Between Deadlines and Desires

a stepped through the glass doors of Reign Capital like she always had,

. Subject: Strategy Sync – Urgent. Time: I

No context. J

dors felt too quiet, as if the walls were listeni

nce on his do

like he was holding in a storm. His usually unreadable express

he said, thou

The invite came t

then, flatly: "Why did you leave

s breat

my lunch

idn't

t track m

do

en them sharpened

ising. "Missing small details. Taking personal c

t realize you were monitorin

value," he said-

the choice of words.

t the florist

e outside these walls isn't my busin

mean

mething affects my ability to rely o

"Then maybe I shouldn't

t before she

ll. "What d

time I stopped being your shield, your backup plan,

en-a crack in their rhythm, in t

, the un

wasn't amused. It was

," he said. "You

ed him dead

tch

alked out, pulse thundering,

t call h

how, hurt more

idn't call

how, hurt more

pounding. As the doors slid shut, she leaned against the wall a

he was about to impl

desk, her phone was vibrating wi

Liv. I'm in town. W

eath h

o

to

t

r from a life she'd buried in betwee

at least th

ked back at h

efully stacked world-alread

ily came crashing back. The elevator dinged softly at the 43rd floor, and the moment the doors sli

ntended as she walked past the curious stares of other empl

she could even settle, his voic

My offi

Not a clipped command. Cli

er spine straight, j

the file in his hand like it had personally

bid for the same propert

d her brow.

sharply. "You

Just a hunch. It's the ki

es on her. "You've alwa

sk, something he rarely did. Clinton Reign didn't p

f his games,

livia said before sh

at her. "What's tha

pital stops reacting and starts redefini

r than necessary. Then, something sh

e the

d. Car

deal," he said. "Quietly. Fi

. "Conside

o leave, he said qu

urned

o approach you

Why would he

e first time, she saw it-a flicker of somet

ses

t another word,

ed her once before-briefly, years ago, when things at

would she