The sun had barely crested the skyline when Bella and Chloe stepped into StoneTech's glass tower, a neat folder tucked under her arm.
The city outside was still yawning awake, but her mind was already racing with figures, graphs, and the words from the board report she had polished until past midnight.
Her heels clicked softly against the marble, each step a reminder of her fatigue. She was bone-tired, but her report was flawless. It had to be.
She had just set her bag down at her desk when Jake's office door swung open. He stood there in a dark suit, every line of him perfectly pressed and composed. Yet when his gaze met hers, she noticed it—the faint heaviness shadowing his eyes, as though he hadn't slept much either.
His attention dipped to the folder in her hands. "I see you've printed it just as you said in your email," he said, voice low, steady, but carrying something that almost sounded like relief.
