Theodore leaned back in his chair, letting Tom’s idea linger in his mind. Tom, his trusted friend and colleague, had always been good at proposing unorthodox solutions. But this time, his suggestion was particularly intriguing.

“Why don’t you make things a bit more… interesting?” Tom had said over their lunch meeting earlier that day, a playful glint in his eyes. “You have leverage. Use it.”

Theodore wasn’t usually one to manipulate situations, but something about this idea struck a chord. As the CEO of his company, he had learned to see opportunities where others might not. And with Amaira’s black leather folder still sitting on his desk, left behind in her hasty exit, his mind began to churn.

His gaze flickered over to the folder, the one containing her résumé, her certificates—everything that mattered in her professional life. A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. This could work.

Amaira had left her future in his hands without even realizing it. She thought she had walked out of his office yesterday with nothing resolved, but she had unknowingly given him more control than she knew. And now, he had a plan—one that would not only give him the upper hand but also keep Amaira within his reach.

Theodore grabbed his phone and dialed the number for the receptionist downstairs. The phone barely rang twice before a cheerful voice picked up.

“Good morning, sir. How may I assist you?”

“I need you to do something for me,” Theodore said, his tone calm but direct. “There was an interview candidate yesterday—Amaira Liu. I want you to call her and tell her that we’ve reached a decision regarding the job. Ask her to come into my office at 10:30 AM today morning.”

The receptionist, well-versed in Theodore’s often curt instructions, quickly responded. “Of course, Mr. Theodore. I’ll call her right away.”

“Thank you,” Theodore said before hanging up.

He sat back in his chair, pleased with the groundwork he’d just laid. Today will going to be interesting. Very interesting. His smirk widened as he thought about how Amaira would react to the news. She probably assumed she hadn’t gotten the job, considering she hadn’t heard anything by the end of the day yesterday. But he wasn’t done with her yet.

Meanwhile, across town, Amaira woke up earlier than usual. She sat up in bed, staring at the ceiling for a moment, her mind still foggy with sleep. Yesterday had been a whirlwind. She had spent the entire evening with Max, ranting about her run-in with Theodore and the strange mixture of emotions she felt afterward.

He remembered me.

The memory of his eyes on her, his cryptic words about the past, and that ridiculous promise she had made when she was fifteen—it was all too much to process. She had tossed and turned all night, unable to shake the feeling of unfinished business between them.

Still, it was morning now, and the reality of her situation was clear: no phone call from Theodore's company meant no job. She had resigned herself to that fact, so there was no point dwelling on it. Time to move on, she thought with a sigh.

Amaira glanced around her apartment, which was in desperate need of a deep clean. Clothes were strewn about, dishes piled up in the sink, and there were half-empty beer cans from last night sitting on the coffee table. If nothing else, today would be a good day to get her life in order—starting with her messy home.

She threw on a pair of old sweatpants and tied her hair up into a messy bun before grabbing the vacuum. As she moved around the apartment, the steady hum of the vacuum provided a much-needed distraction from her racing thoughts. She was halfway through cleaning when her phone buzzed on the coffee table.

Amaira paused, glancing at the screen. An unknown number flashed on the display, and beneath it, the telltale "Office" designation. Her heart skipped a beat. Could it be…?

She hesitated for a moment, not sure whether to answer. It’s probably just spam, she told herself. But what if it wasn’t? What if it was the call she’d been waiting for? She quickly powered off the vacuum and picked up the phone.

“Hello?” she answered, trying to keep her voice steady.

“Hello, is this Amaira Liu?” a professional voice asked.

“Speaking.”

“Hi, this is Lisa from Theodore’s office. I’m calling regarding the job interview you attended yesterday.”

Amaira’s heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing. Could this be it? She braced herself for either good news or bad, unsure of what to expect.

“I wanted to inform you that we’ve reached a decision,” the receptionist continued. “Mr. Theodore would like to meet with you again today at 10:30 a.m. to discuss the outcome.”

Amaira blinked, stunned. “Today? At 10:30 morning?”

“Yes, that’s correct,” Lisa confirmed. “He’ll go over the results of your interview then. Please be sure to bring any additional documents you may need.”

“Uh, okay. Thank you,” Amaira stammered. She barely managed to hang up before the nervous energy overtook her.

She set the phone down, her mind spinning in confusion. What did this mean? Why did Theodore want to meet with her again in person? Didn’t companies usually just call or email when they were offering—or rejecting—a candidate?

He could just be rejecting me in person, she reasoned. But something about the whole situation didn’t sit right with her. This felt… strange. Not to mention the way Theodore had looked at her during the interview, and how he seemed to remember her from their shared past.

Amaira paced around her now half-cleaned apartment, the vacuum forgotten. What could he possibly want to talk to her about? If he was just going to reject her, why make her come back?

She collapsed onto the couch, her hands running through her hair. This doesn’t feel like a normal job interview anymore, she thought uneasily. But then again, nothing about Theodore seemed normal. He was arrogant, demanding, and clearly enjoyed holding power over people.

But still, there was something about him—something that made her both nervous and curious. Maybe it was their shared history, or maybe it was the way he had smirked at her as if he knew something she didn’t. Whatever it was, it kept her from dismissing the meeting altogether.

Amaira sighed, glancing at the clock. She had a full day ahead of her before tomorrow’s meeting, but now her mind was fixated on what might happen at 10:30 a.m. sharp. She’d be ready—no matter what Theodore had up his sleeve.

Back in his office, Theodore leaned back in his chair, satisfied with the arrangements he’d set in motion. He imagined Amaira’s reaction when she got the call—probably confusion, maybe a bit of panic, but definitely curiosity.