JOY IN CHAOS

outside Richard Sinclair's office door. For the third time this week, she was about to ha

nd another fault, tear it apart, and sen

tened her back, pushed open the

rp, tailored suit clung perfectly to his broad shoulders, and his taper-fade haircut gave him an

different circumstances, seemed to pierce through

of him, and his gaze was fixed on the computer screen, his expression n

ngton," he said, his vo

dropped. E

r voice steady despite the frustration creepi

corrected, his voice

was the same routine she'd gone through every time. She'd show up on time, file her reports,

g to let him get under her ski

than necessary, but she quickly masked it with a smile sh

h it slowly, his eyes scanning each page with the pr

he'd double-checked every number, verified every source, an

amiliar sting in her chest. Sh

onto the desk, the papers slipping and scattering across the surface. "Page six. The p

Again? This was the same page he'd

th, trying her best to keep her voice calm. "T

d, leaning back in his chair. His posture was the pictu

when nothing was wrong? But this wasn't about the repor

from running through everything that had brought her here. She'd take

eady faced more hardships

er's health had worsened to the point where she couldn't work anymore. The bills piled up, and Mabel had taken

me jobs to make it all work. She'd sacrificed sleep, co

ition, it felt like salvation. The job that

bs combined, and for the first time in years,

ed, her heart aching from his constant

his cold, detached expression, the ans

beneath him. How he barely acknowledged his clients, dismissing them with a rudeness that made her crin

. She'd heard whispers among the staff, theories about why he was so harsh with her. Some thought it was because she'd stood up to him during

ing for certain: Richard Sinclair was

while I'm at it?" she asked, unable to

d, something shifted in his gaze...something that was not quite cold, not qui

said, his voice as condescending as ev

, to throw the report in his face and tell him exactly what she thought of him. But she c

a smile that felt like a mask

her chest. The door clicked shut behind her, but the weight of

hought bitterly as she sank into her chair. But

how much he pushed her, she would endure. She had no choice.

n. If he wants perfection, I'll give him