Aurelia stared at her screen again.
Forty-seven emails.
She had done… maybe half.
Maybe.
She rubbed her eyes and leaned back a little.
"I'm tired," she said quietly.
Maya, who had been scrolling through her phone like she didn't have her own life to worry about, looked up.
"You just started work."
"Exactly," Aurelia replied. "And I'm already tired. That's a bad sign."
Maya laughed.
"You'll survive."
Aurelia didn't answer. She clicked on another email and started typing.
Two lines in, she stopped.
Deleted it.
Typed again.
Paused.
"This man is stressful," she muttered.
Maya leaned over. "Still thinking about your boss?"
"He's not normal."
"Define normal."
Aurelia turned slightly. "Someone who doesn't send forty-seven emails like it's nothing."
Maya shrugged. "Maybe he doesn't like you."
Aurelia gave her a look.
"I don't like him either. So we're even."
Maya smiled. "That's not how jobs work."
Before Aurelia could reply, she felt it.
That quiet shift.
Like someone had walked close.
She looked up.
Damien.
Standing there like he had been there for a while.
Aurelia blinked once.
"Good morning," she said.
Maya immediately straightened up. "Good morning, sir."
Damien didn't respond to either of them at first. His eyes were on Aurelia's screen.
"You're not done."
Aurelia turned slightly so he could see it properly.
"I'm working on it."
"You should be done."
She paused.
Then looked up at him.
"I'm not a machine."
A small silence followed.
Maya slowly moved back from the desk.
Just in case.
Damien looked at Aurelia for a moment.
Then, "Come with me."
Aurelia sighed softly and stood up.
"Of course."
-----------------------------------------------------------
The conference room was empty.
Aurelia walked in first and dropped her hand on the table lightly.
"If this is about the emails, I'm doing them."
Damien closed the door behind them.
"I didn't say you weren't."
"Then?"
He looked at her.
"You don't take instructions well."
Aurelia frowned slightly.
"I do. I just don't take them blindly."
"That's a problem."
"For you, maybe."
Another pause.
Damien walked a bit closer, not rushing, just steady.
"You're new here," he said. "There are standards."
"And I'm meeting them."
"Are you?"
Aurelia exhaled.
"I'm trying."
That came out more honest than she expected.
For a second, Damien didn't say anything.
Then, "Trying isn't enough."
Aurelia looked at him.
"I've been here two days."
"And already arguing."
"You started it."
That almost sounded like a normal conversation.
Almost.
Damien shook his head slightly.
"You think this is casual."
"No," Aurelia said. "I think you're used to people not talking back."
"And you will?"
"Yes."
Silence again.
Then Damien nodded once, like he had accepted something.
"Finish the emails," he said.
"I will."
"Before noon."
Aurelia almost laughed.
"I'm not promising that."
His gaze didn't change.
"You will."
She stared at him for a second.
Then nodded.
"Fine."
-----------------------------------------------------------
When she came back to her desk, Maya leaned forward immediately.
"What happened?"
Aurelia sat down.
"He thinks I'm the problem."
Maya laughed.
"Are you?"
Aurelia opened another email.
"I might be."
Maya grinned.
"I like that."
Aurelia didn't respond. She was already typing again.
A minute later, a new message popped up on her screen.
From: Damien Thorn
She opened it.
Rewrite the responses.
Too informal.
Aurelia froze.
Then slowly leaned back.
"Maya."
"Hmm?"
"He wants me to rewrite everything."
Maya blinked.
"All forty-seven?"
"Yes."
Maya let out a small laugh. "He's wicked."
Aurelia stared at the screen.
For a few seconds, she said nothing.
Then she cracked her fingers again.
"Okay."
Maya looked at her.
"That 'okay' is dangerous."
Aurelia leaned forward.
"If he wants it perfect…"
She clicked the first email.
"…he'll get it."
Inside his office, Damien stood by the window.
He hadn't planned to come out earlier.
But he did.
And she was exactly how he expected.
Stubborn.
Direct.
Not careful.
Most people adjusted quickly.
She didn't.
He looked back at his desk.
Then at the message he had sent.
A small pause.
Then he returned to work.