Chapter 18 - A Shifting Paradigm

As Ella nervously sat on the chair, she couldn't help but notice Lyall's intense gaze. Although she couldn't explain it, she felt an inexplicable connection with the CEO, whose penetrating eyes seemed to bore through her. Her heart raced, and her palms grew moist as her turn for the interview drew near.

But as she focused on Lyall, she saw something unusual happening to him. His usually confident and composed demeanor began to waver. A strange, distant look clouded his eyes. It was as though he were undergoing a transformation. Ella couldn't tear her gaze away from him, a mix of curiosity and concern swirling inside her.

Lyall felt an unprecedented emptiness engulfing him, an emptiness that clawed at the very core of his being. He watched Ella, puzzled by her human nature, and contemplated what it must feel like to be stripped of his wolf attributes. He had never experienced this vulnerability, this emptiness that the human experience seemed to entail.

Yet, before he could delve deeper into his thoughts, one of the interview panel members interrupted, his voice laced with annoyance, "Madam, don't tell me you are here for this interview. Your outfit, your demeanor, your manners, all scream that you are not qualified for this job."

Ella's heart sank as she heard the harsh judgment. She tried to plead, "Please, sir, don't do this to me. I really need this job."

The interviewer's voice remained firm, "We don't employ people solely because they need us; we employ those who can significantly contribute to our company."

Dejected, Ella rose from her seat, seemingly ready to accept the verdict. But then, in a surprising turn of events, she turned her gaze toward Lyall. Her movements were swift and defiant as she reached for his coat, desperation etched on her face.

Lyall's world seemed to shift. A peculiar sensation surged through him. It was as if an invisible force had reached deep into his being and touched a part of him he never knew existed. The human vulnerability he had pondered earlier became tangible as he felt a rush of emotions wash over him.

"Please, sir, do something. Don't let them do this to me," Ella implored with wide, hopeful eyes.

He hesitated for a moment, the transformation within him triggering a torrent of confusion. And then, almost instinctively, he moved to push her hand away from his coat, the emotions swirling within him escaping through his lips in a composed tone, "Madam, please leave. If you are qualified, you won't be begging for this job; we would be the ones begging to have you in our company."

Ella, overwhelmed by the turn of events, rose weakly from her chair. Her energy had been sapped by the emotional rollercoaster she had experienced in this short span. She managed to steal a brief glance at Lyall before making her way towards the exit.

Lyall, however, remained in the room, grappling with the unfamiliar emotions and thoughts coursing through him. He contemplated the incredible power Ella seemed to hold over him, her presence causing a shift in his wolf nature he had never anticipated. Without fully comprehending it, he had found himself drawn into a world that was, at once, alien and electrifying.

Taking a deep breath, he made a life-altering decision. Something within him urged him to follow Ella, to unravel the enigma she embodied. As he stepped out of the room, he was poised on the brink of a new chapter, one that would forever change the course of his life.