After all, twenty new recruits were gathered in the orientation meeting room, they were introduced to the HR team, who went over everything Riverland, from the company’s founding year to the most recent changes in the Lebanese branch.

All the recruits were blown away by the fantastic company in which they were about to embark on a new career. Riverland is one of the most difficult companies to work for or even get an interview with; each of them had to go through two months of multiple tests and interviews before being chosen to be a part of the well-known company.

After four hours of information, the head of the HR team informed the recruits that they would have a thirty-minute break until his team completed all the contract papers for them to sign. Most of them went to the restrooms or had a quick smoke and small talk.

Dareen, Sarah, and Younes stayed together, and Sarah’s phone was full of messages. “My brother wants me to join him upstairs; do you want to come?” Younes immediately stood up, excited to see everything in the company; Daren agreed as well, wanting to check on Nellie.

The three of them went out of the downstairs room heading to the elevator. They went to the ninth floor, where they would be working in a few days. As they approached the door of their future stations and colleagues, the door popped open, revealing Nellie heading out and someone standing a few steps behind her, texting furiously on his phone.

“Ali!”

“Dareen!”

Nellie and Sarah both said it at the same time. Ali looked in the direction of his sister’s voice, but neither she nor Younes were visible. It was aimed at Dareen, who wasn’t looking at him but at Nellie, who was talking to her; he saw her dimpled smile, and for a moment, everything around him seemed to stop moving.

A split second before the door closed and Sarah forced him to look at her, he smiled at his sister and asked, “How was your exam?”

“No idea, I think I did okay,” she said as she turned to her right and introduced Younes to Ali, shaking hands. “Where has Dareen gone?”

“She’s with someone, maybe her cousin,” Younes speculated.

Ali looked at the door once more before leading them on a brief tour of the vast room filled with computer stations and working agents. After a few moments, the door was opened again, and Nellie and Dareen entered.

Ali’s gaze trailed them as they approached Nellie’s station, where she sat in her chair and Dareen stood beside her. He couldn’t take his gaze away from her face; something about her piqued his interest, and she raised her head, scanning the room.

Ali was at the far end, between Sarah and Younes, who were joking with another older agent. When she spotted Younes, she shifted her gaze and looked directly into Ali’s eyes, sending shivers down his spine.