SECRECTS AND SPARKS

Shine or Stumble

I stopped in my tracks, my breath caught halfway in my chest as I listened to the weight of his voice. There was something about the way Mr. Sage spoke, sharp, commanding, and carved with authority, that made the air itself pause. Every syllable of his carried more power than entire speeches delivered by others.

And then there was Dove.

Dove, who had been hopelessly infatuated with him for as long as I could remember. She wasn’t just fond of him... no, it was obsession wrapped in delicate smiles and carefully painted gestures. The way her eyes lingered on him during meetings, the way her lips curved whenever his name was mentioned, the way she adjusted her hair if he so much as walked past. She wanted..... no, needed... him to notice her.

Today, she finally gathered her courage.

I was still standing close to Mr. Sage, close enough to catch the faint trace of his cologne, something dark and clean that seemed to belong only to him. Dove noticed immediately. Her eyes sharpened, a flicker of irritation breaking through her painted expression. Without hesitation, she moved. In one smooth, deliberate motion, she stepped right in front of me, cutting off my view of him completely.

She placed herself between us like a wall, like a barrier designed to remind me of my place.

But I didn’t react. I wasn’t bothered, not really. I wasn’t here to fight for his attention. All I wanted was to walk out, return to my desk, and drown myself in unfinished reports. But walking away while he was still speaking… that would have been a breach of respect. And so, I stayed, silent, waiting.

Dove’s voice broke through, sweet as honey but dripping with something far less innocent. She tilted her head, her lashes lowering as she forced a shy smile onto her lips. Her eyes locked onto his with a mixture of pleading and something dangerously close to seduction.

“Sir,” she said softly, “is there anything you need? I’m here to offer you… any assistance.”

The entire room froze.

Even I felt a pang of secondhand embarrassment at her boldness. But Mr. Sage…

He didn’t even flinch. He looked at her the way one might look at a fly buzzing too close, a faint annoyance at being interrupted. His words were cold, clipped, and precise, slicing through her attempt like a blade through silk.

“Did I ask you to speak?”

The air thickened. Dove blinked, caught off guard, her lips parting in panic. Her cheeks burned crimson, but she forced out a shaky laugh, trying to recover.

“S-sorry, Mr. Sage, I....”

“Get out of my sight.”

The words dropped like a thunderclap. Final. Absolute.

Dove’s composure shattered, the rejection heavy enough to crush her carefully constructed facade. She stepped back quickly, her face drained of color and pride. The others in the department glanced away, some hiding smirks, others exchanging whispers they dared not speak aloud.

Before the silence could stretch too far, footsteps thundered down the corridor. Mr. Larry, appeared at the doorway. He must have received word that Mr. Sage was in our department, because he came rushing in, breathless, and positioned himself instantly at Sage’s side.

“Where are the files?” Mr. Sage asked, his eyes never leaving the path ahead.

“Here,” Larry replied, as he handed over a thick stack of documents.

Mr. Sage accepted the folder with the kind of ease that made even the heaviest things look weightless. He flipped it open, his eyes scanning the first page with quiet intensity. And then, just as suddenly, his gaze shifted.

Toward me.

“You,” he said.

The single word struck like a lightning bolt, sending a shiver down my spine. His eyes pinned me in place, sharp and unwavering. Slowly, he extended the folder toward me.

“Take a look at this. Review it with your team and get back to me.”

For a second, I couldn’t move. My hand trembled slightly as I reached for the document, the weight of his attention pressing down on me like gravity. When the folder finally touched my palms, I almost dropped it to the floor. My knees weakened, but I forced myself to hold it tight, to stand tall, to breathe.

I glanced at the cover page, and nearly stopped breathing altogether.

The words stared back at me, bold and unmistakable:

"Year 10 Official Designs"

My heart skipped. This wasn’t just paperwork. This was the project. The kind of project people whispered about in hallways. The kind that determined reputations, careers, futures. Entire departments clawed at the chance to touch something of this magnitude.

And yet… he had given it to me. To my team.

I forced down the quake in my voice and bowed slightly. “O-okay, Mr. Sage. I will get back to you.”

He gave a curt nod. No smile, no reassurance, just that same unreadable mask. And then he turned, walking away with the calm, measured steps of someone who controlled every space he entered. His exit was quiet.

And then.....

All eyes fell on me.

It was suffocating. Every single gaze in the department was locked onto me, heavy and unrelenting. The whispers started small, then grew, threading through the air like poisonous smoke.

“She’s the one he gave it to?”

“Unbelievable.”

“Why her? Of all people?”

“Dove didn’t even get a chance.”

“She’s doomed. No way she can handle that.”

“Or maybe…” a voice whispered lower, sharper, “maybe she’s… special to him.”

The words cut through me like a knife. My chest tightened. Special? No. That wasn’t possible. Mr. Sage wasn’t the kind of man to favor anyone. He didn’t care about office gossip, didn’t indulge in attachments, didn’t bend rules for anyone.

And yet.....

The weight of the folder in my hands said otherwise.

I felt Dove’s glare like a knife in my back, sharp and burning. Her humiliation had curdled into hatred, her envy wrapping around me like a noose. I knew, without a doubt, that she wouldn’t let this go. She would come for me, not openly, not yet, but she would find a way to pull me down.

The rest of the department eyed me the same way: with envy, with suspicion, with silent judgment.

I hadn’t asked for this spotlight. But now it had found me.

I lowered my gaze to the folder, its pages heavy with secrets, its future tied tightly to mine. My chest rose and fell with uneven breaths as the realization sank in.

This wasn’t just a project. This was a test.