Chapter 5 Her Scent

Charles entered the CEO's office, his assistant Flint quietly trailing behind. The door shut softly behind them, and the room seemed to grow darker with the weight of the conversation to come. "Mr. Hensley, I've found the woman you asked me to investigate," Flint said, his voice steady but edged with something like satisfaction. Charles sank into his chair, the cold leather creaking beneath him. His eyes, sharp and alert, narrowed. "Tell me." Flint opened a file, his fingers brushing over the paper before he handed it over. "Her name's Jessica Scott. She left Eldoria five years ago to study in Mecria. A year ago, she won the International Interior Designer Award. Oh, and by the way, she's applying for a position with us." Charles' gaze lingered on the file for a moment, but his mind had already begun to race. She had won the award… and now she was here. His lips pressed together in a thin line. So, she was to be his subordinate now? She left Eldoria five years ago … The thought gnawed at him. His mind drifted to that night, a dark memory rising like smoke. He had just returned from abroad, his plans set to take control of the Hensley legacy. The celebration was supposed to be a moment of triumph, but it had turned into something else entirely. He'd been drugged, and a woman had appeared as if summoned by fate, offering him the antidote. The morning after, she was gone. The bedclothes were stained with blood, and one of her earrings lay abandoned on the pillow. He had never seen her face, but the scent she left behind was forever etched into his memory. Flint's voice cut through his thoughts like a sharp blade. "There's more. Turns out, she used to date your nephew." Charles' brows knitted together. "Hugh?" "Yep. Five years ago, they were about to get married. But Jessica betrayed him. She cheated, and the wedding was called off. From what I hear, she couldn't show her face in Eldoria after that, so she disappeared to Mecria." Charles vaguely remembered the wedding, a grand affair his sister-in-law had organized, but none of the Hensleys had been invited. Flint's gaze turned thoughtful. "Mr. Hensley, you don't think she's here for your nephew, do you?" Charles' expression darkened, his jaw tightening. "If she is, she's come to the wrong place." Meanwhile, Jessica had finished her check-in with HR and met her new colleagues in the design department. She was on her way to her desk when the secretary from the CEO's office appeared without warning. "Mr. Hensley would like to see you." Jessica blinked, surprised. Mr. Hensley? The man she had bumped into at the airport? She had not yet had the chance to learn much about the company's leader, aside from the fact that it was the most powerful firm in all of Eldoria. She nodded, trying to steady her thoughts, and followed the secretary to the CEO's office. Jessica's knuckles brushed the door, the soft knock echoing in the quiet space. A low, controlled voice responded from within. "Come in." Unbidden, a tremor of anxiety coiled in her stomach. She couldn't pinpoint why, but the thought of him stirred something heavy in her chest. With a deep breath, she pushed open the door, stepping into the room. Behind a massive desk, he sat, his head bent over a stack of papers.His face was sharp, chiseled like marble, each feature striking in its precision. There was an almost magnetic quality to his focus, an allure in the way he worked. The stillness of the room seemed to bend around him. "Mr. Hensley, you wanted to see me?" Her voice was steady, but she could feel the slightest hesitation slipping through. His eyes lifted slowly, cold and calculating, as if measuring her worth with a single glance. "Sit." The sharpness of his gaze pierced through her, heavy and unyielding. Jessica lowered herself into the chair, her smile a practiced shield against the discomfort that crept over her. "Jessica Scott. That's your name?" His voice was smooth, each syllable lingering, as though testing her with the sound of her own name. "Yes, that's me," she replied, her eyes catching on the resume in his hand. "Why Vertex?" The question came with a chill, a formality that didn't quite match the situation. His eyes never left hers, unwavering and cold. Jessica blinked, momentarily thrown off. Wasn't this a question for a recruiter? Was the boss himself conducting the interview? "I need a place with more room to grow," she answered, her words clean and polished, offering no cracks for him to exploit. "Vertex provides that opportunity." Still, he didn't respond. His gaze remained fixed on her, silent and expectant. The weight of the moment pressed down, thick and suffocating. Then, after what felt like an eternity, he spoke again, his voice even lower, a trace of something unspoken in the air. "Not for any ... personal reasons?" Jessica's brow furrowed, confusion flickering across her face. "Is there a misunderstanding? Is this about the airport ... ?" Her words were cut off by the sudden buzz of the intercom. Charles picked up the phone, his expression briefly flicking toward her. Whatever he heard made his eyes narrow for just a moment. "Send him in." The line clicked dead, and Jessica hesitated. Should she continue the conversation? The room felt tighter with each passing second, but before she could gather her thoughts, the door swung open. A voice, casual and familiar, broke the tense silence. "Uncle Charles, I've got the photos you asked for." Jessica's heart skipped a beat. Her body stiffened, every muscle locking in place. It was Hugh.