Chapter 1 A Fresh Start

Nina's POV

It's been one year since the death of my mother, and still living in this small town didn't make sense to me anymore.

"Always follow your dreams, Nina."

She would always tell me. Even though she had been through so much, raising me all alone for all these years, through high school, even through college.

Not even minding the fact that she was abandoned by her husband. My estranged father I never knew about, the last thing on the planet she wanted to tell me about.

And I knew that one day all this hard work would surely pay off. It was all like a dream to me when I saw the message on my email.

I thought it was a dream when I saw it. But then I guess they say that good things come to good people who are patient. So I believed it to be true.

Hello Miss Nina,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been offered a job at the prestigious Dominex Enterprises. You are to start your position immediately.

I couldn't believe it, but there was one thing I knew. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity that would finally change my life for good.

The doors of Dominex Enterprises slid open with a gentle sound, swallowing the world outside behind me. Everything was glass, elegant, and powerful.

The marble floor shining under my heels as I stepped inside, reflecting the endless white light from the chandelier. My heart beat a little faster.

I gripped my leather bag tighter, trying to calm the nervousness creeping into my chest. This was it Nina, a new beginning for you. A new chapter. A new life.

My past had already cost me so much... my mother, and a father I never got to know. My peace. But today felt like a first step toward something better.

Even if it was just a job, it was a chance to climb even higher, to find out what I was made of. "Good morning," I greeted the receptionist with a polite smile as I approached the front desk.

The woman behind it was dressed in black like she belonged in a Vogue editorial magazine, barely looking up at me.

"Your name?"

She asked. "Nina Williams. I'm starting today...as the executive assistant for the PR team." I replied. Her eyes finally lifted, scanning me from head to toe like I was some kind of thing that didn't belong there.

"One moment." She said, tapping a few keys on her computer. "ID?" I handed her the nearly printed letter I had received via email which contained an official letter, an electronic signature, and all.

"You're being expected. She nodded after a long pause. Take the elevator to the thirty-fourth floor. Someone will meet you there."

"Thank you," I said, tucking the letter back into my folder. The thirty-fourth floor opened up into something entirely different from the elegance of the lobby below.

It was quieter, more personal. I could tell this was where the top people at the company worked. "Are you Miss Nina?" A young woman in a grey pantsuit walked towards me, her posture perfect.

"Yes, I am," I replied, smoothing my skirt nervously.

"I'm Marcie, from Human Resources. Welcome to Dominex Enterprises. I'll walk you through everything before introducing you to the team."

"Thank you," I spoke.

But she moved fast, even as I hurried to match her pace. The office space stretched out like a glass maze...from the floor to the ceilings. Everyone looked busy.

"Keep your head down, always," Marcie whispered, almost as if she had read my mind. "This place works under pressure. If you're good, you'll grow. If not.."

She couldn't finish the words, but I had already gotten the message. "Don't worry." She muttered under her breath. "They all look at new hires like you're the mouse in a snake put. Just keep walking."

I almost laughed, but there wasn't enough air in my lungs. We eventually turned to a corner and entered a small office. A desk sat in the center with a new computer and a small bouquet of welcome flowers.

It was clean, quiet, and belonged to me. My name was already printed on a meat placard: Nina Williams- PR Executive Assistant. "This is your workspace for now," Marcie said, looking at her tablet.

"Let's say...things may shift. Your role might be reassigned depending on the decision made by Mr Dominic Varela."

This wasn't good at all. I frowned slightly. "I....I thought I was hired specifically for the PR team?" She let out a faint smirk. "At Dominex Enterprises, nothing remains permanent for long."

But before I could part my lips to respond, a short buzz came through her earpiece. She tapped it, listening closely, then nodded.

"You have been requested upstairs." She said, nothing good about the tone of her voice. My brows lifted in shock. "Upstairs?" I asked.

"Yes, to the executive floor. You'll be meeting the CEO shortly." I blinked. "The CEO? I thought...."

"I know," she interrupted. "Mr Dominic wants to meet you personally. Come with me." And just like that everything changed.

Dominic Varela.

His name alone carried weight. Whispers, his brutal reputation. A man too young to be that powerful and rich. No one even dared to approach him.

I had read in the articles how cold and ruthless he was. But he was surely handsome in a dangerous way, always dressed in suits, not even smiling at all in any of his pictures.

Why would the CEO of a global company want to meet me personally? It just didn't make sense. But still, I nodded and followed Marcie down the corridor, my mind racing with so many thoughts.

Whatever I thought this job was going to be... it was already turning into something else. I had to stay positive, maybe he just wanted to welcome me to the company.

But the only way to find out was to finally meet him. And I was about to do that.