The BT Group building rose like a steel monument against the sky, all glass and arrogance. Athena paused at the base of it, her gaze lifting slowly, deliberately. For a split second, something dark flickered behind her eyes—old memories, old screams—but she crushed it down. Her fingers tightened into a fist, then relaxed.
Not yet.
She straightened her coat and walked inside.
The lobby smelled of polish and money. Every surface gleamed. Athena crossed the marble floor with unhurried steps and stopped at the receptionist's desk.
"Hi," she said, her voice calm, pleasant.
The woman looked up and returned the smile. "Good morning. How can I help you?"
"I'm Anabella Harris. I'm here for the interview."
The receptionist scanned her screen, nodded. "Ms. Anna, the interview is being done on the sixth floor. The others are already there."
"Thank you."
Athena stepped into the elevator and pressed the button. As the doors slid shut, her reflection stared back at her from the polished metal—composed, elegant, unfamiliar. The girl who had once watched her world burn no longer lived in that face.
By the time the doors opened, the disguise was flawless.
She took a seat among the other applicants, legs crossed, posture relaxed. She listened without listening, waited without impatience. When her name was finally called, she rose smoothly and followed it into the interview room.
A woman in her mid-thirties glanced up from a stack of files. "Anabella Harris?"
"Yes," Athena replied, dipping her head slightly.
"I'm Linda. Head of the Design Department." The woman tapped the papers. "I've reviewed your credentials. They're impressive. But tell me—why BT Group? Of all the companies out there, why us?"
Athena smiled faintly, as though the answer were obvious. "Because BT Group is the only place where my skills won't be wasted. I want to work where talent is rewarded properly—without being buried under overtime or average compensation."
Linda studied her for a moment, then smiled. "Ambitious. And honest. I like that." She flipped through the file. "Your designs?"
"They're all included."
"I'll take a closer look. You can go for now—we'll notify you of the results."
Athena stood. "Thank you for your time."
She left the office with measured steps, heels clicking softly against the floor. Only when the doors closed behind her did the smile fade.
Outside, she stopped and looked back at the BT Group logo gleaming above the entrance—silver, flawless, untouchable.
For now.
Her eyes hardened.
Soon enough, this empire will fall.
She slipped her hands into her coat pockets and walked away, her reflection dissolving into the glass doors behind her. The promise stayed—silent, patient, and lethal.