Chapter 24 Monday
Melissa’s POV
Monday came too fast.
I stood in front of my closet at six AM, staring at the limited options hanging there. I needed to look professional but not like I’m trying too hard.
I settled on a cream blouse tucked into black slacks. It wasn’t much but it was simple and clean.My hands shook as I buttoned the blouse.
This was insane. I was walking into Gavin’s territory. His empire. Where he made the rules and I’d have to follow them.
But I didn’t have a choice anymore. Six rejections had made that crystal clear.
I grabbed my portfolio bag…the same one I’d carried to Sterling Media, but thankfully I managed to clean off the coffee stains and headed downstairs.
Mom was already in the kitchen, humming as she poured coffee.
“Good morning, sweetie!” Her smile was bright. Too bright for six-thirty AM. “Big day today. Are you nervous?”
“A little.”
“Don’t be. I’m so proud of you, Melissa.” She pulled me into a hug that smelled like vanilla and coffee. “This is going to be amazing. I just know it.”
I hugged her back, with guilt sitting heavy in my chest.
If she knew. If she had any idea what happened between me and Gavin…
“I have to go,” I said, pulling away. “Don’t want to be late.”
“Text me after! I want to hear everything!”
I nodded and escaped before she could say anything else.
——
The subway was packed with Monday morning commuters. I stood pressed between a woman scrolling through her phone and a man whose briefcase kept hitting my leg.
My mind raced through everything that could go wrong.
What if Gavin acted weird? What if I acted weird? What if someone noticed the tension between us?
What if he touched me again?
I pushed that thought away fast.
The train lurched to a stop. My stop.
I climbed the stairs to street level, emerging into the chaos of Manhattan at rush hour. Cars honked. People rushed past. The city moved around me like I was standing still.
The Titans Arena was three blocks away.I started walking, my heels clicking against the sidewalk. My portfolio bag felt heavier with each step.
Then I was two blocks away.
One block.
I turned the corner onto the quieter side street that led to the arena’s main entrance following my goggle map.
“Hey, pretty lady.”The rough sounding voice made my stomach drop.
Three men leaned against the building wall ahead. They were probably in their early twenties. One wore a stained hoodie. Another had a cigarette dangling from his lips. The third just stared at me with eyes that made my skin crawl.
I kept walking. Keep your eyes forward and don’t engage. That’s what every safety video said. I’ve heard of women getting violated in broad daylight. I never knew it would happen to me on what was probably my last chance at getting a job.
“Where are you going so fast?” The hoodie guy pushed off the wall, stepping into my path.
“Excuse me.” I tried to walk around him.
He moved with me, blocking my way. “Don’t be rude. We’re just being friendly.”
“I’m not interested.” My voice came out steadier than I felt.
“Not interested?” The cigarette guy laughed. “Hear that? She’s not interested.”
The third one…the quiet one…circled behind me.
Panic flared in my chest. The street was empty. It was just me and these three men who were getting closer.
“I said excuse me.” I tried again to move past.
A hoodie guy grabbed my arm.
Everything I’d learned from those YouTube self-defense videos I’d been watching obsessively since Troy…since that night…suddenly flooded back.
Don’t think. Just react.
I grabbed his wrist with both hands, twisted hard, and used his own momentum to flip him.
He went down. Hard. His back hit the pavement with a satisfying thud.
For a second, nobody moved.
Holy shit. It actually worked.
“You bitch!” The cigarette guy lunged forward.
But before he could reach me, a voice cut through the tension.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
A man stepped out from the alley entrance I hadn’t noticed . He was tall. Athletic build. Dark hair. And those green eyes…
It was the guy from the restaurant. Jason.
He moved with casual confidence, with his hands in his pockets like he did this every day. But there was something dangerous in his smile.
“The lady clearly doesn’t want company,” he said, his tone almost friendly. “So why don’t you three find somewhere else to be?”
The hoodie guy scrambled to his feet, his face red. “This isn’t your business, man.”
“I’m making it my business.” Jason’s smile didn’t waver. “Leave. Now.”
Something in his voice made them listen. Maybe it was the way he stood…like he knew he’d win any fight they started. Maybe it was the expensive watch on his wrist that said he had money and probably lawyers.
Whatever it was, they left.
The hoodie guy shot me one last glare before they disappeared around the corner.
The adrenaline drained from my body all at once, leaving my hands shaking.
“You okay?” Jason asked.
“I’m fine.” I straightened my blouse, trying to calm my racing heart. “I had it handled.”
“Oh, I saw.” His grin widened. “That flip was impressive. Where’d you learn that?”
“YouTube.”
He laughed. “Seriously?”
“Self-defense videos. I’ve been… practicing.” I picked up my portfolio bag from where I’d dropped it. “Thanks for the backup though.”
“Anytime, Warrior Girl.”
I blinked. “Warrior Girl?”
“Yeah.” He gestured at the spot where I’d flipped the guy. “That was some warrior shit. You earned the nickname.”
Despite everything, I almost smiled. “I’m not a…”
“Too late. It’s decided.” He tilted his head, studying me with those sharp green eyes. “Wait. I know you. The restaurant, right? You were drunk. With the purple-haired friend.”
Heat flooded my face. “I wasn’t that drunk.”
“You ran into me like a bowling ball hitting pins.”
“I did not…” I stopped. “Okay, maybe a little.”
“A little?” He was clearly enjoying this. “You apologized three times and called me a wall.”
“I did not call you a wall!”
“Person wall. You definitely said "person wall.”
I wanted to die. “Can we just forget that happened?”
“Absolutely not. This is too good.” He glanced at the building behind me…the Titans Arena. “So what brings you to this neighborhood, Warrior Girl? Don’t tell me you work here.”
My stomach flipped. “I have an interview.”
“No way. For what position?”
“Media department. PR and maybe photography.”
His expression shifted to something I couldn’t quite read. Surprise, maybe. Or recognition.
“Well shit,” he said slowly. “This just got interesting.”
“What do you mean?”
Before he could answer, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and grimaced. “I have to go. But Melissa…” He caught my surprised look. “Yeah, I remember your name from the restaurant. Try not to flip anyone else before your interview, okay?”
“I’ll do my best.”
“See you around, Warrior Girl.” He shot me one last grin before walking away, his hands back in his pockets.
I stood there for a moment, my heart still racing from the confrontation and the weird coincidence of running into him again.
Then I looked up at the massive building in front of me.
The Titans Arena. Gavin’s empire.
And somehow, I had a feeling that flipping a street thug was going to be the easiest part of my day.
I took a deep breath, adjusted my portfolio bag, and walked through the front doors.
Time to face the devil himself.