NECKLACE OF DECEPTION

Kiera made a life-changing decision a few days ago, one that may come back to haunt her in the future, but trust me, she doesn't care. Life had dealt her a worse hand than she deserved, but she refused to let it break her anymore. She has moved on, rebuilt her identity, and given herself a chance to start over after grieving all her losses.

However, there was one thing she could never change - the trauma from her past, which continued to haunt her in her dreams.

It was 7:15 a.m. The soft golden light filled the room, and kiera could hear the bird songs outside her window as she sat on her bed, staring at the email she had received yesterday.

She had sent her forged resume to a few websites a few days ago, and one of them had responded, requesting she show up by 10:00 a.m. today for an interview. After receiving numerous rejections due to her damaged reputation. "Perhaps changing my identity wasn't a bad idea after all."

Having said that, she got up and moved to the bathroom, where she turned on the shower and closed her eyes, letting the water caress her body.

"You're a failure, Lana starkwood. A cheat. Nobody wants you here, freaking ex-convict. We were never your friends,you were just too stupid to realize."

With those words echoing in her mind, she turned off the shower and hurried outside.

You must be wondering who Lana Thompson is. Kiera is, or should i say, used to be. There is no greater betrayal than that which came from people closest to you.

She still couldn't get over what Maxwell and Christie did to her, but that was a discussion for another day because she had an interview to prepare for.

After staring at her closet for about 15 minutes, she decided to wear a black pencil skirt and a royal blue blouse, paired with black heels. Regarding her hair, she covered up her gorgeous long blond hair with a black wig, put on black-rimmed big-eyed glasses, and had braces placed on her teeth.

"Umm, I have to disguise good, so don't judge me." she said, giggling to herself. Taking a quick look at her table clock, she knew she would be late if she didn't leave right away. Therefore, she quickly left the room after grabbing her bag and credentials from the table.

The taxi she was riding in finally came to a stop, and as she stepped out, she couldn't help but look up at the skyscraper with the TitanTech Solutions logo on it.

"I really hope everything works out for you, Kiera. It will be a good sign for a new beginning," she whispered to herself as she walked into the building.

As soon as she walked in, she noticed the receptionist's desk and Kiera went straight to her. "Hi, umm, I am here to interview for the position of Mr. Cruz's assistant."

"Sure! May I know your name, please?" The receptionist asked.

" Kiera," with a dejected expression, " it's Keira Martins." If kiera hadn't taken enemies as close friends, she wouldn't have had to go by an unknown identity.

"Alright. Take the second lift, the interview is on the 30th floor. There, you will find one of our employees who will assist you."

"Okay, thank you," Kiera replied, forcing a smile.

"Good luck." The receptionist wished her with a soft smile.

The elevator was packed with men, which made the ride very uncomfortable. They were all just staring at Kiera like she was weird, but kiera couldn't care less. Her only goal was to keep her traumatic past hidden at all costs, even if it meant looking like a clown.

As soon as the door leading to the 30th floor opened, Kiera spotted another receptionist and moved in her direction.

"Hi, I'm here for the interview."

"Right," The red hair receptionist replied with a small smile and handed her a number before showing her to another elevator, the receptionist followed Kiera up to the elevator door, because she needed to enter a code for her to get up to the floor.

Kiera anxiety started to grow, and she began to question if coming for the interview was a wise decision. Was she good enough? What if she gets busted?

Thoughts began to cloud her judgment, but Kiera must remain strong, backing out was not an option now. At last, the elevator door opened, and she mustered the confidence to enter the floor.

As she took a small step forward, she was shocked by what she saw right away. There were so many female applicants, and they all looked stunning, but she also noticed that the clothes they wore were seductive. Then there was her. Though she wouldn't describe herself as ugly, she didn't look like them.

"Come on, Kiera, you got this." She muttered under her breath as she walked towards the chairs crammed with women, their gazes fixed on her.

As soon as she sat down, she began to panic once more and did not even realize that she was constantly tapping her feet.

"Nervous huh?" A girl seated next to her inquired, she was wearing a professional attire similar to Kiera, unlike the other women.

"Umm no, it's just a habit"- Kiera replied while pulling a smile.

"Hmm, quite a habit. I'm Josephine by the way."

"Kiera."

Just as Josephine was about to say something else, the elevator door opened and a strong aura filled the room. Kiera turned her head along with the other women to see what was causing the fuss and she was left completely stunned at the sight.

Behold, it was a tall muscular figure, his looks were striking, featuring a perfectly shaped and proportioned nose, flawless skin, sensual yet innocent lips, and a brooding expression in his eyes.

"That is the CEO, his name is Alexandro Cruz, and the other guy behind him is Ethan Stone, his right-hand man," Josephine whispered into her ear, seeing how lost she was in his presence.

"How did you know? Isn't this your first visit here?" Kiera enquired with curiosity evident on her face.

"Are you kidding? He's quite popular, very arrogant, and doesn't condone any form of foolishness."

Not only did he look gorgeous, but he also looked familiar to Kiera, though she was not sure from where. Her eyes remained fixed on him as he and Ethan Stone entered the office without even taking a glance at any of them.

The whispers among the ladies grew louder, and some of them even went as far as to redo their makeup, even fiddling with their breasts to expose more.

In a few minutes, their numbers were being called. Slowly, one by one, the women went in for the interview but none came out happy and some even emerged crying.

Kiera's confidence dwindled, and thoughts began to occupy her mind. "If these women stood no chance, what hope do i have?"

What could this man have said to them to make them cry? I should have just stayed home and trusted my instincts." Kiera kept blaming herself And as the last person waiting, her anxiety skyrocketed.

"Number 18, you may come in". she heard a voice call out. She gathered her composure and entered the office, her heart racing.