**Chapter 1: The Coffee Incident**    

As Ellie White fidgeted with the strap of her bag, she found herself standing in the lobby of the Hunter Fashion Group. The glass walls not only encapsulated the sleek, modern world of the building, but also reflected the bouncy energy of the city that never sleeps. At 10:15, she discovered she was fifteen minutes too early for the interview. Her watch told her one thing, but her heart was racing as if she was nervously late. 

This was her *big* chance – her chance at a career-defining opportunity. 

Having grown up in Ohio, she had always felt disconnected, as though she was meant for something greater. As a child, she would sketch dresses on the margins of her textbooks, which only makes sense wanting to pursue a career in fashion. And now, Ellie was standing in the headquarters of one of the most reputable fashion brands out there, sitting smack in the middle of New York City. 

She took a deep breath and relaxed. She adjusted the front of her blazer, convinced it was perfectly tailored. To save costs, she had thrifted the blazer but self-tailored it for a better fit. 

As the statement shows, she is off to an underwhelming start and the victory is tainted.

With a black pencil skirt and a white blouse, she tried to look professional enough to make an impression on the hiring manager.

A sharp voice yelled, "Miss White!" and suddenly Ellie came out of deep focus.

She heard a tall woman with a clipboard striding toward her. The woman, whose heels were clicking against the marble floor, was dressed impeccably. Ellie could not read her expression.

"Yes, that's me," Ellie replied and smiled her pre-prepared forced smile.

"Follow me," the woman replied impolitely and promptly shut the door.

In the direction of the lifts, Ellie followed the woman, who had a clipboard in her hand. She looked very focused. The woman clicked the button for the 30th floor, and Ellie's stomach churned as the lift shot upwards. Ellie hated lifts. They were always so trapping and stuffy — like being inside a little box.

Ellie stepped off the lift and saw a spacious office which had walls of windows, with a jaw-dropping view of the Manhattan skyline. The desks had the latest technology with sleek, modern styles, and the skyscraper's floor-to-ceiling windows were mind-blowing. Ellie was feeling painfully out of place because everyone in the office looked like they came straight out of a fashion magazine.

The woman pointed to a row of chairs in front of a locked door and said, "Wait here."

"Mr. Hunter will see you in a moment."

Ellie's eyes widened. *Mr. Hunter?* What about Lucas Hunter, the firm's CEO? Ellie thought she would be interviewed by someone from the HR department, not by the CEO himself.

She settled into her seat, feeling some agitation as she held on to her portfolio. For weeks, she had prepared for this interview by rehearsing over and over again, putting together her resume, and making design sketches to present. But the thought of meeting Lucas Hunter made her feel unreasonably underprepared.

At the age of thirty-two, Lucas Hunter expanded his family's failed fashion label into a multi-billion dollar empire. He single-handedly made a name for himself in the fashion world, where everything was earned and nothing was given to you. He did have a reputation of being known for his tough business sense and standard operating procedures and whole diabetic empire of a family. That was not difficult to understand. His cold persona and ruthlessly low tolerance for incompetence also made him unfeeling.

In order to prepare herself for the interview, Ellie made sure to read all the articles that were available. There was something unusual about the man apart from him being impossible. He did tend to be obsessive over everything, a workaholic who would go to any extent to achieve goals and command above all from his employees.

...and now, she was going to meet him.

Ellie rose to her feet and brushed down her skirt when the door to his office opened. A man stepped out of the office with a stormy expression, slamming the door behind him. He muttered something under his breath.

He walked briskly past Ellie so she barely caught a glimpse of him. As he walked, Ellie caught a whiff of his sharp, masculine cologne which made her heart race.

"Miss White," a woman said whose voice was as sharp as her gesturing hand. She motioned Ellie to step inside.

After taking a deep breath, Ellie stepped inside the room.

To her surprise, the room was just as beautiful as she imagined, if not more. The room was very spacious, having a large ceiling and a large desk occupying the midsection of the room with Lucas Hunter working behind it. It was decorated with a minimalistic yet sophisticated style.

In real life he was even more terrifying.

Obscured beneath his sharp jawline and slicked-back hair was his perfectly tailored suit he wore. The suit was a powerful black colour and blended in with his aura of authority. His piercing blue eyes were fixated on Ellie the moment she stepped closer to him, and it made her feel as if he was staring into her soul. She could now see the sharp jaw maintaining a strong and unmoving expression.

"Miss White," he spoke in a deep and powerful voice. "Please, have a seat."

The moment Harry said that Ellie sat down with her portfolio gripped tightly in her hands. Although it was the more rational approach to take, she found it very hard to not shift her gaze away from him.

"Thank you for taking this time to meet me, Mr. Hunter," she said in an attempt to sound calm and collected even though her chest was filled with anxiety.

He glanced at her, his gaze momentarily lingering on a few details of her résumé, which was neatly positioned on his desk. "I see you graduated from Parsons School of Design, must have a degree in Fashion Design. That's rather stellar."

"Thank you," said Ellie, appreciating the glimmer of hope within her.

"However," he went on to say, cutting her off, "Your work experience is… how should I put it… nonexistent. A handful of internships, some freelance work here and there—hardly impressive."

At first, Ellie felt a little heartbroken. But she quickly eased the disappointment. "With all due respect, Mr. Hunter, I know that my experience is not extensive like some of your other candidates, but as I said, unlike other candidates, I can offer ample passion and commitment towards fashion which is my utmost priority."

