Chapter 6: Helena Darrow (2)
Olivia stepped forward with the crisp efficiency of someone used to running entire meetings from behind a single tablet. Her charcoal-gray suit was perfectly tailored, every line precise, every fold deliberate. She moved like a blade cutting through air—smooth, purposeful, deadly.
"If you do accept," she began without fanfare, "you’ll be attached to Cornelius Holdings’ Public Image Division. Reporting only to the Patriarch and myself."
Helena blinked. "So I’d be... a PR officer?"
"A liaison," Olivia corrected, her voice steady but with an edge that suggested she’d had this conversation before—with people who hadn’t understood the distinction. "You’d manage community outreach, handle charity partnerships, and act as the social anchor for public rehabilitation cases. It’s not just press—it’s perception."
Vincent’s lips curled slightly. "You’d be our kindness."
Helena wasn’t sure how to respond to that. The words felt both flattering and somehow... hollow. Like being told she’d be a beautiful decoration for a weapon.
The tablet slid into her hands with Olivia’s characteristic precision. It displayed her proposed contract: neat, clean, formal. Helena’s eyes traced the numbers, but her mind wandered.
Initial Salary: 30,000 Rubi/month (≈ ₹3,00,000 / ~$3,450 USD)
Office: Autumnvale Sector 3 -- Cornelius South Wing
Clearance: Tier 1 (Restricted, Non-combat)
Bonus Allocation: Performance-based; VP-generating initiatives rewarded
She stared at the number for a long second. It was more than her late husband’s company had ever paid its regional director. More than she’d ever dreamed of earning.