She Accidentally Walked Into the Wrong Meeting—Never Realized It Was Run By a CEO Who’d Fall For Her
The Unexpected Candidate
Ren Walker pushed open the heavy glass door, her heart racing as she clutched the stack of résumés to her chest. She was late again. This temp agency job was supposed to be a stepping stone, but she was starting to wonder if she’d ever land something permanent.
She glanced down at the sticky note in her hand. Conference room B, right. She hurried down the hallway of the towering glass skyscraper, her heels clicking against the marble floor. She spotted the door marked B and slipped inside, smoothing her blazer.
Silence. A dozen pairs of eyes turned toward her. Well-dressed men and women in sleek suits sat around a massive mahogany table, their expressions unreadable. At the head of the table sat a man who looked like he belonged on the cover of a business magazine.
He had broad shoulders, a sharp navy suit, and an air of authority so intense it made the room feel ten degrees warmer. His dark blue eyes locked onto hers, and for a moment, Ren forgot how to breathe.
“Who are you?”
His deep voice cut through the silence.
“Oh no,” she glanced around, realization sinking in. This was not the assistant hiring meeting. “I am Ren Walker,” she stammered, gripping the resumes like a lifeline. “I think I might be in the wrong room.”
A few chuckles rippled through the room, but the man at the head of the table didn’t smile. He just leaned back in his chair, watching her with an unreadable expression.
“You think?” he said, one brow lifting slightly.
Heat rushed to her face.
“I’m supposed to be in the hiring meeting for the executive assistant position.”
“This is a board meeting,” he said smoothly, “for Landon Enterprises.”
Her stomach dropped. Landon Enterprises. As in Vance Landon, CEO, billionaire, and one of the most powerful men in the city. And she had just barged into his meeting like an idiot.
“I am so sorry,” she blurted. “Really, I’ll just—”
She turned, reaching for the door handle.
“Wait.”
She froze. Slowly, she turned back toward him. Vance Landon studied her, his fingers steepled in front of him. The way he looked at her, like he was trying to figure her out, sent a shiver down her spine.
“You said you were here for the assistant position?” he asked.
She nodded hesitantly. His gaze flicked to the resumes in her hands.
“Are those yours?”
“Oh no, these are for the actual candidates,” she winced. “I was just dropping them off for the recruiter.”
He didn’t look convinced.
“Do you have a resume?”
Her heart tripped over itself.
“I, um, am… yes, but I don’t think—”
“Sit,” he said, gesturing to the empty chair across from him.
Ren hesitated. The other board members exchanged glances, but no one questioned him. She had two options: run out of the room and pretend this never happened, or sit down like she belonged here somehow.
Her legs moved before her brain could catch up. She sank into the chair, her pulse hammering. Vance leaned forward, his gaze locked on her.
“Tell me, Ren Walker, why should I hire you?”
She swallowed hard. She didn’t even apply for this job. She wasn’t even supposed to be here. But something about the way he was watching her made her want to prove herself.
She straightened her spine.
“Because I work hard,” she said firmly. “Because I don’t give up and I learn fast. And because…”
She took a deep breath.
“Because I walked into the wrong room and instead of running away, I sat down.”
For the first time since she entered the room, something flickered across Vance’s face. Amusement? Interest? She couldn’t tell. The silence stretched. Then finally, he spoke.
“You start Monday.”
Ren sat frozen, her mind scrambling to process what had just happened. The weight of a dozen stares bore down on her, but none felt as intense as Vance Landon’s. His unwavering gaze was locked onto her, as if daring her to react.
Her throat was dry.
“I… I start Monday?”
Vance leaned back, his expression unreadable.
“That’s what I said.”
One of the board members, a sharp-looking woman with auburn hair, cleared her throat.
“Mr. Landon, we still have the quarterly reports to go over.”
Vance didn’t even glance in her direction. His attention remained solely on Ren.
“You can go now.”
