Chapter 5 It's a trap

ROSE

Adrian Sterling's gaze stayed on me. It wasn't rushed, it wasn't curious it was heavy. The kind of look that made you want to squirm in your seat, as though he already knew something you didn't want revealed.

Then his voice cut through the silence. Low. Calm. Deliberate.

"Do you like cars, Miss Rose?"

The question landed like a thunderclap in my chest.

Cars? Why was he asking about cars? Of all things. My breath caught, and for a split second, I actually considered crawling under the table and disappearing. My mind screamed, he knows. He knows what you did. He's just playing with you.

But I forced a smile, brittle at the edges. "Y-yes... I do. I like cars."

My voice sounded foreign to me, too thin, too high. My palms were damp, and I dug my nails into my skirt beneath the table, willing myself not to look away from him.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the administrator frown in confusion. "Mr. Sterling," he started carefully, "I don't quite see what..."

Adrian lifted a hand, a small, controlled gesture that silenced the room instantly. He didn't even glance at the administrator, his eyes stayed locked on mine, steady, unwavering.

"I'd like to speak with Miss Rose alone," he said smoothly.

The administrator blinked, startled, then gave a reluctant nod. "Of course. I'll wait outside."

He gathered his papers and left, closing the door behind him.

The moment the latch clicked, the room felt smaller. Quieter. My heartbeat pounded so loudly in my ears I thought he could hear it.

And still, Adrian Sterling didn't look away.

The silence stretched.

Adrian Sterling leaned back slightly in his chair, his fingers resting against the armrest, his posture composed in a way that made it clear he owned every space he entered. Ethan stood just behind him, arms folded, expression unreadable, though I swore there was the faintest trace of amusement in his eyes.

I swallowed hard, wishing I could shrink into nothing.

Finally, Adrian spoke again, his voice quiet but edged with something I couldn't place.

"You said you like cars."

It wasn't a question, this time it was a statement. A test.

I forced myself to nod. "Yes, I... I do." My voice cracked on the last word, and I hated it.

His gaze swept over me, steady, clinical, almost as though he were dissecting me with his eyes. "That's interesting."

I tried to laugh, the sound shaky and thin. "Is it?"

One corner of his mouth twitched though whether it was the ghost of a smile or a shadow of irritation, I couldn't tell. He leaned forward just slightly, resting his elbows on the polished table.

"Tell me, Miss Rose," he said, each word deliberate, "if you had the chance to... change something about a car, what would you do?"

My stomach flipped violently. Heat crawled up my neck. Was this a trap? Was he toying with me? Images of his car from yesterday, its four deflated tires, my guilty hands clutching a pocket knife, flashed like neon signs in my mind.

I clenched my hands together in my lap, praying he couldn't see them trembling. "I....I guess... maybe improve its safety? Make it more reliable."

Adrian tilted his head, eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly. "Hm."

Just that. A hum, soft but weighted, like he'd caught the lie hidden between my words.

The silence that followed pressed down on me, suffocating. I wanted to run, to burst out of the room and never look back. Instead, I forced another tight smile, my cheeks aching from holding it in place.

"Why... why are you asking me this?" I finally managed, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

For the first time since entering, his gaze softened but not kindly. No, it was sharper now, more dangerous, like a blade glinting in the light.

"Because, Miss Rose," he said slowly, his voice lowering, "I believe in understanding the people I work with."

Work with. The words snagged in my chest. My stomach sank as realization set in.

The internship.

Did I get it?

The word work echoed in my mind like a warning bell. My lips parted, but no sound came out. My chest felt tight, my pulse racing so fast I thought I might faint right there in front of him.

Adrian Sterling didn't move. He just studied me calm, unreadable, in control. Then, as if he hadn't just unraveled my nerves with a single sentence, he leaned back again, his voice smooth.

"The school submitted a list of candidates for our internship program," he said, pausing long enough for my breath to hitch. "And I've made my choice."

My heart plummeted. Every fiber of my being screamed at me to look away, but my eyes stayed locked on his, caught like a moth in flame.

He let the silence drag, his words sinking in slowly, deliberately. Then he delivered the final blow.

"You."

The room tilted. For a heartbeat, I thought I misheard him. "M-me?"

"Yes." His tone was matter-of-fact, final, as if there had never been another option. "You will be joining Sterling & Co. for the internship."

I blinked rapidly, my throat dry. A dozen excuses rushed to my tongue. I'm not qualified, surely someone else deserves this, I can't possibly but none of them made it out. He had spoken with such certainty that to argue felt impossible.

"But... why me?" The question escaped in a whisper before I could stop it.

Adrian's eyes darkened, though his expression didn't change. "You'll find out soon enough."

That was all. No explanation. No reasoning. Just that cryptic promise that churned uneasily in my stomach.

Ethan shifted behind him, and for the briefest second, I caught what looked like amusement flicker in his eyes. Almost as if he knew something I didn't.

Adrian rose from his seat then, his tall frame commanding the room. "That will be all for today, Miss Rose. Report to Sterling & Co. first thing Monday morning."

And with that, he turned toward the door. Ethan followed, sparing me one last knowing glance before stepping out behind him.

The room fell silent again. I sat frozen in my chair, my thoughts a tangled mess.

He had chosen me. Out of everyone, me.

And yet... something about the way he'd said it, the weight behind his gaze, made my stomach twist.

This wasn't an opportunity.

It was a trap.