Friday mornings at OrionTech were usually mundane. Meetings ran long, people mentally checked out before lunchtime, and everyone quietly prayed that no unexpected tasks would ruin their weekend. But this Friday felt different.
There was a buzz in the air an unspoken tension rippling across desks and break rooms.
The CEO was in the building.
"Have you seen him?" whispered one of the interns near the copy machine.
"Not yet," replied another. "But someone said he was on the 9th floor an hour ago."
Evelyn rolled her eyes as she walked past them. "You'd think he was royalty," she muttered under her breath.
Ryan Ronan, really followed behind her, pretending not to exist. The weight of the rumors was pressing down on him. He had to walk a razor-thin line. If he showed too much interest in what was happening, people might notice. If he acted too aloof, Evelyn might get suspicious.
They reached the elevator. Evelyn pressed the button for the 6th floor.
"Do you care who the CEO is?" she asked casually.
Ryan looked at her sideways. "Not really. I mean, he signs the paychecks, but other than that... he's just another guy in a suit, right?"
Evelyn gave a short laugh. "Exactly. It's weird how obsessed people get with power."
They stepped off the elevator and made their way to their desks. Ryan's heart thudded as he passed a hallway where he knew a board member was meeting with department heads. He avoided eye contact. One wrong glance could blow the entire act.
Around noon, Evelyn peeked over his cubicle.
"Lunch?"
Ryan nodded. "You read my mind."
They headed toward the rooftop garden, the one place where they could speak freely, away from nosy colleagues and office politics. The fall air was crisp, the sky a bright canvas of blue. Leaves from the few rooftop trees danced lazily in the breeze.
They sat on their usual bench. Evelyn unwrapped her sandwich. Ryan did the same, though he wasn't hungry. He was too focused on what he needed to say… and what he couldn't.
"I've been thinking," Evelyn said between bites. "You never told me why you really started working here. I mean… you're clearly overqualified for an intern role."
Ryan smiled tightly. "Maybe I was looking for something different."
"Different how?"
He hesitated. The temptation to say everything surged in his chest. Tell her. Right now. She deserves it.
But he didn't.
"Different in the sense of… less pressure. Less expectation. I guess I wanted to see what it's like to just be, you know? No spotlight. No title. Just a guy doing honest work."
Evelyn stared at him, studying him with those searching eyes.
"That's... actually kind of brave."
He blinked. "Brave?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "Most people spend their lives trying to climb the ladder. But you? You stepped down. Willingly."
"I guess it doesn't feel brave. It feels... like I'm running away."
She tilted her head. "From what?"
He gave a small shrug. "From becoming someone I don't like."
That answer hit too close to home. Ryan turned to look out over the city, letting the wind cool his burning thoughts.
They sat in silence for a few moments before Evelyn spoke again. "You know what I think?"
"What?"
"I think you're not as mysterious as you want people to believe. But you are hiding something."
His stomach twisted. "What makes you say that?"
"Your eyes," she said simply. "You smile with your mouth, but not your eyes."
He froze.
Evelyn took a sip of her drink, then added, "It's not a bad thing. We all carry secrets. I just hope whatever yours is… it doesn't hurt you more than it helps you."
Ryan swallowed hard, forcing a nod.
That night, the company Slack channels exploded.
Subject: "Spotted: The CEO in accounting?!"
From: Gossip_Girl_83Message: "No joke, Ronan Blake himself was seen in the basement levels today. Why the heck is he inspecting the printer rooms?"
Response from someone else: "Maybe he's got a thing for toner."
Another reply: "Or maybe he's hunting down an intern."
Ryan stared at the messages on his phone and rubbed his face. This was getting dangerous.
He couldn't keep this up much longer. And Evelyn? She was getting closer every day. Smarter. Sharper. It was only a matter of time before the pieces clicked together.
He called Marcus again that night.
"She's asking questions," Ryan said.
"You knew this would happen," Marcus replied.
"Yeah, but I didn't expect her to see through me so fast."
"You're in love with her."
Ryan didn't reply.
"You're not the first CEO to fall for someone out of his league," Marcus added. "But you might be the first idiot to pretend to be a broke intern to win her heart."
"She wouldn't have trusted me as Ronan Blake."
"Maybe," Marcus said. "But you know what she definitely won't trust? A liar."
That hit harder than expected.
The next morning, the company's executive newsletter hit everyone's inbox.
Subject: "CEO Blake's Initiative for Ground-Level Insight."
A glossy photo of Ronan Blake his real face sat at the top of the message. Below was a carefully written paragraph about how he valued every employee and was spending time in the trenches "to understand operations firsthand."
Evelyn clicked on it while sipping coffee at her desk. Ryan sat one cubicle away, holding his breath.
She leaned around the divider and whispered, "Finally! So he has been walking around pretending to care."
Ryan forced a smile. "Yeah, wild, huh?"
She stared at the photo. "It's funny. You kinda look like him."
His pulse stopped.
She tilted her head, analyzing the image. "Not exactly. But there's a resemblance."
Ryan laughed nervously. "I'll take that as a compliment."
"You should," she said. "He's hot."
That comment should have made him grin.
Instead, it made him sweat.
Later that evening, back on the rooftop after hours, Evelyn was pacing. She'd had a rough day. Departmental changes were being made without notice. Rumors of layoffs floated through the air.
"This company used to stand for something," she said angrily. "But now? It's all numbers. No people. No heart."
Ryan stood nearby, watching her. "I think it's trying. Maybe someone inside is trying to change that."
She stopped pacing. "Maybe. But until the person at the top actually listens to people down here, it's all just PR fluff."
The words stabbed deep. She had no idea he was the person at the top.
"You don't trust him," Ryan said softly.
"I don't know him. And that's the problem. Leaders should be visible. Transparent. Accountable."
Ryan stepped closer. "What if he's trying? What if… he's scared of getting it wrong?"
Evelyn turned to him, her expression gentler now. "Then I'd say he's human. But he needs to stop hiding behind walls."
Ryan's mouth opened. The confession teetered on his tongue.
Tell her.
But she looked at him then, with such open trust in her eyes, it broke him.
Not yet.
Soon.
But not tonight.
Instead, he leaned forward and kissed her.
Slow. Gentle. Honest.
Evelyn didn't pull away.
When they parted, she whispered, "This complicates things."
He nodded. "Yeah."
"But I don't want to run from it."
Neither did he.
But he also knew the truth was coming and when it did, this rooftop would never feel the same again.