Kadri spent the rest of her first day in the company basement, sweating over cardboard boxes, barcode scanners, and an ancient fan that wheezed louder than a dying goat.
Inventory duty, he said. It was basically exile.
Sandra in logistics was nice enough, but she looked at Kadri like a puppy who'd peed on a designer rug.
"Don't worry," Sandra said with a shrug. "You're not the first intern to annoy Mr. Knight. Just try not to get blacklisted."
By 6:00 p.m., Kadri's crisp blouse was creased, her hair was frizzing at the edges, and her shoes had declared mutiny. She trudged back to the elevator with a barcode scanner still clipped to her waistband like a scarlet letter.
On the ride up, she stared at her reflection in the metallic doors. There she was: the bold, confident intern who swore she'd make an impression.
Back in the workspace, the other interns were already packing up. Dami spotted her and raised his brows.
"Daaaang, they sent you to the dungeon?"
"Yea!," Kadri said flatly. "KnightTech's Welcome Committee pulled out all the stops."
He chuckled, but she didn't. She just needed to grab her bag and disappear.
"Ms. Ayotunde." She froze.
The voice came from behind her, cool and calm as ever.
She turned to face him. Andrew Knight. Still in his perfectly pressed suit, still unreadable, still frustratingly beautiful in that way that made her want to punch a wall and write poetry at the same time.
"I'd like a word," he said.
"Of course you would," she muttered to herself, too quiet for him to hear.
She followed him once more, this time not into his office but a small side meeting room with glass walls and one lone ficus plant that looked just as tense as she felt.
He closed the door. "Let's get a few things straight," he began.
He stared at her for a long second. "I don't care for sarcasm."
"And I don't care for being humiliated on my first day, but here we are."
His eyes narrowed just slightly.
"You were reckless," he said. "You walked into this building like it was a college campus, not a billion-dollar company. There are standards here."
"I know that," Kadri said. "I'm not stupid."
"I didn't say you were stupid. I said you were unprepared."
Her breath hitched.
"I got into this internship on merit," she snapped. "I earned my spot. Just because I spilled coffee doesn't mean I'm unfit. It means I'm human."
"You're not here to be human," he said sharply. "You're here to be competent."
Kadri stepped forward, her fury rising to the surface like a storm ready to break.
"Please mind your words Mr. Andrew."
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Andrew's brows lifted slightly. Not in anger. In interest.
"Excuse me?"
"I'm sorry, but you're not my professor. You don't get to talk to me like I'm beneath you."
Silence fell between them.
Then, unbelievably, he smiled. Just a flicker. But it was real.
Kadri blinked. Was he... enjoying this?
"Noted," he said, voice softer now, laced with something else. "You've got fire."
His gaze lingered on her face. A slow, considering look.
"Most interns," he said, "would be halfway to tears by now."
"Well, I'm not most interns," she said.
Andrew smiled in a nasty manner, "I've noticed."
For a heartbeat, the room shifted. The air was still and heavy.
Then he stepped back, the moment evaporating.
"I've reassigned you," he said, picking up a file from the table. "You'll be working directly under the lead product manager. You'll assist with prototype documentation and pitch reviews."
Kadri blinked again. "Wait. Isn't that... a promotion?"
"It's a challenge," he said. "One you can either meet or fail. Your choice."
She stared at him, unsure whether this was a trap or a test.
"I thought you wanted to bury me in the basement forever."
"I changed my mind."
"Why?"
Another pause.
"You're irritating," he said smoothly. "But interesting, really interesting."
Kadri couldn't help the laugh that escaped. "You're not exactly a cupcake yourself."
He didn't smile this time, but something in his eyes gleamed.
"Dismissed, Ms. Ayotunde."
She turned to go, but paused at the door.
"You know," she said, hand on the knob, "you should smile more. You might scare fewer interns when you don't."
"I'm not here to make fri
ends," he replied.
She shrugged. "Neither am I. But I'm still nicer than you."
She left before he could respond.