"ALARM! ALARM!"
Aurelia's eyes snapped open at exactly 9:00 a.m.
Friday.
The day of her second interview.
Blackwood JLE.
She groaned, dragging herself out of bed.
"Ugh… school was easier. At least you could skip that."
Half-awake, she walked to the dining table, poured herself some hot water, and tried to wake her mind before her body.
An hour later, after moving through her routine lazily but carefully, she was finally ready.
Documents—checked.
Money—checked.
Blue wallet—of course.
A small refreshment drink—just in case.
Blackwood was far—almost 50 minutes away.
So she left early.
At 10:30 a.m.
Sitting in the taxi, she looked out the window, her thoughts quieter this time.
"I hope this goes well."
Not nervous.
Not overconfident.
Just… steady.
When she reached, she silently thanked her luck.
No traffic.
On time.
Calm.
She followed the directions from the email and reached the designated floor.
And paused.
"...There are a lot of candidates."
Outside Mr. Anderson's cabin, people sat, stood, revised, whispered.
She counted unconsciously.
"One… two… eight…"
A small breath in.
Then—
confidence.
She walked forward.
"Miss Aurelia Vale?"
A man approached.
"Yes?"
"I'm Mr. Martinez. I contacted you. This way, please."
He guided her toward the cabin.
She nodded with a polite smile.
Inside—
another candidate was already seated.
Jennifer.
They exchanged a brief glance.
Not hostile.
Not friendly.
Just aware.
Round 1 — Joint Evaluation
Mr. Anderson sat across them.
No small talk.
"Let's begin."
"Your client is legally correct—but morally questionable. How do you proceed?"
Jennifer answered first, steady and confident.
"I would rely strictly on legality. The foundation of our profession is law, not personal morality. If the law supports the client, that is the argument I would stand on."
Aurelia nodded slightly before responding.
"I agree that legality is the foundation. But completely ignoring morality can affect how the case is perceived—especially in how arguments are received."
Jennifer leaned forward just a little.
"But focusing too much on perception can weaken clarity. If your legal ground is strong, why complicate it?"
Aurelia met her gaze calmly.
"I wouldn't complicate it. I'd strengthen it—by presenting the argument in a way that holds legally and resonates logically."
A brief silence followed.
Not uncomfortable.
Competitive.
Next question.
"If opposing counsel is more experienced than you?"
Jennifer responded immediately.
"Preparation. Stronger facts and deeper research can outweigh experience."
Aurelia followed.
"Preparation matters—but so does observation. Experience often creates patterns in argument."
Jennifer countered, her tone controlled.
"Or it creates unpredictability. Assuming patterns could make your strategy weaker."
Aurelia gave a slight, composed smile.
"That's why observation comes before assumption."
Mr. Anderson's pen paused mid-note.
Final question.
"Why should we select you?"
Jennifer spoke first.
"I bring consistency. I don't hesitate under pressure, and I don't lose clarity once I commit to a position. That reliability is important in this profession."
Then—
Aurelia.
She didn't rush.
"I bring adaptability. If something isn't working, I don't stay fixed to it—I improve it. Law isn't static, and neither should be the approach."
Jennifer added, without looking away,
"Consistency builds trust."
Aurelia replied, just as steady,
"And adaptability protects results."
Silence.
Not empty.
Measured.
"Alright," Mr. Anderson closed the file.
"We will inform you of the results."
The interview lasted around 25 minutes.
But it felt longer.
Sharper.
More competitive.
Outside—
Aurelia exhaled slowly.
"That was… different."
As she walked downstairs, her stomach growled.
"I didn't even eat."
She let out a small laugh and headed straight to the cafeteria.
She ordered two chicken sandwiches and sat down.
Finally—relaxed.
"The interviews… both went as expected. No hesitation. No fumbling."
A small nod to herself.
"Good job, Aurelia."
"Mind if I join?"
She looked up.
Jennifer.
"Of course."
They sat across each other—this time, without pressure.
"Your name is Jennifer, right?" Aurelia asked.
"Yes. And you're Aurelia."
They exchanged a light smile.
Conversation flowed—simple, easy.
Hobbies. Backgrounds. Goals.
Until—
Aurelia leaned slightly forward.
"I heard this firm is led by Senior Attorney Margot Hernandez."
Jennifer's eyes lit up.
"Yes! I've seen her court proceedings. She's incredible."
"I hope I get to work with her," Jennifer added.
Aurelia smiled, a hint of playfulness.
"You might. You were strong in there."
Jennifer laughed softly.
"You're good at this—making people believe things."
Aurelia shrugged lightly.
"I just like seeing people smile."
She stood up.
"I should get going. It was nice meeting you."
"You too."
They parted ways.
On her way home, Aurelia sat quietly.
Now—
it was no longer about performance.
It was about results.
Montclair.
Blackwood.
Or both.
And if both—
then the choice would be hers.
Or so she thought.
Because somewhere, beyond her awareness—
a decision had already begun forming.
The moment she stood in the rain that day.
She could choose Blackwood.
But something—
unseen, unspoken—
was already tying her path
to the Montclair Group.