*POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING* There's some mild hints to a panic attack in this chapter, read safely Little Bees ❤

Nadia sat in Cameron's office as they stared at the invitation from Ono Medical to attend a face to face meeting at their offices in Osaka, Japan the following month.

"Holy shit, I can't believe it! I didn't think they'd respond so quickly! It's only been four days since we sent our pitch," Nadia breathed as she sat back in her chair.

"Me either," Cameron said as he leaned back in his chair, still staring at the invitation, "but I can't say I'm surprised we got the meeting. I knew we'd get picked because of you."

"Just because I was an intern for Mr. Ono doesn't mean he chose Shola because of that," she shook her head, "he's a very particular man. If he picked us that means there are at least four or five other companies we're going up against and they're going to be top notch marketing firms. If we want this deal our presentation has to be flawless."

"And it will be, because you're going to do it," he grinned at her.

"As if I didn't know that already," she rolled her eyes, "I'll get started on it this afternoon,"

He raised an eyebrow at her, "you don't have to start now, the meeting isn't until next month,"

"What don't you understand about the word flawless? We have to know this presentation inside and out and be ready for some difficult follow up questions. Mr. Ono is going to have already researched any imperfections about Shola and he's going to want us to explain them."

Cameron's eyes grew wide, "shit you're right, we better get started on that," he said, sliding a hand to his chin, "alright, I'll clear my afternoons from now until the meeting so we can have plenty of prep time. You do the same and we'll tell Luca the plan at our meeting this morning."

Nadia cringed, "about that, I'm meeting with Johnson Corp at ten, so I might be a little late."

"Ugh, Johnson Corp? Their marketing guy doesn't shut up," he sighed, "that's fine just don't let him keep you too long or we're going to end up having a lunch meeting and you know -"

"You've got a date with Minerva," Nadia finished for him, "you two, honestly."

"What? We like spending time together and unlike you and Luca, we actually admit we like each other," he huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

Nadia let out a bark of laughter and grabbed her notepad, "and I'm leaving. I need to prep for this meeting," she said, getting up from her chair and started for the door.

"You know I'm right," he called.

She flipped her middle finger up at him and kept walking through the door, closing it on his booming laughter.

A blush scorched her cheeks as she walked down the hall to her office. She couldn't deny she was developing feelings for Luca that had nothing to do with friendship.

She was still internally squealing about the way he kissed her cheek, the way he read to her when she was scared and that scorching look in his eyes after her lap.

Fuck what the hell is wrong with me? I stopped letting myself feel like this for anyone a long time ago.

It was one thing to find him attractive but he made her feel like herself again, before the trauma...when she wasn't so afraid to open her heart.

"You alright, Nadia?"

She popped her head up and looked toward the voice, "oh, yeah I'm fine, Kira," Nadia met her in the cafeteria and they ate lunch with when Kira was ever allowed to leave the call center, "what are you doing up here?"

"Just dropping off an inquiry, they actually let me leave my seat for this," she laughed and grabbed onto her arm, "please tell me there's going to be openings for reps soon. I'm dying down there,"

Nadia felt so bad for her when she told her she'd applied for the call center just to get her foot in the door to become a marketing rep, but she got stuck in customer relations.

She put her hand over hers and nodded, "I have a meeting with Mr. Shola later so maybe there will be some good news."

"Oh God I hope so, I think half the call center is going to apply."

"Shit I don't doubt it." Ciara apparently ran a tight ship and micromanaged all the supervisors like Kira. She'd heard plenty of horror stories from Kira about the way Ciara treats them like peons.

"Yeah," she sighed, "anyway, I should get back down there before they send out a search party."

"Okay, girl. Hang in there."

"I'll try, just get me some good news," Kira waved as she stepped onto the elevator.

Nadia waved back and saw the time on her watch. Her eyes grew wide, she only had fifteen minutes to prep and get to her meeting! She scurried down the hall to her office to look over her notes in the little time she had.

Nadia was nodding and smiling to Peter the marketing manager from Johnson Corp as she ushered him out of the conference room. Her eyes slid to her watch, she had five minutes to get to the tenth floor for the meeting with Luca.

"Yes, yes, Peter. We'll have all the samples sent to your office in a week. I'm sorry to have to rush off but I have another meeting I'm late for." She said, as she gently pushed him toward the receptionists desk in the lobby.

"Oh right, Nadia. I'm so sorry, have a good day," he said, shaking her hand.

"Thank you," she said and turned away from him toward the elevators.

"Oh Nadia!" The receptionist called to her.

"Yes, Hannah?"

"Mr. Shola left a message saying you should use the back elevator. He knew you were running late and that one doesn't stop as much," she said, pointing to the elevator in the corner of the lobby.

"That's perfect, thank you," Nadia smiled and hurried to the elevator. She pressed the button to open the door and stared inside.

She didn't do well in small spaces like this. The main elevator was at least four of these put together, but the main elevator took far too long to get to the tenth floor with everyone getting on and off.

Fuck it, it's going to save me time.

She stepped on and took a deep breath as she pressed ten. The doors were just about to close before a hand shot through and they opened again.

"Ooo are you running late for our meeting too?" Luca chuckled as he stepped inside the elevator.

She raised an eyebrow, "yeah, but I thought you already knew that. You're the one who suggested I take the creepy back elevator."

He scrunched his face, "what? I don't remember telling anyone that."

"Well that's what Hannah said," she shrugged.

The look of fear that passed through Luca's eyes made her heart clench. Before he could respond the elevator lights flickered and the cube fell into darkness.

"Shit," Luca cussed as he turned to open the service box. He started to say something about the emergency phone but Nadia couldn't hear him.

Her mind was elsewhere...in the dark room where Jonathan used to leave her when she did something that displeased him. Nadia stumbled against the wall, her breath coming out short. She could hear the sound of her heartbeat in her ears as she slid to the floor and huddled against the wall. She clenched her eyes shut and waited for the beatings in the dark.