The morning came too quickly.
Elara had dozed off on the couch somewhere around 4 a.m., the television still flickering, her phone still clutched in her hand. When her alarm buzzed at 6:30, she felt like she hadn't slept at all.
But she had work to do.
She dragged herself upstairs, showered, dressed in a crisp navy blazer and matching skirt, and applied just enough makeup to hide the dark circles under her eyes. By 7:45, she was walking into Phoenix Architects.
The office was already buzzing. Phones ringing. Colleagues rushing past with coffee cups and stacks of paper. Normal. Familiar. Comforting.
She made it to her desk and had barely set down her bag when Thomas appeared at her door.
"Ma'am, Ms. Phoebe wants to see you. Immediately."
Elara's stomach tightened. "Did she say why?"
"No, ma'am. But she's in her office. And she's not alone."
Not alone. That could mean anything. A client. A board member. Trouble.
Elara took a breath, straightened her blazer, and walked to the CEO's office.
The door was open. Phoebe Ma sat behind her large glass desk, her expression unreadable. Across from her sat two other senior executives—Marcus from Business Development and Linda from Corporate Strategy.
"Close the door," Phoebe said.
Elara obeyed, then took the empty seat. The silence in the room was heavy.
Phoebe slid a folder across the desk. Elara opened it.
Inside was a single sheet of paper. A logo at the top. The same sleek, modern logo she had seen on the news at 2 a.m.
The engineering firm.
"I assume you recognize this," Phoebe said.
"Yes," Elara replied. "I've been trying to reach them for months."
"We all have," Marcus muttered.
Phoebe shot him a look, then turned back to Elara. "The CEO is coming to Fordland City. You saw the news?"
"I did. Last night."
"Good. Then you know what this means." Phoebe leaned forward, her voice dropping. "Every architectural firm in the city is going to be crawling over themselves trying to get a meeting. I want Phoenix to be the one that succeeds."
She tapped the folder.
"I'm putting you on this, Elara. Full time. Drop everything else if you have to. Research the CEO. Research the company. Find out where he's staying, who he's meeting with, what he wants. And then—" she paused, holding Elara's gaze, "—secure the deal."
The weight of the assignment settled onto Elara's shoulders. This wasn't a request. It was an order.
"I won't let you down," Elara said.
Phoebe studied her for a long moment. Then she nodded.
"I know you won't. That's why I chose you."
She stood, signaling the meeting was over. Marcus and Linda filed out. Elara lingered for a second.
"Ms. Ma," she said quietly. "Do we know anything about the CEO? Anything that might help?"
Phoebe shook her head. "No one does. He's private. Stays out of the spotlight. Even the news anchors couldn't dig up a photo."
She paused, then added, "But you're resourceful, Elara. Figure it out."
Elara nodded and left the office.
Back at her desk, she opened her laptop and stared at the blank search page.
Unknown CEO. Visiting Fordland City. Every firm competing for a partnership.
She cracked her knuckles and began to type.
Elara dove into the research.
She pulled up everything she could find on the engineering firm. Articles. Press releases. Industry reports. Social media accounts. Anything that might give her a clue about the mysterious CEO.
The firm had launched three years ago with a single project—a suspension bridge in a coastal city that had won international acclaim. Since then, they had expanded rapidly. Two more bridges. A tunnel project through a mountain range. A high-speed rail corridor. Each project more ambitious than the last.
The CEO's name didn't appear on any document, never a photo. Never an interview. Never a public appearance.
Until now.
Elara jotted down notes in a frenzy.
· Project portfolio: Infrastructure, mostly public works. Bridges, tunnels, rail.
· Expansion pattern: Started coastal, now moving inland.
· Fordland City visit: First time in this region.
· Potential partners: Likely looking for local architectural firms with government connections.
She opened a second tab and started searching for any rumored partnerships. Nothing concrete. But there was chatter on industry forums—speculation about which firms might be in the running.
She added Phoenix Architects to the list, then underlined it twice.
Her phone buzzed.
She glanced at the screen. A delivery service. She answered and put it on speaker, not stopping her typing.
"Hello?"
"Good morning, this is Rapid Parcel Delivery. I have a package for Elara Stoddard. I need delivery instructions."
Elara's fingers paused for half a second. The package. Lucy's things.
Right. Her daughter was coming back today.
"Hi, yes. Can you bring it to my office? Phoenix Architects, downtown. I'll sign for it at the front desk."
"Understood. Estimated arrival, twenty minutes."
"Perfect. Thank you."
She hung up and returned to her research. Another tab open. Another article scanned. She was building a profile on the CEO—habits, preferences, known associates. Anything she could use to get a meeting.
Her phone buzzed again. Different number.
She answered, still typing.
"Elara Stoddard."
"Ms. Stoddard, this is the front desk. Your delivery has arrived. Shall I send him up or hold it here?"
Elara finally stopped typing. She rubbed her eyes and stood.
"Hold it there. I'll come down myself."
She saved her research, grabbed her office key, and headed for the elevator.
Elara stepped out of the elevator and crossed the sleek marble lobby toward the reception desk. A courier in a blue uniform stood there, holding a medium-sized box wrapped in brown paper.
"Elara Stoddard," she said, showing her ID badge.
The receptionist nodded. The courier handed over a digital pad. She signed quickly, took the box, and headed back upstairs.
Back in her office, she set the box on her desk and reached for a pair of scissors. The brown paper fell away. Inside was a large, fluffy doll—a stuffed bunny with long floppy ears, a pink bow around its neck, and a stitched smile that seemed almost real.
Elara couldn't help but smile.
Lucy had wanted this exact bunny for months. Elara had ordered it last week as a welcome-home surprise.
She lifted the doll out of the box, held it for a moment, then gently set it on the empty chair beside her desk.
Afternoon, she reminded herself. Pick up Lucy from school.
She glanced at the clock. 10:15 a.m. Plenty of time to finish her research, attend one more meeting, and still make it to the school gates by 2:30.
She made a mental note, then returned to her laptop.
The CEO profile wasn't going to write itself.