The air inside Williams & Co. felt different that morning.
Tighter. Colder. More watchful.
People straightened ties and adjusted skirts with the nervous urgency of soldiers waiting for inspection. Conversations that usually spilled across the floor died into whispers. Even the clicking of keyboards seemed more deliberate, each keystroke measured as though the man at the top could hear every mistake through the walls.
Mr. Bennett Williams was back.
He hadn't stepped foot inside the building since Elena started her internship. His business had taken him overseas—meetings with foreign investors, high-level negotiations no one else had the authority to handle. For weeks, his presence had existed only as a shadow looming over them. But now the shadow had form. The king was in his castle.
And everyone acted like they were about to be judged.
Everyone except Elena.
She strolled through the floor with her bag slung carelessly over one shoulder, notebook tucked under her arm, and the faint trace of a smirk on her lips. While the others stiffened their spines, she leaned casually against her desk, chatting with a junior staffer about the best lunch spots near the office. Her laughter cut through the tension like a reckless melody.
"Elena!"
Emily's sharp whisper cracked across the room. The receptionist had appeared at the edge of the floor, her polished smile stretched thin with panic. "Do you even realize who just walked into this building?"
Elena raised an eyebrow, utterly unbothered. "Relax, Emily. You'll give yourself wrinkles."
Emily's jaw tightened. "This isn't a game. Mr. Bennett Williams is back, and he doesn't tolerate—"
"Rebellion?" Elena supplied lightly, twirling her pen between her fingers. "Guess I'll be the test case then."
Emily nearly sputtered. She leaned in, voice lowering. "If you have any sense of survival, you'll fix your posture, act like you care, and pray no one notices you."
Elena only grinned wider, swinging herself into her chair with deliberate laziness.
The room froze as the elevator doors opened.
Bennett Williams stepped out, flanked by Linda Carl, his long-serving personal assistant. He was a presence cut in black and silver—sharp suit, sharper eyes, the weight of command in every measured stride. He didn't need to raise his voice. Authority radiated off him like heat from steel.
Employees bowed their heads subtly, some standing straighter, others lowering their voices into silence. His return was less an arrival than a stormcloud rolling across the horizon.
Elena didn't even look up. She jotted something in her notebook, one leg crossed over the other, the picture of casual disinterest.
Emily's hands clenched into fists at her sides. She's insane. Completely insane.
Bennett passed without pause, Linda matching his pace until the doors to his office closed behind them. Only then did the office breathe again.
Elena stretched in her chair. "See? No lightning bolts. Still alive."
Emily turned on her, seething. "You have no idea the kind of man you're mocking. Keep this up, and you won't last a week."
Before Elena could answer, the door to the CEO's office opened again. Linda Carl stepped out, her clipboard in hand, eyes scanning the floor with calm precision. The entire room stilled under her gaze.
"The CEO expects all heads, assistants, and executives in the boardroom in thirty minutes," Linda announced smoothly. "Prepare accordingly."
Her eyes landed on Elena. For a beat, her expression softened.
"Elena," she said, almost warmly, "settling in, I hope?"
The intern tilted her head, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "Trying my best. You know me."
The exchange was small, fleeting, but the effect on Emily was seismic. Her jaw nearly unhinged as she darted glances between the intern and the CEO's PA. They… know each other?
Linda offered Elena a subtle nod before sweeping away down the corridor, her heels clicking like punctuation marks.
Elena leaned back in her chair, smirk firmly in place. Emily stared, mind spinning, but Elena said nothing. Some secrets were more fun left dangling.
---
Inside the CEO's office, the air was cooler, quieter. Bennett sat at his desk, scanning documents while Linda briefed him.
"Travel was productive," she said. "The Singapore investors are eager to commit. Tokyo will need more convincing. As for here…" She passed him a file. "Operations is holding steady. Marketing exceeded projections last quarter. Finance is clean—for now."
Bennett tapped the file against the desk, silent for a long moment. "And… her?"
Linda's tone softened. "She's adjusting. In her own way."
His lips pressed into a faint line, unreadable. "Good. That's all I need to know."
Nothing more was said.
---
The boardroom filled slowly but tensely. Executives filed in, assistants trailing with laptops and tablets, notes stacked like shields. James Hartman, Deputy CEO, took his usual place at Bennett's right hand, calm but alert. Across the table, Richard Lawson leaned back in his chair with calculated ease, while Victor Hale fidgeted with a pen, restless energy buzzing under his skin.
Today was their chance.
Victor leaned toward Richard, voice a whisper. "You're sure about this?"
Richard's smile was thin. "James Hartman is a wall. And walls are meant to be broken. If Bennett doubts him, the cracks will widen. That's all we need."
"How?"
Richard's eyes glinted. "Mistakes. Small ones, buried in numbers. You'll back me with Operations. Make him look sloppy. I'll plant the doubt. From there…" His gaze slid toward the head of the table. "…the rest will take care of itself."
Victor nodded, tension sharpening into eagerness.
---
Just as the meeting was about to begin, the door opened.
Heads turned.
Elena walked in.
For a moment, the room stuttered into silence. What was an intern doing here? Whispers rippled across the table. Daniel's eyebrows shot up. Mathias sat straighter. Even Lucas glanced up from his tablet, curiosity flickering across his normally impassive face.
Only Linda looked unsurprised as she gestured toward an empty seat at the side. "She's here to observe."
James arched an eyebrow but said nothing. Richard and Victor exchanged quick, questioning glances. Emily—hovering near the door as assistant staff—looked as though she might collapse.
Elena crossed the room with unhurried confidence, sliding into the chair without so much as a glance at the murmurs around her.
Finally, Bennett spoke, his voice calm but carrying.
And just like that, the boardroom's balance shifted.