"I don't want to say anything wrong that might end up in me laying dead in the cold night. People say you are a cold hard killer, and you take pleasure in killing your victims or making them disappear." I didn't even realize what I had said until it had dawned on me. My eyes widened and I clapped a hand over my mouth. His jaw clenching, he drew a hand down over his face. "You'd do well to remember who you're speaking to, Miss?" he warned his silver-eyed gaze hard as ice, his deep voice equally cold. "Hart," I answered, my voice shaking. "Lauren Hart. And of course, Mr. Campbell." "Miss Hart, I don't quite like repeating myself. Why are you here?" he pushed, his voice louder this time. Louder, and laced with crackling anger and impatience. "I'm here for an interview. I didn't mean to be here. I got pushed into a door and the only way out was through an elevator that got me here. I'm so sorry. If you'd be so kind as to let me go, I'll be on my way." "I'm not kind," he spoke as if he was disgusted by a word he wasn't familiar with. "Of course. If you'd be nice enough?" Drawing himself to his full height, Mr. Campbell cocked a brow. A challenging one. "No difference." Irritation pumping through my veins, I met his heated gaze with my cool one. "If you'd be so generous to let me go? I don't want to trouble you more." "Do you own a dictionary, Miss Hart?" He asked without so much as a b. "Is that the only words you know?" When I attempt to answer him, he cut me off. "It was a rhetorical question." "Oh." "Indeed," he responded in such a tone that had me wondered if he thought I was a dimwit. "Pass me your resume." I studied him for a long, uncomfortable moment. "You want to see my resume?" "I'm speaking English, aren't I? Pass me your resume." I quickly passed him my resume while he studied it. "Hmm. You attended Knight- obviously, I didn't expect you to get good grades. Had only two jobs. Zero experience here," he talked to himself, carefully enunciating each word. His face scrunched into an odd mixture of pity and reproach. "When you came here, I do hope you had zero hope of getting the job. From what I'm seeing here, you aren't qualified enough to work at Campbell Industry, Ms. Hart," he countered, every fiber of his being daring me to state otherwise. I met his gaze with a steely-eyed glare, my anger ready to erupt in me. I pressed my lips together and hoped he wouldn't notice the muscle jerking in my face. "What? I'm not getting the job?" I asked, his words plunging like an expertly wielded knife straight into my heart. I knew when I came here that I had no chance, but it didn't mean I wasn't hurting. This was my only chance of getting a perfect job with a good salary. I wanted to say I wasn't supposed to be interviewed by him, that it was a Mary Warner who called me for an interview. But I was a coward. "Are you going to cry?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. "No..I just-" "Good. Because I hate weak women who aren't strong enough to handle the truth. Wipe your tears before you leave your DNA here." I stiffened, a vein in my forehead beginning to throb. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Campbell." My heart pounded in hot anger as I made an attempt to get up and leave his bloody office and ugly personality. "But...you are qualified for one thing. There's a job opening that suits you just fine. Would you like to be my assistant? Don't let the word get to your head, though. You're simply going to run my errands, answer my calls and fetch me tea. Your salary, of course, is not going to be much." I drew a series of long, deep breaths until the tension in me began to lessen. "Mr. Campbell if you'd just-" "Take it or leave it. There is a line of people who would throw themselves at this job." Closing my eyes, I pinched the bridge of my nose and repressed the urge to throw back my head and scream. "Yes, but-" He looked away from me and glanced down at the papers in front of him. "Have a good day, Ms. Hart." Part of me was screaming that it was a good job and another was screaming that I didn't deserve being walked on, but the other part of me that screamed louder won. "I'll take it! I'll take the job." Clamping my lips together, I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat and, instead, eyed him with disdain. "Mr. Campbell, are you listening? I said I'll take the job." My entire body thrumming with agitation, I clenched my hands to white-knuckled fists under the desk as he ignored me. "I'll see you on Monday at eight o'clock," he dismissed without even bothering to look at me. "Thank you so much! I'd not let-" He interrupted, "See yourself out." What an ass. I silently walked out of the office, my mind replaying the 20 minutes of conversation I had with him, and through those minutes, he never said anything nice to me. How could someone work for such a person? Remember, Lauren. You work for him now. Oh yes, how unfortunate for me. If I hadn't been so desperate to find a job, I wouldn't have agreed to work for him. Even if the salary wasn't what I wanted, I was going to take on his offer. I wasn't going to deny it, I had thought about not taking it, but I remembered my dad and how this was all for him. I just hope I survive working for Mason Campbell.