The sound of heels clicking against marble echoed through the gleaming lobby of Beaumont Corporation.
Anna tightened her grip on the folder in her hands, willing her heart to stop racing. She had imagined this moment countless times — stepping back into the city she once swore she'd never return to. Yet nothing could've prepared her for how suffocating it felt.
Four years.
It had been four years since she left this place behind — and the man who broke her heart.
The receptionist gave her a polite smile. "Good morning. You're here for the final interview, correct?"
"Yes," Anna replied, her voice steady even though her palms were damp.
"Please proceed to the twenty-sixth floor. The CEO will personally conduct this round."
Her heart skipped a beat. The CEO?
That couldn't be. It had to be a coincidence.
She swallowed hard and stepped into the elevator. The ride felt endless — the soft hum of the machine, the reflection of her composed face on the mirrored wall, the memory of everything she'd tried so hard to bury.
As the doors opened, the secretary led her to a large office with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the skyline.
And there he was.
Lucien Beaumont.
The name alone carried weight — the heir to one of the wealthiest families in the city, the cold perfectionist every socialite once tried to win over. The same man who had once smiled at her like she was his world… before shattering hers completely.
Lucien looked up from the document he was signing, pen pausing midair. For a brief second, his usually expressionless face faltered.
"Miss Reyes?" His deep, familiar voice filled the space. "Please, have a seat."
Anna inhaled sharply and forced herself to move. Her legs felt weak, but her expression remained calm. She sat across from him, refusing to let him see how his presence still affected her.
"Mr. Beaumont," she said, her tone polite and distant. "It's been a while."
He leaned back in his chair, studying her with eyes that missed nothing. "It has," he murmured. "I didn't expect to see you here."
Neither did I, she thought bitterly.
Lucien Beaumont, the man she once trusted with her heart, was now sitting before her as her potential boss.
"Your résumé is impressive," he continued, flipping through her papers. "You've worked with two marketing firms since graduation. Top results."
"I do my best," she replied, keeping her answers short.
Lucien's gaze lingered on her face longer than necessary, as if trying to read the years written there.
She'd changed — no longer the quiet scholar who used to blush at his teasing. Her once-soft eyes now held something stronger — resilience.
But beneath her calm façade, her chest ached.
Because the last time she'd stood before him, she'd been trembling in front of his dorm room, clutching a positive pregnancy test.
She could still hear it — the laughter from inside, the mocking voices of his friends.
"You actually made the scholar fall for you? Damn, Lucien, you won the bet!"
Her breath had frozen in her throat that night.
She'd waited for him to deny it.
To defend her.
He never did.
That was the night everything ended.
"Is something wrong, Miss Reyes?" Lucien's voice cut through her memory.
Anna blinked and forced a smile. "No, sir. Just a little nervous. It's been a long time since I attended an interview like this."
He set her résumé down and folded his hands.
"You don't need to be nervous. You're qualified. I just have one question."
She lifted her chin. "Go ahead."
His eyes darkened. "Why come back now?"
The question hung between them, heavy with meaning neither of them dared to name.
"Because I need the job," she said simply. "I'm not here for anything else."
Lucien's jaw tensed. "Are you sure about that?"
She met his gaze — cold, unwavering. "Completely."
For a moment, silence filled the office, thick with old wounds and unspoken truths.
Then Lucien leaned back, giving her a look that was part curiosity, part challenge. "You've changed."
"So have you," she said softly. "But don't worry. Whatever happened before... it's in the past. I'm just here to work."
He gave a quiet hum, almost amused. "We'll see about that."
Anna rose when he dismissed her, relief flooding her chest. But just as she turned to leave, his voice stopped her.
"Anna."
Her name — spoken the way only he used to say it — made her freeze.
Lucien stood behind his desk now, tall and composed, yet there was something in his eyes she hadn't seen before.
"You disappeared without a word four years ago," he said quietly. "You owe me an explanation."
Her throat tightened. She looked over her shoulder, meeting his gaze one last time.
"I don't owe you anything, Mr. Beaumont," she said, her voice steady. "Not anymore."
And with that, she walked out — leaving him standing there, frowning at the woman he thought he'd forgotten…
Completely unaware that somewhere in a small apartment across town, three carbon copy of him were waiting for their mother to come home.