Dawin stood there, looking effortlessly composed in a tailored charcoal suit, his hands casually in his pockets. His striking face carried an air of curiosity, as though she were the most confusing puzzle he'd stumbled upon today.
"Lost?" he asked smoothly, tilting his head.
Alice swallowed hard, her pulse erratic. She did not like this guy. Maybe it was because he had allowed himself to be switched as the groom, or maybe because of how highly many people thought of him.
She huffed at him, making him raise a questioning brow at her but he didn't press.
He also had a file in hand. "Good you are here too. I have your file as well," he said, and before Alice could ask what that meant, he reached out and rang the doorbell.
Her heart skipped a beat. "Wait—" she let out a panicked yelp, which earned her another puzzled look from him, his brow lifting slightly as if wondering whether she'd completely lost her mind.
She began to pace, unsure whether to stay or run away. But then, the door creaked open.
Standing there in a sleek, form-fitting suit was a striking woman with sharp eyes and a meticulously styled bob.
Clarisse.
Alice instinctively knew who she was from all she had heard and experienced yesterday.
Clarisse's eyes flicked between Alice and Dawin. They lingered for a moment as though they were the most fascinating pair she'd seen all week and then she stepped to the side.
"Come in," she said.
Alice would rather not.
Her instincts screamed at her to run, but Dawin was already stepping inside with the ease of someone who owned the place.
Reluctantly, Alice followed, her shoulders tense as the door closed behind them.
Clarrise disappeared.
The air inside was thick with polished elegance and intimidating energy. She barely had time to scan the grand foyer when the sound of footsteps echoed from above—slow, deliberate, commanding.
Her breath hitched.
Hades descended the staircase like a dark figure from a twisted fairytale. Each step seemed intentional, his black tailored shirt, with almost half the buttons undone, revealed his chest tattoos, and his black slacks absorbed the light. The subtle gleam from the metal detailing on his belt added to his commanding image. His sleeves were rolled up, exposing strong forearms with tattoos that only amplified his intimidating aura. The cool gleam in his dark eyes pinned everyone in the room, silently commanding their attention.
Alice's throat went dry. For a second, she couldn't look away. His unique hair was in a bun. Slightly messy.
This... was the guy people assumed was ugly?
Then reality smacked her back into focus.
Why the hell are you admiring a psychopath!?
She snapped herself out of it, straightening her posture as her brain yelled at her to focus. This wasn't some dramatic movie moment—she was here on legal business, not to get swept into whatever magnetic madness Hades exuded.
He reached the final step and looked directly at her, his expression unreadable.
She unconsciously stepped behind Dawin.
"You're really not coming to the company?" Dawin asked Hades, pulling his gaze away from her.
Hades's response was curt, as always. "No."
"Figures," Dawin muttered. "Still allergic to responsibility, I see."
Was Dawin making a joke right now?
As much as she hated this supposed groom who stood her up, she kind of felt like he was the only one equipped enough to handle Hades. For a split second, she wondered if maybe being close to him would improve her reputation here. But she shook her head. She had a feeling it would only make her even more hated in this place.
Hades's eyes flicked to Alice who was almost hiding behind Dawin, and his voice dipped into something dangerously amused. "People might mistake him for your husband." He said before walking ahead to go sit on the couch.
Dawin raised a brow, clearly curious but keeping his comments to himself. He also went to sit down on one of the sleek leather chairs, pulling out a neat stack of files from his briefcase. "Here," he said, dropping the two folders on the table. "It's your rankings."
Wait, what now? Rankings?
Alice's pulse quickened as she went to sit down beside Dawin and grabbed her file. Her hands trembled as she flipped it open, dread building with every second.
Her eyes widened in horror.
Drumroll...
Evaluation result gave her a... D!.
And that was because of her academic reputation.
Her mouth went dry. D?!
Suzy's words flashed through Alice's mind. "Whatever you do, make sure you're a B+ at least. If you end up as a B like me, considering your family isn't exactly rich, it's over for you in here."
She didn't get a B-plus.
Not a B, not even a B-minus or a C. But a D!
She was doomed.
Completely doomed.
Even Dawin seemed momentarily stunned when he saw it. "D?" he echoed, incredulous. "There is a D-rank?"
He looked genuinely surprised.
This was probably a 'milestone' for the Wildfires. She was achieving greatness... from the back. And this was Aurora. Not even her.
She wondered what her real rank would be like. Ah! There was nothing below Z.
Hades shook his head at her as though her mere existence was a personal disappointment.
Alice could see the glint in his eyes. He was amused. He was mocking her.
"Not going to check yours?" Dawin asked Hades, holding his own file up.
"I don't need to," Hades said flatly. "Don't care."
Dawin snorted. "Figures." Then, out of curiosity, he opened Hades's file himself and flipped through it.
His breath caught, eyes widening.
Alice was still looking at hers with wide eyes, but then, seeing how surprised Dawin was, she leaned in, curious.
If Hades had at least an A, maybe... just maybe she would be treated a little better?
However, her jaw dropped when she saw the bold letter inside.
F.
Silence.
The corners of her lips twitched. She tried—oh, how she tried—to keep her expression straight. But it was no use.
"HA!"
It came out as a scoff at first. She covered her mouth, trying to suppress it but seeing the confused look Hades had on his face before he reached for the file to check, she exploded into laughter, the sound echoing through the room. It was uncontrollable, freeing, and utterly inappropriate.
Hades's glare was instant and murderous.
Even Dawin still had a stunned look on his face.
But Alice couldn't stop. Hades Wildfire—had an F. An actual F.
It was the best thing that had happened all morning.
"You must be courting for death," Hades said to her calmly as he threw the folder down on the table, crossing his legs effortlessly like he could not be bothered by whatever was written on that folder.
Alice suddenly remembered the gravity of the situation on the ground and sat up, quickly composing herself while wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes with her hand.
"Sorry," she muttered quickly, clearing her throat.