Felix couldn't believe the email had come from Jacob Kennedy himself. After the secretary's call to the refugee centre—cool, professional, final: Mr. Kennedy's schedule no longer permits personal meetings—Felix assumed he'd never hear from Jacob again.
Yet, here he was with Jacob in the common room of the parliament. Jacob wore a pristine navy-blue suit. Bruises gone. Fully recovered.
Felix, in his plain white button-down and black trousers—the best he'd been able to manage to find from the centre's donation. He felt out of place, like he'd wandered into the wrong room.
"Why have you invited me to come here?" Felix's voice was small.
"I want to know if you would accept my offer," Jacob responded.
Felix blinked. "I'm surprised you want anything to do with me after your secretary—"
"I let her go after that email," Jacob said, almost casually. He tilted his head. "You don't need to worry about her. Ready to hear the offer?"
Felix swallowed, aware of how the collar of his shirt felt too tight. "Yes."
"How would you like to work for me as my personal assistant?" Jacob beamed.
Felix's jaw slackened. For a second, he wasn't sure he'd heard correctly. "Why me? You barely know me."
"You saved my life, Felix." Jacob's tone was matter-of-fact, but his eyes were serious. "That's not something I forget. Besides, I know the refugee centre isn't a long-term solution. This gives you stability. The job comes with an apartment."
"An apartment?" Felix echoed, still reeling.
"Staff building across the square. Parliament owns it. Most employees live there."
Felix tried to process it. "What would I… actually do?"
"Normal assistant duties." Jacob shrugged lightly. "Grab coffee before meetings, help set up rooms for events, and handle small errands. It's straightforward work. I think you'd like it."
Felix exhaled sharply. "Too good to be true."
"It's not." Jacob leaned in. "This is me paying it forward. And I'd like to have you around. Say yes. I want you on the team."
"Alright," he said politely. "Yes."
Jacob's face lit up—open, unguarded joy. "Good. That's great, I'll have Fawn, she's my junior assistant. She'll show you your apartment. I'm sure you'll love it. "
For the first time in months, Felix felt like he wasn't standing on thin ice.