He raised his eyebrow, not particularly impressed with her. "Passion and commitment are great characteristics to have, Miss White, but those qualities do not pay the bills. This organisation functions at the top echelon, and I do not have the capacity to employ a person who I will have to train."

Ellie's face however burned with embarrassment but she was stern within herself: "I fully understand the repercussions Mr. Hunter. I am confident to say that I will be able to rise to those challenges. I came prepared and have brought some of my work samples with me. My portfolio has a few design sketches, I would take great pride showing them to you."

He took a moment before offering her the chance to do just that.

Ellie's hands shook slightly as she slid her portfolio over the desk. As he scanned the pages, her heart raced in anxiety while his expression remained indifferent.

They were unlike anything else on the market—innovative, bold, and oh so very playful. These sketches in her portfolio were a collection of designs that best exemplified her personality.

But would he note that?

He rested on a page, narrowing his eyes, before tapping the sketch with his finger. "This one," he said. "Explain it to me."

As Ellie leaned forward, her excitement was hard to contain. "It's a modern take on the classic little black dress. It embodies timelessness yet has clean, edgy lines that embroidery makes bolder grabs the length. The inviting drape would be made of blended silk stitched in with leather, giving it a rebellious yet luxe feel."

For a moment more, he studied the sketch before leaning back and letting out an uninterested, "Interesting," as he set the portfolio aside.

Now Ellie's heart was racing for a whole other reason. Had she been given an "interesting" that's a battle state rubbish?

She didn't get a chance to ask as he fixated his stare on her, leaning back. "Tell me, Miss White. Why do you want to work for Hunter Fashion Group?"

The sheer intensity behind his gaze was something she was not prepared for, leaving her magnificently tongue-tied.

"I have respected your brand for quite some time," she began. "You seem to be ahead of competition, not only in trends, but in quality and innovation as well, which is simply amazing. I would love to play a role in this. I want to take part in work that is relevant, something that redefines the scope of fashion."

He did not respond right away and the extended silence made Ellie's anxiety peak.

"You are quite ambitious," he spoke finally, his voice even. "But it takes much more than that. This is a ruthless industry and if you are not geared up for the intensity of the pressure, you will be consumed."

"I can take on the pressure," Ellie replied decidedly. "Working hard does not bother me."

After a few seconds of careful observation, he nodded. "We will see."

The interview went on for another 15 minutes with Lucas questioning her about her skills, experience, and her vision for the future. Ellie made an effort to provide confident responses to the best of her ability, but it was evident that Lucas had not been impressed.

Ellie stood up when the interview finally concluded, feeling like a newborn deer in a world new to her. "Thank you once again for the meeting, Mr. Hunter," she said while extending her hand.

His handshake was firm yet polite as he shook Ellie's hand.

"Thank you for your time, Miss White, we will be in touch."

Ellie slowly left the interview room, her mind felt like it was on a merry-go-round. She did not know how things had progressed in the interview, but she was certain of one thing: Lucas Hunter was as terrifying as he was rumoured to be.

By the time she returned to the lifts, her senses were alert to the thudding of her heart; she had the impression that she had just lived through an event that shook her to the core.

And then it happened.

Ellie was deep in thought when she realised that she was smiling at a man who had a tray with two cups of coffee, someone who could have ruined the entire day for her. As Ellie walked into him, the man seemed to lose control over the tray, which resulted in the coffee cups she knew she would not stop thinking about, crashing.

The coffee exploded all over Lucas Hunter's first-class white shirt; now it was a mix of the worst brown that was almost purple in colour.

Ellie felt a sudden shock freeze her bones as her heart rate went through the roof.

Oh no.

Oh no, no, no.

Swallowing dry, she noticed Lucas' gaze. Lucas's face was devoid of humour; picturing him smiling brought unbearable pain.

"I—I am really sorry," Ellie breathed, completely out of breath. "I should've known better.

There's no need to talk; he stood quiet, preparing her for an even more intense time.

Ellie's mind went from handguns to hand grenades in an instant.

It was imperative for her to resolve the issue. She had to do something.

"Allow me to assist with cleaning," she offered while pulling a few napkins from the tray. She moved towards the stain to clean it but was restrained by him gripping her wrist.

"Do not," came a soft, menacing voice.

Ellie's gaze was frozen wide open while her heart clenched. "I apologise, Mr. Hunter. I promise it was an accident—I—"

"Do not bother," he cut her off while his voice gleamed with disdain.

Ellie shook her head in a panic, turning her body onto her knees to begin cleaning the floor. Her coffee spill was slowly being absorbed by the napkin. She felt many people in the office gaze at her with pity, which only served to engulf her in more despair.

As soon as she turned with her napkin filled, Lucas had vanished.

Trying to contain the flush on her face filled with embarrassment, Ellie realised the interview was over and so was any semblance of hope she had for securing the position.

She had blown it.

With her eyes looking down, Ellie hastily began moving towards the lift. She could feel the sting of tears behind her eyes until she remembered where she was and in turn, slowly stopped herself.

Not here. Not now.In an exhale, mouth fully open, the trembling ceased.

This was meant to be the one moment that was to change everything for her.

An opportunity to showcase her skills.And she had squandered it.

But with every stride she took into the crowded avenues of New York City, there was a shred of hope that brewed within.It was not the end.It cannot be the end.Things would have to be set right.