Chapter 3 Misfortune

"Why do I have to meet them now, of all times?!"

Hannah lowered her head the moment she noticed Harish and Cameron stepping into the elevator. To her relief, she was tucked away in the back corner while they stood near the doors. A small group of employees shielded her from their view, but it didn't ease her anxiety.

'This is bad!' she thought, her heart pounding. 'If this keeps up, they'll figure out who I am!'

Her mind raced. Why would the company owner share an elevator with regular employees anyway? Shouldn't someone like him demand exclusive treatment? Hannah had counted on avoiding situations like this, and yet here she was, caught in a precarious moment.

Ting!

The elevator chimed as the doors slid open on her floor. A wave of dread washed over her. She couldn't just stay inside, because it was her stop. But walking past Harish and Cameron felt like a disaster waiting to happen.

"Dammit!" she muttered under her breath.

In a desperate attempt to mask her identity, Hannah undid her hair tie and let her hair fall over her face like a curtain. She lowered her head even further and whispered in a deliberately raspy voice, "Excuse me, sorry, I need to get through."

Harish and Cameron stepped aside, puzzled, as she brushed past them.

Both men exchanged a glance, watching her retreating figure.

"Why does she look like a ghost? I couldn't even see her face," Harish remarked with a chuckle as the elevator doors began to close.

"Her voice was weird too," Cameron added, frowning slightly.

Meanwhile, Hannah darted down the hallway to her division's room, her heart racing like a drumbeat.

'It worked!' she thought, her chest heaving. Did they recognize her?

She shook her head. No, she don't think so. For now, at least, her secret was safe.

"Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?" Lucy asked as she approached Hannah, who was still struggling to catch her breath.

"I saw him," Hannah whispered, her voice laced with frustration.

"Who?" Lucy raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"Cameron!" Hannah hissed, glancing around nervously.

Lucy's eyes widened, and she covered her mouth in shock. "You're joking!"

"What are you two whispering about?" Denise suddenly chimed in, interrupting their hushed conversation. She leaned closer, a curious grin on her face. "Oh, right, Hannah. Have you heard the rumors?"

"Rumors?" Hannah asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"Are you serious? You need to hang out with the rest of us sometimes! Then you wouldn't miss the big news about our CEO's grandson," Denise said, her excitement bubbling over. "He's so handsome, Hannah. I swear, one look at him, and you'll be smitten!"

Hannah and Lucy exchanged a look, their expressions unreadable. Was Denise talking about Cameron?

"If a guy like that ran this company," Denise continued with a dreamy sigh, "I'd actually look forward to coming to work every day."

"They've been talking about Cameron non-stop since this morning," Lucy muttered, crossing her arms.

Hannah slumped into her chair, exhaling heavily. Cameron's arrival seemed to have cast a spell over the office. To her coworkers, his presence was like a stroke of good fortune, a dazzling new star to brighten their mundane days.

But for Hannah, it was nothing short of a nightmare.

Why does he have to work here? Of all places?!

The chatter about Cameron's charm didn't let up all day. Everywhere Hannah turned, someone was gushing over his looks or speculating about his life.

By the end of it, Hannah's patience had worn thin.

If only they knew what a jerk he really is.

Meanwhile, Cameron lounged in his grandfather's chair in Harish's grand office, leaning back with a satisfied smirk.

"I'll be sitting here soon," he murmured, a spark of ambition lighting his eyes.

Harish, who had been observing him with thinly veiled amusement, scowled and waved him off. "Get out of that chair. It's not your time yet."

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Cameron stood and straightened his suit. "So, when will it be my time, Grandpa? When will you induct me?"

"Induct you?" Harish echoed, leaning back against his desk with a sly smile. "Oh no, no. Not so fast. You have to get married first. Only then will I swear you in as the new chairman."

"What?!" Cameron's eyes widened in disbelief. "But you told me I could take over if I had a girlfriend!"

"Did I say that?" Harish stroked his chin theatrically. "Well, forget it. Plans change. Marriage first. Then the chair."

"Are you playing a trick on me?!" Cameron growled, his frustration palpable. "I've already introduced you to my girlfriend! Why are you suddenly moving the goalpost?!"

Harish raised an eyebrow, unfazed by his grandson's indignation. "So what? You've found the right woman. Why don't you marry her? What's the holdup?"

Harish turned to Ben, who was standing dutifully beside Cameron, an amused glint in his eye. "Isn't that right, Ben?"

Ben nodded, barely suppressing a grin. "Absolutely, sir. It'd be even better if you got married and had a son. Then, one day, you could pass the company on to him."

Cameron shot Ben a murderous glare. "Oh, shut the hell up. Whose side are you on?"

Ben's shoulders shook with silent laughter. He'd known Cameron since their college days, and their friendship had only grown stronger over the years. But since Harish called Cameron home to prepare him for the company, Ben had been promoted to Cameron's secretary, much to his endless amusement.

"Exactly! Ben understands me," Harish said with a hearty laugh, clapping his hands together.

Cameron clenched his fists. "But, Grandpa-"

"I won't hear another word," Harish interrupted, his tone firm now. "If you want to sit in that chair, you'll get married first. End of discussion."

Cameron ruffled his hair in frustration, his face twisting in irritation. His grandfather's sudden change of heart was driving him mad.

Marriage before power? He glared at the chair as if it had betrayed him too.

**

Hannah sighed, barely masking her irritation as Denise and the others continued their endless chatter about Cameron. Even Lucy, who should have known better, had joined in on the conversation, occasionally glancing at Hannah with an innocent smile, oblivious to her growing annoyance.

'I need a break,' Hannah thought.

She stood abruptly, grabbing her phone and bag.

"I'll grab some lunch... and coffee," she muttered to herself, heading for the elevator.

Once inside, she pressed the button for the lobby and leaned back against the wall, hoping for a moment of peace. But her hopes were short-lived.

When the elevator reached the third floor, it stopped, and the doors slid open.

Cameron stepped in.

Hannah's heart sank. Damn it! Why now?!

She immediately ducked her head, letting her hair fall over her face like a curtain. If Cameron recognized her here, of all places, her carefully guarded identity could unravel in an instant. Her career-her life-could be in jeopardy.

The elevator doors closed, sealing the two of them in the confined space.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Hannah's pulse raced, her mind scrambling for an escape plan. But Cameron didn't seem to notice her. He stood beside her, his expression distracted, lost in his own thoughts.

Unbeknownst to Hannah, Cameron wasn't focused on his surroundings at all. His mind was preoccupied with one thing, securing his position as the next president director. His grandfather's ridiculous condition loomed over him like a storm cloud, and he needed a solution. Fast. As soon as possible.

Suddenly, an idea struck him. Pulling his phone from his coat pocket, he quickly typed out a message.

Cameron: I need your help.

Hannah's phone chimed, the sound breaking the tense silence in the elevator.

Her breath caught. No. No, no, no!

She clutched her phone, terrified to even glance at the screen.

Cameron, startled by the sound, turned his head toward her, his brow furrowing. For a moment, his gaze lingered, as if trying to place her.

Hannah's heart pounded so loudly she was sure he could hear it. She tightened her grip on her phone, praying the elevator would reach the lobby before her secret unraveled.