Lina stepped out of the sleek, glass-walled office building, feeling the cool evening air against her skin. The tension from the meeting was still lingering in her shoulders, but there was a newfound sense of satisfaction settling in her chest. She had done it. She had stood in front of Daniel Viggo and held her own.
It was a win. A small one, maybe. But still a win.
Mr. Carter was already waiting outside, leaning casually against his car with a proud smile on his face. The moment he spotted her, he gave an approving nod.
"Well done," he said, his voice warm with praise. "You handled that perfectly."
Lina couldn't stop the small smile that tugged at her lips. "Thanks, Mr. Carter."
"You should be proud. Not many people can stand in a room with that man and not lose their shit."
Oh, she had nearly lost her shit. But she wasn't about to admit that.
They walked together toward the underground parking lot, their footsteps echoing in the vast space. Mr. Carter reached his car, unlocking it with a click. Before sliding in, he glanced at her. "Need a ride?"
Lina hesitated. It was tempting. More than tempting. Her feet ached, and she was already thinking about kicking off her heels the second she got home. But something held her back.
"No, I'll be fine. I'll find my way home," she said.
Mr. Carter studied her for a second, then shrugged. "Alright. Just don't let today's win get to your head."
She smirked. "I won't."
He chuckled and got into his car. Just as he was about to close the door, Lina blurted out, "Wait—do you have any other work for me?"
Mr. Carter raised an eyebrow, amused. "You just sealed a major deal, and you're already asking for more work?"
Lina rubbed the back of her neck. "I don't know… I just feel like I should keep the momentum going."
Mr. Carter let out a chuckle, shaking his head. "Go home and get some rest," he said, shutting the door.
Lina took a step back, watching as the car rolled out of the garage and disappeared into the night.
The moment he was gone, she exhaled sharply.
Now, how the fuck was she supposed to get home?
This estate wasn't the kind of place where taxis magically appeared the second you needed one. It was a gated community for the elite, where people either had their own chauffeurs or drove the kind of cars that cost more than most people made in a lifetime.
She pulled out her phone, staring at the screen. Battery: 8%.
Perfect.
Lina tried calling for a ride, but as expected, no taxis were immediately available in the area. The app kept searching, and the wait time only increased with every passing second.
"Shit," she muttered under her breath.
Her regret for turning down Mr. Carter's ride deepened with every second that ticked by. The estate was too far from the city's main roads, and walking wasn't exactly ideal. Not only was it an exhausting trek, but the place was eerily quiet.
She sighed, adjusting the strap of her bag over her shoulder before starting to walk.
At first, she kept up a steady pace, ignoring the way her heels clicked against the pavement. The streetlights cast long, distorted shadows, stretching her figure as she moved past them. The estate was too well-maintained—too pristine. Every house she passed was a masterpiece of architecture, grand and unwelcoming, with perfectly manicured lawns and towering iron gates.
There wasn't a single pedestrian in sight. Just the occasional sound of a car rolling past, its headlights cutting through the dimly lit street before disappearing into the distance.
Lina tried flagging down a few, but none of them even slowed.
"Fucking rich people," she muttered under her breath.
Her feet were already starting to ache, and she hadn't even reached the estate's main road yet. The decision to walk felt more and more stupid with every step she took. Her heels, which had been tolerable earlier, now felt like instruments of torture, digging into the back of her ankles.
She paused for a moment, bending down to rub her sore feet, then let out a slow breath before continuing.
Minutes passed. Then more.
The silence of the estate was almost eerie. The further she walked, the more her confidence from earlier began to fade, replaced by a creeping sense of unease.
A cold breeze brushed against her skin, sending a shiver down her spine. She pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders, glancing around warily.
Nothing. Just empty roads and extravagant houses.
Her phone vibrated in her hand, and she looked down, hoping the ride-hailing app had finally found a car.
Nope.
Just a battery warning. 5% now.
"Great," she muttered, rolling her eyes.
She should've just swallowed her pride and taken the ride from Mr. Carter. At this rate, she'd be limping by the time she reached the main road.
Lina sighed, pressing forward. She focused on the steady rhythm of her footsteps, the click-clack of her heels against the pavement. But the exhaustion was settling deep now, making her legs feel heavier with every step.
Just as she was about to curse her own stupidity, the low hum of an engine pulled her attention to the side.
Lina froze.
The vehicle was luxurious, with black-tinted windows that concealed the driver. The kind of car that screamed money. The kind of car that belonged to powerful men.
Her stomach twisted.
The driver's window lowered slowly.
And there he was.
Daniel Viggo.
He didn't say anything at first, just watched her with those dark, unreadable eyes. The glow from the streetlights cast sharp shadows across his face, making him look even more fucking intimidating.
Lina swallowed hard.
She didn't know what the hell he was doing here, why he had stopped in front of her like this.
A bead of sweat formed at her temple.
Daniel's gaze flicked to it, and then—
"Get in."
A command. Not a request.
Lina's fingers curled into fists at her sides. Everything in her screamed to reject the offer. The last thing she wanted was to spend another fucking second in his presence.
But reality was a bitch.
She had already walked a good distance from the garage, and the main road still wasn't in sight. If she kept going, she'd probably be limping before she got to a place where she could catch a ride.
Still, her pride was a stubborn little shit.
So she hesitated.
Daniel, however, didn't.
He reached for the gear shift like he was done waiting, his expression unchanged as he prepared to drive off without a second glance.
Panic flared in Lina's chest. Fuck.
"Wait," she blurted out before she could stop herself.
Daniel's hand paused.
She swallowed her pride, forcing herself to speak again. "I'll take the ride."