Weeks had passed since Elena first joined the Marketing Department, and she was beginning to blend seamlessly into the team. She carried herself with poise, sharp in both wit and presence, enough to make people either admire her or feel quietly intimidated. Lucas, though often silent, kept up his subtle back-and-forth with her—the kind of unspoken tension where a single raised brow could feel like an entire conversation.
But Daniel was another story entirely.
It was during one late evening, after a long stretch of brainstorming sessions, that he caught Elena by the elevators. His usual grin played on his lips as he leaned against the polished steel wall.
"So," he began smoothly, "I've been thinking… you and I should have dinner. Just a casual night out."
Elena tilted her head slightly, a polite smile curving her lips. "I'm alright, thank you. I have a lot on my plate."
Daniel chuckled, undeterred. "Come on, Elena. You know out of all the interns, maybe ten percent—if not none—get to stay here after their program. But lucky for you, I'm one of the people who gets to decide that. Mathias and I? We're in charge of those decisions." His grin widened. "I can assure you a spot here after your internship. And if I treat you nice in… other ways, I think you'll find it worth your while."
Elena blinked, hiding her amusement. Inside, she laughed at his arrogance. Only if you knew who I really am. But she played along, just to see how far he'd go.
"Well," she said lightly, "I'll think about it."
Daniel's eyes gleamed with satisfaction, misinterpreting her tone. He left with confidence, convinced he'd planted a seed. Elena, meanwhile, knew it was a clear no—but keeping him guessing was too much fun to resist.
---
Later that week, the Marketing floor buzzed with its usual rhythm. Lucas stopped by Mathias's office after a long day, leaning on the doorframe. Mathias was lounging casually, clearly waiting for Amara to leave the department so he could drift closer again.
Lucas raised a brow. "You're wasting your time hovering around Amara. If you want her, just be straightforward. Say it."
Mathias let out a laugh, swiveling in his chair. "And what do you know about love, Mr. Serious? You haven't had a love life in years."
Lucas's expression didn't flinch. "I'm retired from love. For now, I've got goals. Unlike you, Mathias, I don't have a family fortune cushioning me. I've got people depending on me. I'd like to at least become a millionaire before I think about romance. First son duties aren't exactly optional."
Mathias leaned back, smirking. "If it's fortune you wanted, you should've just told me. I'd have adopted you myself. I'm sure my father would be thrilled to have a hardworking and competent grandson like you."
For the first time that day, Lucas chuckled. "You're ridiculous."
"And you're boring," Mathias shot back. "At least I've got stories worth telling. You? All you've got is your laptop and goals."
Lucas shook his head, the faintest smile tugging at his lips. Their banter faded into a comfortable silence, two men on opposite ends of privilege but bound by camaraderie.
After a pause, Mathias leaned in conspiratorially. "But seriously—between us—what do you think of that hot intern? Elena. She's your type, isn't she?"
Lucas straightened, eyes narrowing. "Calm down. She's just an intern. The last thing I want is a scandal."
Mathias smirked wider. "Scandal? Please. The company doesn't forbid dating colleagues. The rules just say no intimacy inside company grounds. And guess what? I plan to make love to Amara on the general meeting room table."
Lucas groaned, dragging a hand down his face, but couldn't stop the laugh that escaped him. "You're insane."
"And you love me for it," Mathias shot back. The two men laughed together, their different worlds colliding in a rare moment of levity.
---
Meanwhile, in a quiet, dimly lit office two floors up, Richard and Victor were having a far darker conversation. Richard's voice was low, steady, and calculated, the kind of tone reserved for men plotting empires.
"You see, Victor," he said, swirling the whiskey in his glass, "right now, we're stealing thousands from the company. It's good, but it's not enough. If I become deputy CEO, that changes. With the right people in the right places, we could embezzle millions—easily."
Victor raised a brow, intrigued. "Millions?"
"Yes." Richard leaned forward. "Imagine this: I take the deputy CEO position. You step into my current role. My son goes into Marketing. And I put one of my most loyal men in Finance. That's three powerful departments under our thumb."
Victor exhaled slowly, the weight of the scheme sinking in.
"Think about it," Richard continued, eyes glinting. "Marketing controls the largest budget in the company. Finance dictates every report, every budgeting plan, every approval. Operations? They gather everything and pass it to the deputy CEO for final sign-off. That much power in our hands, Victor… no one could touch us."
Victor leaned back, a slow grin forming on his lips. "You've thought this through."
"Of course I have." Richard's voice hardened. "This company bleeds money every day. Why shouldn't we bleed it for ourselves?"
The two men clinked glasses softly, sealing a dangerous vision for the future.
---
As the day wound to a close, the building slowly emptied, but its shadows carried laughter, tension, and secrets—each thread weaving into something larger.
Elena carried her pride like armor, Lucas buried himself in ambition, Mathias thrived on jokes and charm, Daniel's arrogance played unchecked, and Richard plotted empire-sized theft. None of them knew it yet, but each was already tangled in the same web, the same storm building on the horizon.
And the game was only beginning.