Lila Monroe had barely survived the paper crane incident—barely—but her luck clearly hadn't gotten the memo.
Victor Sterling, the Human Enigma, had returned to brooding behind his desk, presumably recovering from the experience of being used as a crash mat.
Lila, on the other hand, was dying. Slowly. Internally. Replaying the incident on loop in her head, complete with sound effects and humiliation levels usually reserved for sitcom protagonists. She was already halfway to a breakdown and only on Day Two.
"Maybe he thinks you did it on purpose," Mr. Hawkins offered cheerfully from atop a filing cabinet, legs swinging like a bored teen on a summer afternoon.
"For the last time," she muttered, "I told him it wasn't a seduction technique."
"And nothing says 'definitely a seduction technique' like yelling that it's not one," the ghost added smugly. "By the way, since we're getting friendly—name's Mr. Hawkins. In case you wanted to shout it during your next workplace disaster."
She glared at him. "Do you float around all day just waiting to roast me?"
"Sometimes I take breaks for ghost snacks," he said solemnly. "Marshmallows are a classic. Metaphysical ones."
She was about to snap back when the lights above flickered. Just once. But enough to give her that now-familiar chill down her spine like ice in her bones.
"Don't you dare," she muttered, pointing an accusatory finger at him.
Mr. Hawkins looked utterly innocent. "Wasn't me. This building has a mind of its own. Temperamental as a soap opera star."
Back at her desk, Lila noticed a manila folder sitting innocently in her inbox. Except it hadn't been there five minutes ago. And it definitely wasn't part of the files she'd been working on. She glanced at the label:
Client: Everlane Group. Confidential.
Weird.
She picked it up. The folder was warm. Which made no sense. And then—it trembled.
Just slightly. Like something inside was… moving.
Lila swallowed. Hard.
"I don't like this."
"Maybe it's just a strong draft?" Mr. Hawkins offered. "A very focused, mysterious, slightly vengeful draft."
The folder vibrated again. She snapped it open.
Nothing. Just papers. Charts. A financial statement.
And then—one page flipped itself.
Lila dropped the folder with a shrieked whisper, like she'd touched a cursed grimoire.
Victor looked up from his desk with a slow blink.
"You alright?" he asked, that voice somehow both bored and observant.
"Fine!" she squeaked. "Just… enthusiastic about quarterly reports."
One eyebrow twitched upward. He didn't look convinced, but he also didn't get up.
Lila gathered the fallen papers in a flurry and practically power-walked to Andrea's desk. She held the file like it was leaking radiation.
"Hey, quick question," she whispered. "Did you give me this file?"
Andrea barely glanced at it. "No. But if it's Everlane, it probably came down from Legal. They're reviewing old contracts."
Lila hesitated. "Does anything… strange happen with their files?"
Andrea finally looked up, brows pinched. "Strange how?"
"Like… flickering lights? Moving paper? Cold air that smells like printer ink and regret?"
Andrea narrowed her eyes. "You might just be overworked. Happens to all the newbies."
Lila forced a smile that screamed nothing is fine. "Right. Classic overwork-induced poltergeists."
Andrea raised a brow but said nothing more.
Back at her desk, Lila placed the folder down as if it might bite. Mr. Hawkins floated down beside her, peering at it upside down with the casual curiosity of someone about to watch a trainwreck.
"You know what this means, right?"
"No," she whispered.
"Haunted file," he whispered back. "Deluxe edition. No refunds."
"I don't have time for a haunted file!" she hissed. "I have deadlines. I have dignity to recover. I have—"
The folder snapped shut.
"Okay, that's just rude."
She tried to open it again. The pages flipped rapidly, one after another, as if something was rifling through them in a rush.
Victor looked over. "Everything alright?"
"Very! Productive! Loving paperwork!" she chirped, voice hitting a higher octave of panic.
Victor stood and walked over.
She panicked.
In a swift motion only someone truly desperate could execute, she slammed the folder shut and shoved it behind her back like a child hiding a failing math test.
"Can I see that?" he asked, stopping just a foot away.
"No!" she said too quickly. "I mean—it's, uh, smudged. I was going to reprint it. Definitely needs toner. So much toner. Practically dripping in… low toner issues."
Victor stared at her. Calm. Still. But curious. Like he was trying to read a puzzle she didn't know she was part of.
In her scramble, she lost balance slightly and brushed against his arm. His hand instinctively reached out—His arm wrapped around her waist before she could fall, pulling her flush against him.
Lila froze.
Victor didn't move right away either—his hand splayed at the small of her back, holding her close for one breathless second too long. His grip wasn't just steadying—it was grounding. Firm. Intentional.
Then he released her, clearing his throat and stepping back like nothing had happened.
"Careful," he said, voice lower than usual. "You tend to fall into strange situations."
His hand lingered just a second too long before he pulled away. "Be careful."
Lila's brain short-circuited.
He turned and returned to his desk, leaving her stunned and hyper-aware of the exact spot his fingers had touched.
Mr. Hawkins clapped silently. "That was a solid deflection. Not convincing. But energetic. Also, you two have chemistry. Might be haunted chemistry, but still."
Lila flopped into her chair and exhaled.
And then the file… opened itself again.
She screamed—internally, of course. Out loud would be unprofessional.
Suddenly, her computer screen flickered and filled with static. Only for a second. But long enough to show a distorted image: a face.
Pale. Unsmiling. Watching.
And then it was gone.
Mr. Hawkins stopped joking. "Okay. That part wasn't me."
Lila, breathing hard, slowly turned back to the folder. One paper was facing up now.
A client report from 1997.
With Victor Sterling's name on it.
But he would've been a teenager back then… right?
Or was he?
Lila shivered.
Maybe it wasn't just the building that was haunted.
Maybe it was the boss too.