Chapter 3: An Unexpected Candidate (Sharon's POV)
The silence in our small business, Best Auto, feels heavier than usual. Since Madeline's sudden resignation, everything seems slower, more fragile. We lost our right hand.
I sip my vanilla coffee, glancing at the empty desk where our secretary used to sit. She left without explanation. Two years working with us, and she just vanished. I thought she saw us as family... but maybe I was wrong.
But the strangest part is... she disappeared.
Liam, sitting at his desk at the back, seems relaxed. Maybe too much. He just shrugged when Madeline quit, preferring to focus on finding a new recruit and keeping our business running.
— What time is the interview again? he asks, not looking up from his screen. He's always focused at a thousand percent—I've always found that attractive about him. — In ten minutes, Shar.
I don't know why, but I feel uneasy. Something about this whole situation makes me nervous.
The Interview with Letty Prescar Scott
The office bell rings. I look up at the front door, and a young woman with long black wavy hair, deep black eyes, and pale skin stands behind the glass.
She pushes the door open confidently and steps inside. She's beautiful. Too beautiful. A cold, controlled charisma.
— Good morning, I'm Letty Prescar Scott. I'm here for the secretary position at Best Auto.
Her voice is soft, almost gentle. She hands me her resume with a polite smile.
Something about her bothers me already. Her name sounds strangely familiar. And her gaze... there's something unsettling about it.
We sit down, and the interview begins. Letty answers every question effortlessly. She knows everything.
She understands Best Auto's operations, our work style, our suppliers. As if she's been here before. It's impressive... and eerie.
At one point, Liam asks her about client confidentiality. She smiles.
— You don't have to worry. I'm a vault.
A chill runs through me. Why does that sentence unsettle me so much?
Liam, however, looks convinced.
— Are you available immediately? — Of course.
I cross my arms, my stomach tightening. This is too fast. Too easy.
A Troubling Discovery
After the interview, Letty leaves, letting Liam and me discuss her hiring.
But an idea won't leave me.
I get up and walk over to Madeline's almost empty desk. Since she left, I haven't had the courage to go through her things. But today, something pushes me to.
I open the drawers, finding nothing unusual. Until the last one. Locked.
I search through the pen holder and find a small golden key. I hesitate but slide it into the lock.
Click.
The drawer opens smoothly.
And there, among a few notebooks and pens, a phone.
I pick it up carefully. A notification pops up.
💬 1 unread message from Marc: Madeline, answer me. I'm scared. Where are you? Is it because of our fight?
My heart skips a beat.
Why is her phone still here if she left?
I turn to Liam, who looks at me, intrigued.
— It's Madeline's phone. It was hidden in her drawer.
A heavy silence falls between us.
I unlock the screen, my hands sweaty. If she left it behind, it means she left in a hurry... or that she never left on her own.
And if something happened to Madeline?