Chapter 23

Yvonne froze in place, trapped in a moment that felt almost suffocating.

The HR staff's voice cut through the silence again, and the room stirred. Several candidates exchanged puzzled looks, whispering under their breath-who would walk away from an interview at TR Entertainment? It seemed utterly absurd.

Among them, Yvonne's urge to retreat stood out the most, drawing every pair of eyes toward her hesitant figure.

"Are you Yvonne Ellis?" the staff asked pointedly.

Yvonne managed an awkward smile, forced herself to turn around, and gave a small nod.

"Good,come on in. People are waiting," the staff urged,gesturing toward the door.

With those words, the staff slipped back into the interview room, leaving Yvonne little choice but to trail after her, every step heavy with reluctance.

She resolved to simply go through the motions.Missing out on the selection wouldn't trouble her in the slightest.

However,fate, it seemed, had a cruel sense of humor.

Awkward and uneasy, she stepped into the room-only to see Julian seated at the center of the panel,his posture commanding, his presence radiating authority as though he owned the place.

What on earth was he doing here? A man perpetually buried in work now sitting as an interviewer?

A chill prickled along her scalp. Instinctively, she turned on her heel to retreat, but his voice cut across the room,halting her.

"Let's get on with the interview." He delivered the words with quiet detachment, the way one might speak to an outsider.

Yvonne bit her lip before turning sharply on her heel,forcing her features into calm dignity as she dipped into a graceful bow before the line of interviewers."Nice to meet you all. I'm Yvonne Ellis."

Since Julian could act detached, treating her as if they were strangers, she resolved to mirror that same composure.

The panel acknowledged her with polite nods and motioned for her to take a seat. One interviewer scanned her resume, then lifted his gaze. "Ms. Ellis, your record shows you graduated from a prestigious university and even directed several short films that won awards during your studies. Could you explain the three-year gap in your otherwise impressive career?"

Julian's hand stilled for an instant at the question,though he said nothing. He picked up her resume,flipping through the pages as if only half-interested.

Yvonne's throat tightened. Her mind drifted unwillingly to the night before graduation-the moment she brushed off every persuasion from teachers and friends to follow her own stubborn choice. That choice had been Julian.

After a long pause, she spoke, her tone carrying a cool steadiness tinged with self-mockery. "I ggot married and spent the last three years as a housewife."

The interviewers exchanged startled glances, though Julian only narrowed his eyes, his expression giving nothing away.

That interviewer pressed on, "Considering you're married now,what made you decide to return to work?"

Yvonne flicked her gaze toward Julian, catching his detached demeanor, and a wicked impulse rose in her chest. With a playful smile, she replied, "Well, my husband dóesn't really earn enough to support us, so I thought I'd better help out." A chill radiated across the table as Julian's eyes cut toward her, sharp enough to slice through her bravado.The air seemed to freeze under the weight of his glare,and Yvonne's daring smile crumbled, leaving her tense and flustered.

The questions that followed were routine and professional, and though Julian's piercing stare lingered like ice, Yvonne managed to respond with poise. After a brief discussion, the panel thanked her politely and asked her to await further notice.

Her chest tightened. She knew too well that "further notice" usually meant rejection. She had braced herself for disappointment, but the sting still landed.

Even so, what weighed heavier was the need to escape Julian's suffocating presence.

Saying nothing more, she rose, bowed gracefully to the panel, and hurried from the room. Her heels clicked quickly across the floor as she made straight for the elevator.

Relief flickered when the doors slid open at her arrival.She reached for them,ready to step inside-only for a strong hand to seize her arm and pull her back.

Whipping around in anger, she froze when her gaze collided with Julian's, her fury draining away beneath the force of his eyes.