Chapter 3 The Interview That Changes Everything

The directions on the email were so terse that Emma had mapped the drive twice-once on her phone, and again on an old paper atlas she didn't remember owning-just to be certain she wasn't walking into a prank or an elaborate identity theft scheme.

"Dawson Technologies HQ: South Campus, Visitor Parking, check in at lobby." No contact name. No agenda. Just a GPS pin and a window of time, as if Emma herself were merely another parcel to be delivered.

She parked her rental in the sea of glossy, unfamiliar logos-Bentley, Mercedes, something sleek and matte black that looked like a stealth bomber with wheels.

Her compact Nissan, a last-minute upgrade from "sub-economy" when the reservation system crashed, looked like a student driver's punishment in comparison, a stubborn little mollusk among apex predators.

The headquarters itself was a monolith of glass and titanium, twisting skyward in a subtle helix. Sunlight refracted through the windows, painting spastic, kaleidoscopic patterns across the pavement.

Inside, the lobby pulsed with a controlled urgency. Polished marble floors reflected the movements of the people who glided across them-men and women in sharp silhouettes, not a scuffed heel or stray thread among them.

Somewhere overhead, a hidden sound system piped in non-music-something between ambient noise and a heartbeat, like a machine meditating.

The receptionist fixed Emma with a practiced, sanitized smile. "Welcome to Dawson Technologies. How may I help you?"

Emma hesitated, momentarily convinced she'd forgotten how to speak in the presence of such polished efficiency. "Um. I have an appointment. With... Marcus Liu?"

"Your credentials, please?"

Emma fumbled with her bag, producing her battered university ID and her driver's license. The receptionist's smile didn't flicker. "Thank you, Miss Carter. Mr. Liu is expecting you."

The elevator was a capsule of silence. No music, just a faint pressure in the ears as it whooshed upwards at an indecent speed.

Emma caught a glimpse of herself in the brushed steel panels: hair a bit too flat, cardigan the wrong shade of hopeful, lip gloss faded hours ago. She smoothed her blazer, an automatic gesture as hollow as the potted plant on the console table she'd passed.

The forty-second floor opened onto a café area that looked more like a high-end gallery than a place for caffeine. There were no coffee pots, only glass carafes and robotic dispensers arranged with surgical precision.

A few people milled about, murmuring over tiny screens and white ceramic cups, none of them looking up as Emma entered. The walls were lined with living moss in geometric grids, the air tinged with a scent that was more algorithm than aroma-equal parts ozone, lemon, and a note of something metallic, like blood.

Marcus Liu was waiting at a corner table, not drinking anything. He stood as Emma approached, his motion so efficient it seemed choreographed. He was tall, not overly so, but the suit-navy, sharply cut, with a narrow lapel and a whisper of shine-made him seem longer than most men.

His posture was ramrod straight, hands folded with a surgeon's calm. His face was thin, the jawline edged with a day's worth of shadow, black hair parted with geometric accuracy. His eyes were dark and unreadable, as if someone had forgotten to turn the lights on behind them.

He extended his hand. "Ms. Carter." His voice was precise, syllables honed to fit the space between them exactly.

Emma shook his hand, trying not to wince at the smooth, unyielding pressure. Up close, there was a faint tang of expensive cologne.

She wondered how much he knew about her already.

"Thank you for making the time," he said, gesturing for her to sit.

Emma placed her bag carefully at her feet, aligning it parallel to the table's edge. "Of course. Thank you for considering me."

Marcus watched her with the expression of a man watching a slow chemical reaction, patient but not invested. "Your background is... unconventional," he said. "Public education, high-need schools, a degree in childhood psych. Impressive, but atypical for our purposes."

Emma felt the beginnings of a flush rise in her cheeks. She managed to keep her voice even. "Children are children. The context changes, but the needs don't."

He seemed to file this away. "You lasted longer than any of your predecessors in your last position," he said. "But then you were terminated for 'failure to maintain performance standards.'"

There was no malice in his tone-just the measured recitation of facts. Emma resisted the urge to shrink. "Budget cuts," she replied. "And a tendency to prioritize my students' mental health over their standardized test scores."

He made a small noise-agreement, or the ghost of a laugh. "Mr. Dawson is particularly sensitive to the nuances of performance metrics." The pause was a dare, would she blink?

She didn't. "Is this a job in the test-prep division," she asked, but Marcus shook his head minutely.

"No. The position is in-house. Very in-house." He tapped a slim folder on the table, already open to a summary page. "You'd be working directly with Mr. Dawson's son."

Emma blinked, recalibrating. Did she miss something in the posting?

Marcus's gaze had not shifted. "Alexander is exceptionally gifted. But he is... undisciplined. Your references indicate you specialize in difficult children."

Emma almost smiled. "I specialize in children who have been failed by every adult in their lives."

This time, his mouth definitely twitched.

He slid the folder toward her. She glanced at the top sheet: a battery of test scores and incident reports, interspersed with terse notes in two different hands.

The details blurred into a familiar litany-brilliant, oppositional, suspended for 'creative' hacking of the school's network, repeated refusals to engage with authority figures, one ugly note about a physical altercation.

Marcus's voice was low and unhurried. "Mr. Dawson wants results. Not just grades, but stability. Discretion is essential." He watched her closely. "The position is temporary, but the compensation is significant."

Emma hesitated.

Marcus inclined his head. "With a performance bonus, if you succeed where others have not."

Emma looked at the file again, as if it might sprout answers the second time. She thought of the kids she'd taught, the ones whose parents didn't bother showing up to conferences.

She thought about her long lost dream of opening a Literacy Program to help children get the support and education they needed without focus on improved test scores. With the amount of money being offered by this job, she could finally make that happen.

"When would I start?" she asked.

Marcus checked his watch-a thin, silver band, no face. "Tomorrow, if possible. You'll be provided with accommodations on the property."

"When you say on the property..."

"You would be moving in of course. Did the agency fail to notify you of this?"

Emma's hand tightened on the file. "I have a lease. And a cat."

He allowed the smallest shrug. "Arrangements can be made."

There was a pause. The interview, if it had ever been one, was over.

He stood, straightening the sleeve of his jacket. "Mr. Dawson would like to meet you," he said. "He'll be down in about ten minutes, prepare yourself."

Emma rose as well. She realized she hadn't touched the coffee that had materialized on the table beside her. She took a quick sip, more for effect than hydration-it was excellent, and tasted of nothing she'd ever been able to afford.

She gathered her things, nodded once. "I understand."

Marcus gave her the briefest hint of a smile-approval, perhaps, or just satisfaction that the process was proceeding as scheduled. "Excellent," he said. "I'll escort you."

He walked her to the elevator, hands folded behind his back, a silent escort. As the doors slid shut, she caught a glimpse of the world below, the city smudged by distance and sunlight, and wondered, for the first time, if she was being hired to save a child-or to keep him out of sight.