Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Solenn
Dinner at my parents’ house was always a loud, chaotic affair, full of overlapping conversations, the clinking of utensils against plates, and the occasional passive-aggressive remark disguised as casual concern.
I stepped through the front door, already bracing myself for what was coming.
The scent of roasted chicken and garlic butter filled the air, and I barely had time to hang up my coat before my mother’s voice rang from the kitchen.
“Solenn! You’re late.”
I glanced at the clock on the wall. Seven-thirty.
Technically, dinner started at seven, but it wasn’t like they ever waited for me.
I walked into the dining room, where everyone was already seated—my mother and father at the heads of the table, my older brother Lucas swirling a glass of red wine like he was in a movie, and my younger sister Bea looking far too amused for my liking.
“Well, look who finally decided to show up,” Bea said, smirking as she stabbed a piece of asparagus with unnecessary force. “Busy schedule?”
I plopped into my usual seat and reached for a dinner roll. “Yeah, you know how it is. Spent the day rescuing kittens, fighting crime, just the usual.”
Lucas chuckled, setting his wine down. “Still job-hopping, then?”
My mom shot him a look, but I could already see where this was going. It was the same conversation every time I came home—wrapped in concern but sharpened with judgment.
“I like to think of it as collecting life experiences,” I said, tearing a piece of bread apart with my fingers.
“Right,” Bea said, rolling her eyes. “Because working at a marketing firm for two months before quitting is a valuable life experience.”
I shrugged. “Hey, I learned that I hate marketing.”
My mother sighed as she set down her fork. That was her tell—that tiny pause before she delivered what she thought was a well-meaning lecture but what I liked to call her Solenn, What Are You Doing With Your Life speech.
“Solenn, we’re just saying,” she started, her voice soft but laced with concern. “You’ve had, what, five jobs in the last two years?”
“Six,” Bea corrected helpfully.
My father cleared his throat, finally looking up from his plate. “And now you’re between jobs again?”
I smiled, trying to keep it light. “Technically, yes. But I like to think of it as a career break. Very European of me.”
Lucas smirked. “Pretty sure in Europe they take career breaks after having a career.”
I grabbed my glass of water and took a slow sip. “You know, I was thinking of becoming a spy. Or maybe a professional coffee taster.”
Bea snorted into her drink. “You hate coffee.”
“Exactly,” I said. “I’d be an unbiased judge. I’d revolutionize the industry.”
Mom pinched the bridge of her nose. “Solenn, sweetheart.”
I sighed dramatically. “Oh, here we go.”
“We just want to know what your plan is,” she continued. “You can’t just keep jumping from one thing to another. You’re almost twenty-eight, and?—”
I held up a hand. “Let me guess. I need stability, a steady paycheck, benefits, a 401(k), blah blah blah.”
My father let out a long breath. “You say it like it’s a bad thing.”
“It’s not,” I said, setting down my glass. “It’s just not for me. Not yet.”
Lucas shook his head with a knowing look. “You’ve been saying that since college.”
I picked up a piece of bread and threw it at him. He caught it effortlessly, grinning.
Before my mother could launch into another speech about responsibility, my phone buzzed in my lap. I glanced down, immediately recognizing Nina’s name on the screen.
Nina: Sent you a job posting. It’s intense, but I think you’d love it.
I clicked the link and skimmed the first few lines.
Spencer & Co. – Executive Assistant to CEO Maverick Spencer.
I blinked. Spencer & Co. was huge—one of the biggest investment firms in the country.
Maverick Spencer was practically a legend in the corporate world.
Ruthless, brilliant, impossible to work for.
I’d heard stories. The man had gone through assistants faster than I went through house plants, and that was saying something.
I barely had time to process it before Bea’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Why do you look like you just saw something interesting?”
I quickly locked my phone and shoved it into my pocket. “What? Nothing. Just a text from Nina.”
Lucas raised a brow. “She still at that PR firm?”
“Yep,” I said, reaching for another roll. “She loves it.”
My mother perked up. “See? Nina has a good, steady career. She’s building something for herself.”
I looked at her with amusement. “Are you saying I should be more like Nina?”
Mom hesitated. “I’m saying you should think about what kind of future you’re building.”
That one landed a little harder than the rest. I forced a light laugh. “I’ll figure it out.”
Lucas smirked. “You’ve been saying that since college.”
This time, I threw a grape at him. It bounced off his forehead, and Bea cackled.
The conversation eventually shifted to Bea’s law internship and Lucas’s latest case at the hospital, and I let myself fade into the background, nodding along as I nibbled at my food.
My family meant well. I knew they did. But they would never fully understand me.
Lucas had always known he wanted to be a doctor.
Bea had her entire life planned out before she even graduated high school. Me? I was still figuring it out.
By the time dinner ended, I was back in my car, sitting in the driver’s seat, staring at my phone.
I pulled up Nina’s message again.
Nina: It pays stupidly well. And knowing you, you’d probably piss him off daily.
I smiled a little.