"Miss, pardon the interruption... but didn't you say earlier that there was something important you wanted to tell me?" her assistant asked gently as their late lunch drew to a close. She carefully set her utensils aside, sensing that the conversation was about to shift away from business and into something far more personal.
A slow, measured breath escaped Phoebe's lips. She rested elegantly against the back of her chair, her composed expression hiding the turmoil quietly brewing beneath the surface.
"I have no intention of discussing quarterly reports or corporate matters today," she replied softly. "Let's keep this conversation strictly off the record."
"I understand." Her assistant immediately straightened in her seat, her expression turning attentive. "What happened? Did something go wrong after you returned to work?" A small laugh slipped from her lips in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Please don't tell me the board has already found another crisis for you to solve."
