"I have been looking for you." The mysterious man announced and Emily furrowed her eyebrows.
"Why? I don't even know you. The only time we met was during that accident and you were extremely rude to me." She pointed out as if to remind him.
The man tightened his jaw at her words, but his eyes remained fixed on her face with an intensity that made her uncomfortable.
"There are things we need to discuss." He said, taking a step toward her.
"Excuse me, I..." Before Emily could finish her sentence, a voice called out from inside the interview room.
"Number 47, Emily Hart!"
Emily's eyes widened. That was her number!
"I... I don't have time for this. I have an important interview." She stammered, already moving past him.
"Wait, listen to me first-" He reached for her, but she was already rushing through the door.
"This job means everything to me. I can't let anything distract me now. Not you especially!" She muttered under her breath as she closed the door behind her.
~~~~~~~~~
In his spacious office on the top floor, Alexander gritted his teeth and drummed his fingers on his desk as he waited for Maxwell to pick up his call.
"I saw her again." He said the moment Maxwell answered.
"Alexander, please tell me you are taking your-" Maxwell started, but Alexander cut him off.
"She came to my company for a job interview. And she spoke to me again. She remembered our first meeting, Maxwell. She is real." He maintained.
"Alexander, your hallucinations..." Maxwell was saying but got cut off.
"I took my medications, Maxwell. Both yesterday and this morning." Alexander said, his voice growing frustrated.
"I'm not hallucinating. I checked her file. Her name is Emily Hart. Different background, different everything from Charlotte. She is a real person." He added firmly.
Maxwell was quiet then Alexander continued.
"She literally ran into me in the hallway. She is here for an interview. The way she looked at me, Maxwell... it was like seeing a ghost."
"And you are absolutely certain about your medication?" Maxwell inquired calmly.
"Yes, damn it!" Alexander snapped, then took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry. But yes, I'm sure."
"Then this is real, Alexander. Not a hallucination. She just happens to resemble Charlotte. It's not uncommon for us to see similarities in strangers to people we have lost." Maxwell said carefully.
"But why do I see something familiar in her eyes? It is not just resemblance. I'm sure of it. There is something..."
"Something that calls to me. Charlotte is somewhere in there, I know it. When she looks at me, it's like... it's like Charlotte is looking back at me." Alexander insisted, running a hand through his hair.
Maxwell heaved a deep sigh.
"Alexander, we need to be very careful here. If you are so certain about this connection, perhaps you should find a way to keep her around. That way, you can discover whatever connection you think you share. But remember – she is her own person." Maxwell said gently.
Alexander nodded slowly.
"Yes... yes, I will. I need to know why she affects me this way."
~~~~~~~~~
Emily walked slowly down the street, her shoulders slumped in defeat.
"I can't believe I failed." She muttered to herself, remembering the painful interview.
*FLASHBACK*
"I'm sorry, Miss Hart, but you are not qualified for any of our vacant positions." The interviewer had said, barely glancing at her portfolio.
"What do you mean? I have experience in customer service, administration..." Emily had asked, her voice slightly trembling.
"Your qualifications do not meet our requirements. We are looking for candidates with more advanced degrees and specific certifications." The interviewer maintained firmly.
"But surely there must be some position where my skills would be valuable?" Emily had pleaded.
"I'm sorry. That's all. Thank you for your time." The interviewer said dismissively.
"So I'm not worth any position at all? Am I destined to be stuck with part-time jobs that pay pennies?" Emily grunted in frustration as she walked outside the company.
"Hey." Another interviewee had caught up with her.
"You didn't know?" He asked.
"What?" Emily was clueless.
"In this company, you need strong connections plus the best portfolio to get hired." He had explained.
"Do you have a master's degree?" He asked.
"No... just college." Emily replied.
Then the man chuckled.
"Won't work then. They don't even look at applications without advanced degrees these days." The man stated.
"But the job posting didn't mention-" Emily was saying but the man butt in.
"It's an unwritten rule. You need either exceptional qualifications or someone on the inside. Sometimes both."
*END OF FLASHBACK*
Emily's phone's sharp ring cut through her thoughts.
"Hello?" She said as she accepted the call.
"Miss Hart, this is regarding your mother's unpaid loan." A cold voice said.
Emily's stomach turned.
"I told you people last time, I haven't even gotten a decent job yet! How am I supposed to repay the loan?" She yelled in frustration.
"You will need to pay as soon as possible, unless you want us to take other measures to make you pay up." The voice said lowly but menacingly.
Emily gasped.
"What measures? Are you threatening me?"
"It would be better if you didn't know. But if you prefer to find out... well, let's just say we have ways of ensuring payment that you wouldn't enjoy." The voice maintained.
Emily scoffed, trying to mask her fear.
"You can't just-" She was saying but the voice cut her off.
"We can and we will. Make the payment, soon, Miss Hart.
Then the line dropped. Emily clenched her fists and had barely finished exhaling sharply when her phone rang again.
"What now?" She screamed in frustration and drew the phone into her bag without looking at the caller.
~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, in the employment office, James looked nervously at Alexander.
"She is not picking up, sir. What should I do?" The recruitment manager asked.
Alexander's face hardened at the announcement.
"Call her till she picks up. And if she doesn't, then go to her house and bring her to me!" His voice was cold and commanding.