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"To the losers!" Caroline raised her jug of beer, twitched her mouth in disappointment as she was disqualified in previous day's interview.

"Last time I checked you're ready to take anything with a smile." Stefan nudged her before he brought the notch of glass of her drink. Caroline sighed out, weary one. "Come on, stop being hard on yourself."

"I'm not pouting for anything!"

"Neither are you accepting it." Stefan said coolly, unlike her. When he received a flat glare from her, he admonished. "Prepare for another one, Care."

Caroline shifted her glance to the crowd in bar, her eyelids felt heavy due to tiredness. Stefan went on about the talents she possessed. It might boost her, but she figured out that her academics couldn't bring her earnings she imagined. Gradually she convinced herself to work at any non-technical place before she get into her core side.

And as the time flew, a thought popped in Caroline's mind.

"Why don't you recommend me at your office?" A smile lit up her face, her eyes widened. Leaning front on the table, she waited for her confused brother to respond.

"What?" Was all he muttered. Crumpled forehead, narrowed eyes made Caroline to groan. Probably Stefan wasn't being a bright bulb this evening. It took a minute to recover and then he turned stiff, averted gaze. "As if you didn't have other options." He mumbled. When Caroline lifted a brow questioningly, he sighed. "Why do you have to give up on other ways? Try harder. Still if you didn't get any job, then we can think about it later."

One thing was for sure: Stefan was hiding something from her. He wasn't looking straight into her eyes right from the moment she asked for his help.

"But all I need is a temporary job, Stefan." She came up with her point which didn't help her to change his mind.

Whom she was kidding?

Stefan was one stubborn-arse and above all she must know it better. She met him when they were kids. Since then she was used to his nature. Moving a mountain was easier than changing his brother's mind.

When Stefan figured out that Caroline was not happy with his suggestion, he changed the topic pretty cleverly. "By the way, I didn't see your friends anywhere. Aren't they coming tonight?"

Soon enough that question altered her mood and made her to huff out a smile. She knew Stefan had a thing for one of his friends, Elena, but he wouldn't accept it. Well, they never discussed about her openly. Though, Caroline would definitely enjoy Stefan's behaviour in Elena's presence.

"I thought it was family time, Stefan." She feigned surprise. Twisting her mouth a little, she purred. "Next time, for sure I'm going to bring Elena."

"What?" Stefan distorted his face, trying to hide the obvious. "I don't know what you're saying."

"Of course you don't." Caroline laughed, nudged at his arm playfully.

"We are not going to talk about it."

"Try me." His sister challenged.

Stefan's phone began to ring causing both of them to break off their conversation. His smile vanished as he excused himself. Caroline sat there, recalling Stefan's earlier words while finishing her drink. She concluded he might be having some issues at his work place. Either colleagues or his boss.

"Well, hello there," an unfamiliar voice fetched her to reality.

A pair of blue-gray eyes was observing her with such intensity that made Caroline focus on him a bit more. He seemed like any average man of his age. Tall, lean built structure and a body fitting gray shirt. So casual.

Caroline hardly recognised about the state of her body. She was so rigid. Despite a part of her mind brushed off that she didn't see the devil, she was still cautious.

She muttered a 'hi' as he settled in Stefan's place without asking permission which surprised her. No manners at all, she rolled eyes inwardly.

"You must be Stefan's sibling." He stretched out his hand.

Shaking his hand, Caroline frowned a little while thinking Stefan spread her name rather quickly. "Yeah. And you are?"

"Call me Klaus." He introduced with a smirk. "Your brother works for me."

Great. She sat in front of her brother's boss. "Caroline." With a stiff smile on her face, she looked around for Stefan. "Um, Stefan went to attend a call."

Klaus beamed at her in response. "So, you are new to this city?" He wasn't bothered with Stefan's absence.

"Yeah. Approximately it's been a month."

"Oh," he raised brows lightly as he asked, "how are you enjoying here so far?"

Caroline wanted to laugh at that. "I came in search of job."

"Tell me about it." He ordered a glass of vodka for self and gazed at her.

She wasn't sure if he was right person to speak with, but she told him anyway. "Recently I was graduated from college. I've applied for a company," shrugging her shoulders, Caroline added, "but I couldn't make it."

Klaus listened to her and then fell silent for almost a minute. He was calculating, she could say that. Then she saw Stefan walking into the place. As soon as he noticed Klaus sitting in front of his sister, he became rigid and pale.

So, something was wrong with Klaus?

Initially he might appear like a person with negative intentions, but she began to change her mind. Though, Stefan's reaction was giving her second thought.

Klaus followed her gaze and sighed at his subordinate. "Stefan! What are you looking at? Come on." With so much difficulty he closed the remaining space and sat next to Caroline. "I'm introducing myself to your sister and she just informed me that she was looking for a job."

"Yeah," Stefan mumbled, sending a glare in Caroline's direction which only she could understand. "She wants to work in her technical side."

She never stated that.

Klaus began to play with his empty glass as a melodious chuckle escaped him. "When you restrict yourself, the growth will decline for sure." Then he stared at Caroline. "Explore and experiment with things around you, just to know your true potential. What do you say, Stefan?"

