Eve's heart began to pound again, not in romance, but in terror, and she desperately wanted to shrink into the floor and vanish into the cracks between the tiles.
My godly handsome prince… please forget me.
Please erase me from your memory like a mistake in a document.
Please pretend you never saw me drop my papers like an idiot.
Please pretend I never grabbed your hands like a lunatic and patted your shoulder like I was comforting a lost puppy.
But the man didn't speak again.
He had called her name, and then he simply stopped, standing in front of the microphone with a calmness that felt almost cruel, his gaze fixed on her as if he were silently observing how long she could endure the pressure.
The hall fell into an eerie silence, so heavy that even breathing felt loud, and Eve could practically hear the thoughts of everyone around her forming into a single shared conclusion.
She's doomed.
Some students leaned forward slightly, clearly expecting to witness a public humiliation, while others smirked in anticipation, and a few even exchanged glances that screamed serves her right.
Seconds passed.
Then more seconds.
Then an entire minute.
Then another.
Eve's legs started to tremble slightly, not because she was weak, but because the suspense was strangling her from the inside.
Even the professor's expression shifted, his brow twitching in irritation as he stared at the silent man on the podium.
The professor cleared his throat.
"Um…" he began carefully, as if speaking too loudly might offend the man's dignity. "Mr. Vetrov? You called Eve. Do you have anything you would like to say to her?"
The godly handsome guy didn't respond.
Not a single word.
Not even a small gesture.
He remained still, his eyes locked on Eve like a predator patiently waiting for its prey to blink first.
Eve felt like she was being burned alive.
Please say something, she screamed internally, her mind almost collapsing. Scold me, insult me, fire me, punish me, do whatever you want, but don't just stare at me like this!
Just as the silence was reaching the point where it felt unbearable, the door suddenly swung open with a loud creak.
A man rushed into the room, panting hard, his suit slightly wrinkled and his expression full of panic as if he had just outrun death itself.
"Sorry, boss!" he blurted, huffing and puffing. "I'm late!"
The godly handsome guy didn't even look at him.
He didn't react.
He didn't comment.
He simply remained as calm as ever, like the entire world could collapse and he would still stand there in perfect silence.
The professor turned to the newcomer, confused. "And you are…?"
The man straightened his posture quickly, smoothing his tie with nervous hands, and bowed respectfully.
"I'm Steven Orlov," he said. "President Vetrov's assistant."
"Oh," the professor said, relief flashing briefly in his eyes. "That's good. Perhaps you can help. Mr. Vetrov called out Eve's name, but he isn't saying anything else."
Steven blinked, and the expression on his face shifted into something close to disbelief, as if he couldn't comprehend how the professor could ask such a question.
"Huh?" Steven muttered, then looked around at the students, his eyes narrowing as though he were genuinely questioning the intelligence of everyone present.
Then he let out a long sigh, the kind of sigh that sounded like someone who had been forced to babysit children.
"Seriously," Steven said, rubbing his forehead. "Boss thought you all would understand immediately. Isn't it obvious?"
The professor stared blankly.
The students stared blankly.
Eve stared blankly.
No, it was not obvious.
Steven Orlov continued, looking offended by their confusion. "President Vetrov called Eve's name because he has recruited her. She will be working for Vetrov Group."
The entire seminar hall froze as if time itself had stopped.
The professor's eyes widened slightly.
The students stiffened.
A few mouths dropped open.
Even Clarissa's jaw slackened in shock.
And Eve…
Eve blinked once.
Then twice.
Then five times.
She felt as if her brain had been thrown into boiling water and was desperately trying to survive.
"Huh?" she whispered faintly.
Steven frowned at her. "This is a recruitment drive," he said impatiently, as if the concept should have been engraved into their skulls. "Why else would the boss personally call your name?"
Eve stared at the podium, her mind spiraling.
He recruited me?
He chose me?
He… didn't want to scold me?
She had been so sure that he had called her out because he was angry, because he wanted to humiliate her, because she had patted his shoulder and treated him like a mute puppy, but now she was being told that the truth was the exact opposite.
Her confusion became so intense that her mouth betrayed her, blurting out words before her brain could stop them.
"Aren't you supposed to scold me?"
The moment the sentence left her lips, Eve's face turned pale, and she bit her tongue so hard she almost tasted blood.
Idiot.
Eve, you idiot.
The hall fell silent again, but this time it was not suspenseful silence.
It was the kind of silence that felt like a funeral.
The godly handsome guy stared at her, unblinking, his gaze cold and unreadable, and Eve felt like her entire body was shrinking under his eyes.
Steven looked as if he wanted to scream, and he muttered in a deeply tired voice, "Boss is asking why you think so."
Eve's eyes widened in disbelief.
He asked?
When did he ask?
How did he ask?
She glanced at the Mafia Overlord's face, but it remained calm and expressionless, giving no clue that he had spoken at all.
Was he… communicating with his assistant through invisible signals?
Was this some kind of rich CEO telepathy?
Clarissa looked at Eve with pure pity, as if she had already prepared herself for the possibility that Eve would be fired before she even started.
Eve swallowed hard and forced a stiff smile.
"That… it's nothing," she said quickly, desperately trying to bury the embarrassing subject before it could be dug up.
Steven nodded as if her answer made perfect sense. "Good. Then matter over. You will receive your official appointment letter soon. Be sure to be present on time."
Eve bowed, switching instantly into professional mode as if her life depended on it.
"Yes, sir," she said sincerely, her voice full of gratitude and urgency. "Thank you so much for selecting me. I truly appreciate the opportunity, and I will work hard and make sure I do not disappoint President Vetrov or Vetrov Group."
The Mafia Overlord stared at her for a long moment, and the silence felt strangely personal, as if he was studying her, measuring her, and perhaps even confirming something only he could see.
Then he turned away without a single word and walked out of the hall with calm, unhurried steps, leaving behind a trail of stunned silence and countless hearts beating wildly.
Steven hurried after him like a loyal shadow.
The moment they were gone, Eve finally collapsed back into her seat, her body going limp as if she had just survived a battlefield.
Clarissa leaned closer, eyes sparkling with amusement.
"Was this Steven his assistant," she whispered, "or his translator?"
Eve groaned weakly. "That's… honestly a good question."
Clarissa giggled. "He's handsome, but he's definitely eccentric."
Eve instantly smacked her arm. "Don't say that about him. He's not eccentric. He's just… quiet."
Clarissa stared at her. "Wow. You're literally throwing my words back at me."
Eve ignored her because her heart was already floating in the clouds again, and she muttered dreamily, "Still… I got the job."
Clarissa suddenly grabbed her shoulders and shook her hard, almost violently. "Eve! Do you realize what just happened? Everyone is going to be jealous. President Vetrov personally called you out!"
Eve's cheeks warmed as she smiled shyly, her eyes softening.
"My love called my name," she whispered, sounding as if she were reciting poetry. "It sounded so beautiful coming from his lips…"
Clarissa rolled her eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn't fall out.
"How can you be in love when you met him today?" she groaned.
Eve suddenly gasped, her eyes widening in delayed horror.
"Wait," she whispered.
Clarissa blinked. "What?"
Eve clasped her hands dramatically, her expression turning tragic. "He's my boss now!"
Clarissa nodded. "Yes, genius."
Eve's eyes began to sparkle with a new kind of fear. "What if Vetrov Group doesn't allow workplace relationships? How will my godly handsome prince propose to me?"
Clarissa stared at her in silence, then sighed deeply, looking like she had accepted that her friend was beyond repair.
"You're impossible," she muttered.