"Okay, breathe, Anna. You've got this." 

I stood outside the massive building, nerves fizzing like soda in my veins. WYAO GYM towered above me, all sleek glass and gleaming purple letters. Inside, floor-to-ceiling windows showcased a blur of toned limbs, polished floors, and expensive lighting. 

It felt like walking toward the future. Or into a trap. 

My résumé folder was clutched to my chest like armor. Every step toward the lobby echoed with you're not enough—but I kept going.

The front desk rep looked like she belonged on the cover of some minimalist fitness magazine. Golden-brown eyes. Glossy lips. Gold shimmer on her lids—like she owned light itself. 

"Hi," I managed, breath shallow. "I'm... A-Anna. Here for the interview?"

She smiled like she'd seen dozens of panic-struck walk-ins before. "Hold on one sec."

Then she glanced to her right and smirked. "Hey Nick, come over here."

And there he was— The man I'd bumped into at Olive Garden. Tall. Composed. Still annoyingly unforgettable.

He wore a long-sleeved workout jacket—unzipped just enough to tease the fitted black tank beneath. Black sweatpants hugged his frame with casual precision, every line unfairly perfect.

Effortless. Confident. Infuriating.

And then... the worst part.

Pecks. Abs. Showing through the fabric. Man, why me.

No, Anna—look away! GOD WILL NOT LIKE THIS. My thoughts shrieked like an alarm going off in church.

My stomach flipped— not because I wanted it to. But because of course he looked like that.

"What now, Brenna?" he muttered, but she snapped back with a sway of her hips, "Hunny, don't what me."

Then he saw me— And smiled.

"Oh... it's you."

"Hi," I mumbled, my fingers flicking into a half-wave as I stared awkwardly at the floor.

Brenna leaned in behind the desk, voice sweet and amused. "Sweetheart, I need to run the interview."

Nick blinked, tilted his head. "Okay, fine," he said with a lazy shrug. "I'll take it from here."

Brenna led me down a hallway that smelled like eucalyptus... and fear.

The scent clung to the air, mingling with the overworked coffee in the slightly cramped office we entered. Stacks of clutter lined the walls. Her boots clicked confidently across the tile as she motioned for me to sit.

She asked for my résumé. I handed it over, praying she wouldn't notice how badly my hands shook.

Tap. Tap. Pause.

She scanned it.

"I see you finished high school and had one previous job," she said.

My stomach dropped. Here it comes.

"Tell me why you think you'd be a good fit here."

I swallowed. This is it. Say something real.

"I know my experience is limited," I said quietly. "But I'm a fast learner. I adapt quickly, and... I want to grow. I'm passionate about doing things right—even when I don't know everything yet."

A beat.

Then—

"Alright, Anna. I'll hire you."

Silence.

"You... what?" Just like that? I barely did anything.

She smiled. "You've got a good energy." Her eyes flickered—like she knew more than she let on. "Plus, I can sense you'll be a great fit here."

I did a double take.

"Two forms of ID, please?"

I practically tripped over my own joy trying to fish them out and handed them over. She took them with ease and passed me a stack of paperwork.

The second the door clicked shut behind her, I let out a squeal and buried my face in the folder.

I got the job.

After so many rejections, after so much doubt... Something finally went right.

This is mine.

And somewhere—just outside the edges of this moment— something else shifted too.

But I was too busy celebrating... to notice.

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Hey, lovely readers 🖤 Thank you for reading Chapter 5 of True Love’s Bite. Anna got the job. She smiled. She hoped. But some victories come gift-wrapped in prophecy—and WYAO’s glass walls? They reflect more than success.

Nick was waiting. Watching. Wearing that smile that doesn’t feel safe anymore. And while Anna celebrates, the shadows are already shifting.

This chapter is for anyone who’s ever felt their breakthrough come with a chill. For those who’ve heard “yes”—and still didn’t trust the room. For anyone who knows that fate doesn’t knock—it smiles like it owns you.

If this chapter curled under your skin, tell me what it whispered. Did you catch what gleamed too brightly? Did you feel what stepped closer when she smiled?

Drop your thoughts below. I’m reading them all—pen in hand, smile soft, eyes glowing. We’re not done yet.

—Luna-chan 🥀

Next time...

She thought she was starting fresh. But the gym smells like eucalyptus and something older. Nick’s voice curls around her like silk— warm, steady, too steady. And while her heart stumbles toward him, the city is bleeding. Bodies shredded. Growls in the dark. She’s not just falling. She’s being watched.

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