The faint glow on Reinhardt's forearm began to retreat slightly, and the sharp anguish that had seized him last night dulled to a tolerable throb.
"Lisa is close… her scent is stronger. It's making the curse retreat," he muttered under his breath.
He shot a glance at Bertolt, who stood watchfully by the door.
"Go welcome the ladies," Reinhardt ordered quietly. "Lisa is near."
Bertolt's nostrils flared, his eyes flicking toward the corridor. "I smell it too, brother…."
The door opened. Ursula and Brunhilde stepped in first, with Lisa trailing behind them shyly.
"Reinhardt, Reinhardt, here you are!" Brunhilde burst out before even greeting him properly. "It's been ages since I saw you, brother. You just love shutting me off, don't you? You always see Bertolt and Ursula more than me. Just because I don't want to work in this boring company."
Reinhardt smiled faintly. "No, Brunhilde. I'm just always busy. I'm sorry, Sister."
He stood to kiss her cheek.
Ursula and Bertolt stood sentinel nearby while Brunhilde threw herself onto the sofa, sprawling like she owned the place. Well… she kind of did.
Lisa stood to the side, her hands clasped together, observing everything quietly. She felt out of place among these supermodels.
Reinhardt's eyes kept stealing glances at her. Her presence suppressed the curse to a very faint speck.
"Please, sit, Miss Lisa," Reinhardt urged, a warm smile spreading across his face.
Brunhilde's eyebrows shot up. "Reinhardt, I've never seen you smile this much before." She grinned mischievously. "Is Lisa your girlfriend?"
Lisa's eyes widened. Girlfriend? Her face flushed crimson, words failing her.
"No, Brunhilde," Reinhardt said softly, his smile still noticeable as his gaze darted toward Bertolt. "She's… a friend."
"My name is Reinhardt, as you already know," he said, his tone calm but warm. "That's my brother, Bertolt...ehm...and I'm sure Brunhilde and Ursula have already introduced themselves."
Lisa nodded quickly. "Yes… yes. My name is Lisa Hathaway. Thank you for considering me for the interview." Her voice was breaking, her fingers twisting the hem of her blouse.
Brunhilde, already scrolling through her phone, barely looked up. "I'm not interested in this boring interview," she said breezily. "I've got a plane to catch..Off to Switzerland. Shopping to do." She paused long enough to glance at Lisa. "You're pretty, by the way. Catch you later, if he gives you the job. He doesn't hire people that often."
"Brunhilde…" Reinhardt's voice dropped, a gentle warning buried in it.
She ignored him with a churlish grin, leaned over to kiss his cheek, and strutted toward the door. "Ursula, see you later."
"Lisa, don't mind Brunhilde," Reinhardt said, trying to bring order back into the room.
"Okay," Lisa replied softly.
He leaned back slightly, his tone now all business. "We received your application for the position of financial auditor. However, that role is reserved for my aunt, Miss Ingrid Schmidt. She's a well-known financier. You've probably heard her name. She's written several college textbooks."
Lisa's jaw dropped. Miss Ingrid Schmidt? She had read two of those books back in school. So this family was connected to her too? How influential are these people?
"But… Why did you call me then?" she finally asked. Her voice trailing toward the end.
Reinhardt smiled faintly. "However, Lisa, you'll be my personal financial secretary. You'll handle everything related to my personal accounts and assets. Note..ahem ..not the company's. I trust you can manage that?"
Both Ursula and Bertolt exchanged a sharp glance, their eyes darting toward Reinhardt in quiet surprise.
He ignored them, still smiling.
Now that Lisa had begun to relax a little, she finally noticed how unusually handsome he was. His jawline was clean and defined, his silver hair glinting faintly under the office light. But what caught her most were his eyes....deep scarlet, strange and beautiful. Unusual for a human, she thought. Then again, this family seemed far from ordinary.
"If you're worried it's not a suitable job," Reinhardt added casually, "I'll pay you a hundred thousand dollars per month for your trouble."
Lisa's eyes shone.
She wasn't ready to show how impoverished she was, so she said quietly,
"Yes, Mr. Reinhardt. I'll try to consider it."
Consider what? Your rent is overdue. Your college debt's still standing. You rely on Tesa for everything. Her thoughts raced.
"Okay, Miss Lisa," Reinhardt said, smiling. "I'll expect your response. If the money's too small, I'll raise it. I'd like you to work with me."
Lisa found him warm and kind but she knew it was an act. He was calm, controlled, almost melancholy. So why was he smiling now?
Well, that didn't matter.
"Okay, Mr. Reinhardt," she said, regaining her composure.
"I'll take my leave now."
"Bertolt, please escort her to the door and tell the company driver to take her home."
"Yes, brother," Bertolt said.
Reinhardt heaved a sigh after Lisa left, taking a sip from the coffee on his table.
"Ursula, what did you notice about her?"
"Reinhardt, this woman is strange," Ursula replied, her voice certain. "She carries a Luna's scent, but she looks… ordinary. I even dropped a veil on her to test her reaction but she didn't notice. She's not powerful, but her scent… I can't explain it."
"Ah, yes. I noticed too," Reinhardt murmured. "She's strange, but she's connected to this curse somehow. That's why I have to be nice to her. The closer she is to me, the slower the curse spreads. We need to find out who she really is… and how this curse began."
"Alright," Ursula said. "I'll tell Konrad and Siegfried to run a background check on her."
When Ursula left, the office once became silent.
Reinhardt stared at the faint glow on his palm.
"Who are you, Lisa Hathaway?" he sighed.