Stefan responded with a tight smile as he reached for his jug of beer. Caroline fixed her gaze on Klaus. Why she got this feeling that he wasn't being entirely wrong?

"Aren't you ready to test your limits, love?" His question was directed at her.

Was she? Caroline layered her uncertainties with a confident smirk. He found answer in her posture.

"Good." He mirrored her smirk. "Even I'm intrigued to see your efficacy." That perplexed her. Stefan cleared his throat a little before Klaus offered. "You can walk into my place at anytime."

Caroline didn't struggle to hide her astonishment. No interview, no tests, he offered just like that? A part of her was ready to shout 'yes' for an answer, but she stalled.

"Stefan knew where to find me," Klaus looked back at his subordinate with dark glint dancing in his stormy blues. "He spends most of the time beside me and I'm sure he enjoys every bit of it." Stefan could only gape at his boss. "Don't you, Stefan?"

Caroline watched both the men with interest. Klaus was literally taunting Stefan about something and Stefan wasn't reacting because of the power Klaus had over him.

Wicked and energetic. She enjoyed his demeanor for some reasons. When Klaus shifted his attention once again, Caroline couldn't help but shiver. Chills of dark pleasure that forced her to look away before she could create a scene in front of her brother.

"So," he tossed some money on the table, "I will leave you both alone." Klaus said looking in between the half-siblings and then stood from his place. Caroline watched him shooting another smirk at her. "A word Stefan."

Stefan followed his boss, leaving Caroline behind to deal with mixture of thoughts.


Placing an arm over Stefan's shoulder, Klaus walked them both out of the bar. He appeared distant in his world.

Stefan didn't like it a bit. First, Caroline attracted Klaus and then he approached her in a less span of time. That sounded like a bad omen.

"Do one thing, Stefan." Klaus ended the silence. They both stopped at the mouth of side alley. "Convince your sister to work for me."

Shit.

"Don't look so alarmed." He let out a chortle. "I won't eat her alive."

"Why do you need her?"

"My current purpose for Caroline doesn't need your concern." Klaus replied in the same tone. "Your job is to do what I asked you to do."

"I can't do that." Stefan didn't control what flew into his mind. Klaus wasn't pleased to hear that line coming from him, so he raised a brow. Coldness radiated from his stormy blues for the denial which made Stefan to check the next set of words coming out of his mouth. "She is not aware of the work we do."

"Figured out that much," said a darkly smiling Klaus. "Caroline is no toddler, Stefan, but a fully grown woman." Inserting hands in his pockets, he added. "Explain things to her, or else I'll do it by myself." He tilted head a little. "In my way."

"She won't do such work." Another refusal. Bold yet polite one. "That's not her nature-"

Klaus cut the rest of sentence by making 'uh-uh' sound, raising his index finger. "Can't and won't-I don't like to hear such nasty words, especially coming from you." He shifted in Stefan's way, when he warned. "And a friendly reminder: You're refusing your boss. The person who has been ruling this city, the person who made it possible for you to walk on the roads with no obligations." Squinting at him, the superior one finished smugly. "Not so clever decision, Stefan."

The assistant exhaled sharply as he momentarily closed his eyes. "She is my sister, Klaus." Although Stefan hated to beg, he did just for Caroline. "I vowed myself to protect her. So, I sincerely request you to keep her out of this mess."

Klaus listened to everything with no emotion and then spoke after a moment. "Though I strongly believe that Caroline doesn't require someone else as her defense, I can understand your passion to 'protect' her. And you can do whatever it takes to 'keep her out of the mess,'" mockingly he quoted twice, his tone was so careless that made Stefan to flinch a bit, "But you can't tell me what to do and what not to do."

"She has no idea what you are." Stefan blurted out and it only boosted Klaus' ego.

"You knew?" Klaus asked merrily. "You knew what I'm capable of?" He thrust index finger into Stefan's chest, closed the remaining space and received a vigorous nod. "Still you want to stand in between me and your sister?" There was no answer for that except another pleading look.

Klaus observed his subordinate for a moment before he pulled back. He was about to leave when Stefan raised a question. "What if Caroline doesn't fit into this lifestyle?"

"What do you mean?" That crooked smile gradually replaced with tinge of irritation. His patience was wearing thin and both of them knew that point well.

But he wasn't ready to take any risk in Caroline's case. Stefan shrugged his shoulders. "What if she failed?" Klaus narrowed his eyes in response. Then Stefan explained. "I only intend to keep her safe. So, if she failed or if she doesn't want it, then leave her unharmed."

Klaus' face distorted in aversion as if Stefan was speaking bullshit. "There is no such thing called failure and I will prove that to you."

"-I want your word that she would be fine."

Stefan was truly stern which surprised Klaus. He could only hope he didn't stimulate his boss and bring unnecessary problems upon Caroline.

But he was too late.

"We shall see about it." Klaus replied slyly before he turned around to leave.

Stefan clenched his jaws as he glared at the ground beneath his feet. Klaus didn't give assurance, but Stefan was experienced enough to learn the true meaning behind his words which began to relieve him little by little.

"Refuse me again," Klaus spoke without looking back or stopping his pace, "you're as good as dead."

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