Chapter 13 NOVA'S POV
NOVA'S POV
I barely made it to my bedroom before my legs gave out. I shut the door and leaned against it, feeling my heart trying to punch its way through my ribs.
A job. An actual job working at their company. Working directly under Callum's supervision.
And Richard was putting me in his will. Making it official and legal. Making it real.
This whole thing was supposed to be temporary. I was supposed to figure out what to do with my life then leave. That was the entire plan I'd had in my head.
But Richard was weaving me deeper and deeper into their lives. Giving me a job with a salary, giving me shares in whatever he had, making me an official part of the family legacy.
Making it nearly impossible for me to just walk away when I wanted to.
Someone knocked on my door. Three short, polite knocks.
"Nova?" Riley's voice came through the wood. "Mr. Blackthorn asked me to remind you about the shopping trip tomorrow. We should probably leave around eight in the morning to give us enough time to find everything you'll need before Monday."
Shopping. Right. For clothes I couldn't afford at stores I'd never even walked past before.
"Where exactly are we going?" I called back through the door.
"To The Arcanum, it's the main luxury shopping district in the city." Riley's voice was patient. "That's where all the company executives shop for their work clothes. We'll find everything you need there."
Of course that's where they shopped.
"Eight in the morning sounds fine," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Thank you for setting it up, Riley."
"Of course, Miss Sinclair. Sleep well."
I listened to her footsteps fade away down the hallway.
I pulled out my phone and just stared at the dark screen for a while.
Thought about calling someone, talking to someone, but who would I even call? I didn't have any friends. Marcus was my friend and my partner but not after he had destroyed my entire life.
He was the main reason I was in this mess. I won't forgive him.
My phone suddenly lit up in my hand.
It was a text from Elias: Are you doing okay up there?
I typed back quickly: I'm fine
Another buzz immediately. And this time it was Callum : We should probably sit down and go over expectations before Monday morning
I turned my phone off completely and threw it onto my nightstand.
Tomorrow I'd go spend a ridiculous amount of money on expensive clothes for a job I'd never asked for.
Then by monday I will start working at a company that might have somehow gotten my mother killed.
And eventually, Richard would make me sign papers that would tie me to this family permanently.
Everything was just great. Absolutely fantastic.
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NOVA'S POV
The Arcanum was somehow even worse than I'd been imagining it would be.
The floors were polished stone that reflected every light fixture like mirrors. Gold fixtures decorated every single storefront.
The window displays all featured mannequins wearing complete outfits that probably cost more than what my old car had been worth.
Even the air smelled expensive in a way I couldn't quite describe—like leather and designer perfume and old money all mixed together.
Riley walked through all of it like she'd been born there, her heels clicking out a confident rhythm against the stone while I tried desperately not to look like I was two seconds away from having a complete panic attack.
"We should head to Maison Noir first," Riley said, steering us toward a boutique with a dramatic black storefront and elegant gold script lettering above the door.
"They sell the best professional workwear in the entire city. Everything they carry is cut perfectly and always looks incredibly professional without being boring."
"You mean incredibly expensive," I muttered under my breath.
"Mr. Blackthorn gave me his personal credit card before we left this morning." Riley pulled it out of her purse to show me. "He was very clear that price doesn't matter at all. He wants you to get whatever you need."
Somehow that made the whole thing feel even worse.
We walked into Maison Noir and I immediately felt like I didn't belong there. Everything inside was either black, white, or this perfect shade of cream.
Clean lines everywhere. Minimal decoration. The kind of place where you felt poor just from standing in it and breathing the air.
A woman materialized out of nowhere like she'd been waiting for us.
Blonde hair pulled back so tight it probably hurt, severe expression, expensive-looking clipboard clutched in her perfectly manicured hands.
"Good morning, ladies. What can I help you find today?"
"We're looking for a complete professional wardrobe for her," Riley said without missing a single beat, gesturing toward me.
The woman's carefully sculpted eyebrows lifted just slightly. "Right this way then."
She led us through the store past racks and racks of clothes that all looked like they would fall apart if you even breathed on them wrong.
Delicate fabrics, perfectly tailored cuts, price tags that I absolutely refused to look at directly.
"Try these on and see how they feel." The woman thrust an enormous armful of hangers at me. "The fitting rooms are located in the back of the store."
I took the massive pile and headed toward the back, feeling like I was walking through someone else's life instead of my own.
That's when I saw him standing there.
Tall, probably somewhere in his early forties. Wearing a suit that had definitely cost more than what I used to make in three months of full-time work.
Dark blond hair that was going silver at the temples in that attractive way.
He was standing near a jewelry display, holding up a delicate necklace and frowning at it like it had personally offended him.
He must have felt me staring because he looked up and our eyes met directly.
Gray-blue. Sharp and intelligent. The kind of eyes that noticed absolutely everything about a person.
My breath caught.