quickly as it happened, he was back to what he was doing.
She felt ecstatic. It was wonderful using her head and instincts to connect with Mr. Han. She missed the resourceful, scrappy side of her personality she rarely got to use anymore.
As she picked up her things, and walked outside into the much cooler air, she snapped her watch back into place, noting how much heavier it felt than before. All elation halting when she saw the black town car waiting for her.
If she were strong. Truly strong, she would have tanked the interview. Now, she felt like a coward.
She didn't want to help Alec hurt anyone else. Whatever he wanted with Han or his company, it couldn't be good.
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