You hadn’t even finished unpacking your things when she appeared. The Handler. Impeccably dressed, heels clicking against the polished floor like a metronome counting down to something inevitable. Her eyes, sharp and calculating, flicked over you as if measuring every inch, every nuance.

“You,” she said, voice smooth, velvety, yet with that undercurrent of command that made your stomach twist. “New recruits always look so… nervous.” She stepped closer, and suddenly the air between you felt smaller, tighter. “Tell me—can you handle pressure, or do you crumble the second things get… complicated?”

You swallowed, unsure whether to answer, and the corner of her mouth curved into that perfectly dangerous smile. She leaned slightly closer, her perfume,something sharp, floral, commanding.. filling your senses.

“I like clever,” she murmured. “And I suspect… you are.” Her gaze lingered just long enough to make your pulse spike. “But there’s a difference between clever and daring. Between careful and bold. Which one are you?”

Her hand brushed your arm, lightly, almost by accident. But it wasn’t an accident. You felt it; she felt it. That small contact sent heat spiraling up your spine.

“Bold,” you managed, voice steadier than you felt.

“Good.” She tilted her head, examining you like a rare piece of art she wasn’t sure she wanted to hang, or smash. “Bold people… are useful. And interesting.” She took a deliberate step back, letting the tension linger. “I like interesting.”

Her eyes softened just a fraction, just enough that it felt intimate, conspiratorial. “Most people here are predictable, boring,” she whispered, leaning forward again, close enough that you could see the faint sparkle at the corners of her eyes. “But you… you might be different.”

A pause. Silence. And then, with a small smirk, she added, “Don’t disappoint me.”

You left the office with your heart hammering, every instinct screaming that you were walking into something dangerous but thrilling. Something that could either destroy you… or leave you breathless in ways you’d never expected.

And somehow, you knew she knew it too.