"Holy—! Does he just spawn out of thin air?! How long has he been standing there watching me hum to a glass of water?"

Noel didn't move. He just looked down at her, his gaze landing on her messy braid, her pajamas, and the way she was clutching the water like her life depended on it.

"It's 4:52 AM," he said, his voice a low, dry rasp in the silence. "I thought I told you to be ready by five. Why are you wandering the halls in your nightclothes?"

Aika's heart didn't just skip a beat; it felt like it had flatlined for a second. She gasped, her hand instinctively flying to her chest while she precariously balanced the water glass in the other.

"D-damn!" she snapped, her voice coming out in a sharp, breathless hiss. "Do you... do you have any idea what you just did? Who even stands like that in the dark?!"

Noel didn't flinch. He just stood there like a stone statue, his cold eyes tracking her panicked movements.

"My legs are literally giving up right now," she muttered, her knees feeling like jelly. She leaned slightly against the banister to steady herself, her medical-student brain noting the adrenaline surge that was making her fingers tremble. "Man... you seriously just took the soul out of me. I thought I was meeting a ghost."

She took a few deep, ragged breaths, trying to force her heart rate back down to a normal rhythm. She glared up at him, her usual bluntness overriding any "polite heiress" act she was supposed to maintain.

"I was getting water so I don't pass out during your 'serious' internship," she said, finally regaining her voice. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have exactly eight minutes to go from 'scared-to-death pjs' to 'professional employee.'"

She didn't wait for his permission. She carefully but quickly maneuvered around him, making sure not to splash water on his expensive silk robe, and headed for her door.

Internal Monologue:

"Seriously, what is his problem? Does he enjoy haunting the hallways? I have seven minutes left. Cold shower, suit on, hair back. Let's go, Aika. Don't give him the satisfaction of being late."

The First Day

Aika moved Fastly. She set the water glass on her side table and immediately began clearing her "study nest." She snapped the laptop shut, stacked Noel's papers neatly with her diary on top, and rested Helena's reading glasses right on the pile.

"Everything in its place," she whispered, shoving the snack stash back into the under-bed drawer. "Now I know exactly where the emergency fuel is."

She tossed the comforter back onto the bed and smoothed it out before sprinting to the massive walk-in wardrobe. She yanked the doors open, and her face immediately dropped.

Internal Monologue: "Are you kidding me? Who even wears this stuff in this weather? It's freezing outside and half of these look like they're made for a garden party, not a boardroom."

She looked back at the clothes she had worn yesterday, biting her lip in confusion.

Internal Monologue:

"Yesterday's outfit was comfortable, but I can't wear the same thing twice. This family is obsessed with reputation and status. They already tested me so much yesterday; I can't give them a reason to be suspicious or call me 'sloppy.' I have to look like a D'Arven, even if I feel like a tired med student."

She began frantically flipping through the hangers, looking for something that screamed "Professional Heiress" but wouldn't make her freeze to deathAika quickly pulled on the white graphic tee and paired it with the wide-leg black trousers, throwing the burnt-orange cardigan over her shoulders to fight off the morning chill. She kept her hair in the practical braid she'd made earlier, securing it with a simple white bow that made her look both youthful and surprisingly put-together.

Internal Monologue: "It's not a three-piece suit, but it's clean, it's stylish, and most importantly, I can actually breathe and move in it. If they want an intern, they're getting a functional one."

She shoved her notebook, the laptop, and her reading glasses into a white tote bag. She took one last look in the mirror, checked her watch—4:58 AM—and bolted for the door.

She moved silently down the grand staircase, her heart thumping. As she reached the final few steps, she saw them. Noel and Ren were already standing near the massive front entrance, looking like they had been there for hours. Noel was checking his watch, his face a mask of cold expectation, while Ren was leaning against a pillar, looking surprisingly awake.

Aika stepped into the foyer right as the grandfather clock began its first chime for 5:02 AM.

"I'm here," she said, her voice slightly breathless but firm. She stood straight, clutching her bag, and met Noel's gaze head-on. "just Two minutes late. Shall we go?"

Ren whistled lowly, his eyes scanning her outfit. "Nice look, Helena. Very... 'approachable.' A far cry from the silk gowns, isn't it?"

Noel didn't comment on the clothes. He just gave her a curt nod and turned toward the door where the car was waiting. "The files I gave you," he said over his shoulder. "I hope you didn't just use them as a pillow. We have a briefing the moment we hit the office."

Just as they were preparing to leave...