Chapter 1 " OMG ! It must be because our baby girl did so well ! " " Of course ! This time the Destiny Thief won't get her hands on the male lead either ! " More captions flew past my eyes . I frowned . What did they mean ? Grant had some kind of history with Claire , too ? My gaze shifted to Grant , and my expression instantly soured with contempt . So , he was tainted goods . Off the table . For some reason , my stare caught his . His eyes met mine , and for a split second , they widened in what looked like ... confusion ? As if he couldn't decipher the disdain in my look . I coolly broke eye contact . Whatever . Let's just see how this plays out . " Ahem . " Grant cleared his throat , his voice commanding silence . " Good afternoon . I assume you all know who I am , so I'll skip the introduction . I have two announcements to make . First , we have decided on one finalist from today's interviews . And that person is ... " Grant's voice was a low baritone , but it made every heart in the room pound against their ribs . I found myself staring at his lips , trying to read the name before he spoke it . But the name that left them was : " ... Claire Covington . " The comments exploded . " HAHAHA ! OF COURSE IT'S OUR GIRL ! " " I'm so happy I could cry ! Take that , thief ! " " The look on the side character's face is PRICELESS . Love it , love to see it ! " Claire stood up , a model of graceful modesty , before shooting me a sidelong glance . The meaning in that look was unmistakable . Pure , unadulterated gloating . But I didn't feel the sting of defeat . All I felt was a wave of profound disappointment in Grant . My interview answers had targeted the company's deepest flaws , many of which were conclusions he and I had come to together , over years of late nights at the office in our past life . And still , he chose her . I stood up immediately and turned to leave . If the Rhodes Corporation didn't want me , there was no reason to stay . Just as I took a step , Grant's voice cut through the air behind me . " Ms. Vance , you can't leave yet . I'd like to discuss your answers from the interview in greater detail . Would you be willing to join me in my office ? " I turned back . What I saw was Grant's earnest , expectant expression , and Claire's face , which had twisted into a mask of pure sho- 10:11 Chapter 2 Chapter 2 I stopped in my tracks and turned back to face Grant Rhodes . He stood there , impossibly tall , his gaze locked on me . It was intense , commanding , and held a hint of ... urgency ? that I couldn't quite place . The hallway fell dead silent . The smug satisfaction on Claire's face hadn't even had time to fully bloom before it froze , cracking like porcelain . Shock , disbelief , and then a rising tide of panic and fury washed over her features . She whipped her head toward Grant , her voice high and shrill . " Mr. Rhodes ?! What is the meaning of this ? You just announced that you were hiring me ! " The comments went into a meltdown . " WTF ???? " " GRANT , WAKE UP !!! " " Don't let the thief fool you ! She's a master manipulator ! " " AAAAH I'M SO MAD ! CLAIRE , BABY , DON'T PANIC ! " " What is happening ? Is the male lead broken ? " " The thief is using her dirty tricks again ! I'm gonna be sick ! " The vicious accusations scrolled frantically before my eyes , like a swarm of angry hornets . But this time , the burning anger in my chest cooled , crystallizing into something sharp and cold . A kind of detached , icy scorn . I even let the corner of my mouth twitch into a smirk , mouthing a silent question in Claire's direction : " Problem ? " She saw it . The color drained from her face . Her knuckles were white where she gripped the strap of her handbag . " Ms. Covington , " Grant's voice was devoid of warmth , laced with an audible annoyance at being interrupted . " A formal offer letter will be sent out in due course . Right now , Ms. Vance and I have important business to discuss . " He didn't even look at her again . His focus was entirely on me , his tone an invitation that was also a command . " Audrey ? "