Chapter 2 - The Man Behind the Glass
The woman’s name was Victoria Whitmore.
Adrian’s aunt.
And one of the most powerful executives in the company.
Emily knew none of that when Victoria entered.
She knew only that everyone else reacted.
Karen straightened.
Thomas looked relieved.
Marcus looked anything but.
Adrian remained seated.
“Aunt Victoria.”
Victoria closed the door.
“You’re missing your board call.”
“I moved it.”
“For this?”
Her eyes traveled toward Emily.
The look lasted barely a second.
It still made Emily feel as if someone had inspected a price tag.
Adrian placed the withdrawal form on the table.
“Why was this prepared three days ago?”
Victoria didn’t answer immediately.
She removed one glove.
Then the other.
“Because some candidates reach stages of the process they were never supposed to reach.”
Emily’s throat tightened.
Karen said cautiously, “Ms. Whitmore, Emily passed every screening stage.”
“I’m aware.”
“Her technical score was one of the highest this quarter.”
“I’m aware of that too.”
Adrian’s voice cooled.
“Then explain.”
Victoria looked at him.
“Not here.”
Emily stood.
“If this concerns my application, I think I should hear it.”
Thomas murmured, “Ms. Carter—”
“No.”
Emily surprised herself.
Her heart was pounding, but the word came out steady.
“I spent money I couldn’t spare getting here. I took an unpaid morning off work. I completed four assessments. If somebody decided before this interview that I wasn’t good enough, I’d like to know why.”
Victoria studied her.
“Your résumé lacks pedigree.”
Emily blinked.
“Pedigree?”
“Top university. Recognizable employers. Executive references.”
“No.”
“You have none of them.”
“No.”
“Exactly.”
Adrian said, “That isn’t a requirement.”
“It should be.”
“But it isn’t.”
Victoria turned toward him.
“This company receives thousands of applications. Standards exist for a reason.”
“Her assessment score meets the standard.”
“Tests can be practiced.”
Emily almost laughed.
Of course they could.
That was the point.
She had practiced until two in the morning.
Adrian apparently had the same thought.
“Most skills can be practiced, Victoria.”
His aunt’s expression tightened.
Adrian continued.
“And she beat applicants with graduate degrees.”
“That does not make her suitable for Whitmore.”
Emily heard the distinction.
Not suitable for the job.
Suitable for Whitmore.
She picked up her handbag.
“Thank you for the interview.”
Adrian turned.
“Emily.”
“I think I understand.”
“No, you don’t.”
“I understand enough.”
She looked at Victoria.
“I’m not embarrassed about where I come from.”
Victoria said nothing.
“I’m not embarrassed that my dress is old either.”
That surprised Victoria.
Emily continued.
“But I’m not going to sit here while somebody explains that being poor is a character flaw.”
Karen lowered her eyes.
Thomas stared at the table.
Emily turned toward the door.
Adrian stood.
“Wait.”
She stopped.
“I haven’t finished your interview.”
Victoria’s voice sharpened.
“Adrian.”
He ignored her.
Emily faced him.
“Why?”
“Because you earned it.”
Four simple words.
They hit harder than Emily expected.
Adrian looked at Karen.
“Continue the interview.”
Then at Thomas.
“You’re done here.”
Thomas paled.
“What?”
“Marcus will speak with you outside.”
Victoria stepped closer.
“You are creating a spectacle.”
“No. Someone else created it three days ago.”
Adrian looked toward Emily.
“I’m correcting it.”
Thomas left with Marcus.
Victoria followed after a long look at Adrian.
Before she exited, she stopped beside Emily.
“You may discover,” she said quietly, “that getting into a room is easier than surviving inside it.”
The door closed.
Emily stared after her.
Adrian’s expression darkened.
“Forget she said that.”
“I don’t think I can.”
“Fair.”
He returned to his chair.
Karen slowly exhaled.
“Should we continue?”
Emily considered leaving.
Then she remembered Noah’s message.
You’ve got this.
She sat.
“Yes.”
The interview lasted another forty minutes.
No one mentioned her dress again.
They asked about inventory systems, vendor reconciliation, forecasting, scheduling, data integrity.
Emily answered what she knew.
When she didn’t know something, she said so.
Adrian seemed to prefer that.
At the end, Karen closed the folder.
“Thank you, Emily.”
Emily stood.
Adrian did too.
“You’ll hear from us.”
She nodded.
Then she left.
The two women in the waiting room were still there.
The blonde avoided her eyes.
The brunette suddenly found her phone fascinating.
Emily walked past both.
She reached the elevator.
“Ms. Carter.”
She turned.
Adrian stood several feet away.
He had followed her.
“Yes?”
“You handled that better than most people would.”
Emily gave a tired smile.
“I almost ran away before the interview.”
“I know.”
Her smile disappeared.
“You were watching.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I was curious.”
“About me?”
“About what you would do.”
Emily wasn’t sure she liked that answer.
Adrian seemed to notice.
“That sounded worse out loud.”
“A little.”
For the first time, he laughed.
It changed his face.
Made him look younger.
Emily pressed the elevator button.
“Thank you for stopping the interview from ending.”
“You stopped that yourself.”
The doors opened.
Emily stepped inside.
Adrian held the door.
“One question.”
She waited.
“If you don’t get this job, what happens?”
Emily looked at him.
It was too personal.
But somehow she knew he wasn’t asking for entertainment.
“I keep working.”
“At the bakery?”
“And cleaning.”
“And school?”
“If I can.”
“If?”
“My brother starts college soon.”
Understanding crossed Adrian’s face.
Emily immediately regretted answering.
“I’m not asking for sympathy.”
“I know.”
“Good.”
The doors began closing.
Adrian stepped back.
“Goodbye, Emily.”
“Goodbye, Mr. Whitmore.”
The doors shut.
Only when she reached the lobby did Emily allow herself to breathe.
She had no idea that upstairs, Adrian walked directly into his office and called Marcus.
“Tell me everything about the withdrawal form.”
Marcus closed the door.
“It gets worse.”
“How?”
“Emily wasn’t the only one.”
Marcus placed a folder on Adrian’s desk.
Inside were seventeen applications.
All high-scoring candidates.
All rejected or pressured to withdraw.
Adrian flipped through them.
“What connects them?”
“Community colleges. Nontraditional employment. No executive referrals.”
Adrian stopped.
The pattern was obvious.
“Who authorized this?”
“That’s what I’m tracing.”
“Victoria?”
“Maybe.”
Adrian looked toward the window.
“Maybe isn’t enough.”
His phone rang.
Karen.
He answered.
“What?”
Her voice was strained.
“You need to come downstairs.”
“Why?”
“There’s a problem with Emily Carter’s assessment.”
Adrian stood.
“What problem?”
“Someone just changed her score.”
His expression hardened.
“To what?”
“Forty-two.”
“That’s impossible.”
“I know.”
“When?”
Karen hesitated.
“Thirty seconds ago.”
Adrian looked at Marcus.
“Can you see who logged in?”
Marcus was already typing.
Then he stopped.
The color drained from his face.
“What?”
Marcus turned the screen.
May you like
The login credentials belonged to one person.
Adrian Whitmore.
