Page 24 of Matteo

Before anything more can be said between us, Paul returns, with his assistant in tow. She's carrying a jug of water and a glass on a tray. She sets it down, pours me a glass and hands it to me.

I take it and thank her. Then I drain the glass dry.

“Whenever you're ready, Elizabeth.” Paul takes a seat, facing me.

I move to the front of the room and pull up the presentation. My gaze goes to Matteo. He's leaning back in his chair, arms folded across his chest, watching me with an intensity that makes me acutely aware of every word that I'm about to say. Self-consciousness prickles along my skin, but I've come too far to let it get the better of me. Taking a steadying breath, I launch into the presentation.

I don't know how I get through it, but I do, because I've always had to. When things get difficult, I thrive. I block out everything I need to and force myself to get through the day, the hour, the next hurdle.

Growing up in foster care prepared me well to handle anything that's thrown at me. Living with the sort of families I've lived with, and seeing the things I've seen, I'm a master at surviving.

They throw questions at me, and I manage to answer everything even as I keep waiting for that question. For Paul Knight to pull out something from my past.

He doesn't, but sometimes I wonder if he can see through me, and he's not letting on.

“Do you have any more questions?” I somehow manage to pour myself another glass of water and sip it slowly this time. My heart still thunders like galloping horses, and I’m quaking inside, but I manage to hide it. I've always managed to hide how I feel. Nobody can really guess what goes on inside me.

Paul’s brow creases like he's thinking. “No. I don't have any questions for now, but let me tell you more about the position we’re hiring for. We've been experiencing technical issues which haven't yet been resolved.”

I catch the way Matteo’s face hardens. “Working on it,” he snaps, tapping his fingers on the table, throwing me off guard.

“I need someone to work faster,” Paul replies.

Matteo yawns, then stretches, and it’s hard for me to ignore.

“I would like you to first do a comprehensive security audit of the entire division.”

“Seriously?” Matteo sits bolt upright. “You’re hiring someone to do that when we’ve got the expertise in-house to handle it?”

“We need a fresh pair of eyes.” Paul turns to me.

“Will she be working for me, or for you?” Matteo asks.

“I haven’t offered anyone the job yet,” his father replies.

I’m now having doubts watching these two and I’m not even sure I want to work here given the psychological warfare between them. Being trapped in the elevator alone would have been easier than this.

“She made it to the third interview. Clearly she's impressed you,” Matteo counters.

I hate that Matteo talks about me like I’m not here.

“If you get this role, after carrying out the security audit, you will be tasked with helping the tech team to identify and resolve the technical issues that have plagued the company.” Paul stands up. “Completing the security audit will give you a good insight into the systems we have in place here, and I hope you'll be able to easily and quickly locate the other issues and fix them.”

“I would be most ... delighted ... were I lucky enough to get this position.” My mouth says all the right words, but inside I’m floundering. I want to work in a calm and happy environment. Not a billionaire battlefield.

“You've been excellent, Elizabeth. That was exceptional.” Paul looks like he’s eager to leave.

“Do you have any other questions?” I ask, still wondering if he’s going to hit me with something unexpected.

He shakes his head. “I don’t believe I do. Matteo?” He looks at his son.

Matteo sits with his arms folded, face tight. “No.”

“Then there’s nothing more to do. We do have more candidates coming in,” Paul says.

“We do?” Matteo exclaims, with a big dose of exaggeration.

His father ignores him, though I understand Matteo feeling pissed. It doesn't make sense, his father behaving this way. He seems to relish making pointed comments that belittle Matteo. I hate that already.