Chapter 2: Something isn't right
841 Words
By the time Clara stepped into the company building, the day was already in motion.
People moved as usual, staff walking past, quiet conversations, phones ringing in the background.
Everything looked normal, but it didn’t feel like it.
“Good morning, Miss Clara,” Naomi said from the front desk.
“Morning,” Clara replied.
Naomi smiled, but it felt… forced.
Clara noticed, but she didn’t stop walking. Beside her, Stella leaned closer.
“You see it too, right?” she muttered.
Clara pressed the elevator button. “See what?”
Stella glanced around before answering.
“Everyone.”
Clara didn’t respond immediately. The elevator doors opened then they stepped in.
Only when the doors closed did Clara speak.
“…I thought it was just me.”
Stella let out a small breath. “Good. Because this is not normal.”
When they got to her floor, the feeling got worse. Conversations lowered as she walked past, while some people avoided her eyes completely.
Clara slowed down slightly because she knew it wasn’t normal.
“Miss Clara.”
She turned, and Ethan stood there, holding a file.
“Morning,” she said.
“Morning, Miss Clara.” He walked toward her, but there was hesitation in his steps. Clara noticed that too.
“What is it?” she asked.
Ethan glanced around quickly before speaking.
“The documents you requested yesterday…”
Clara waited. “…And?”
Ethan swallowed lightly. “They’ve been restricted.”
Clara frowned. “Restricted?”
“Yes.”
“By who?” She asked out of confusion, but there wasn't a reply from Ethan. Clara’s expression didn’t change, but something in her eyes did.
“Ethan.” Her voice was calm, but firmer.
He hesitated, then said, “It came from higher authority.”
Clara held his gaze. “…Higher than my father?”
Ethan didn’t answer. He looked away.
Stella crossed her arms. “Okay, that’s not just weird anymore.”
Clara didn’t respond. She reached for the file in Ethan’s hand. “What about this one?”
Ethan paused, unsure for a second before letting go. “This is all I could get.”
Clara opened it. Her eyes scanned quickly, then slowed. Pages were missing. Important ones. She closed it. “Who approved this?”
“I don’t know,” Ethan said quietly.
Clara studied his face, he meant it. “Alright,” she said. “I’ll handle it.”
Ethan nodded, almost too quickly.
“I’ll be in my office.”
“Yes, Miss Clara,” he replied
As they walked away, Stella leaned closer again. “This is bad.”
Clara kept walking. “I know.”
“You think your dad knows about this?”
Clara paused just for a second. Then she continued. “I don’t know.” And that was the problem.
Inside her office, Clara placed the file on the table. She didn’t sit immediately, she just stood there, staring at it. Restricted access, missing pages, people acting differently. None of it made sense.
Stella dropped into the chair opposite her. “You’re too calm.”
Clara finally sat down. “If I panic, it won’t fix anything.”
Stella shook her head slightly. “You always say that.”
Clara didn’t respond. Her fingers tapped lightly against the table. Slow, but steady.
But her thoughts weren’t. She reached for her phone, paused, then dialed. It rang twice, then the person picked up
“Clara?” Her father’s voice came over the phone
“Dad,” she said. “Are you busy?”
A brief pause. “…A little. What’s wrong?”
Clara glanced at the file, then back at the empty space on the table. “There are documents I can’t access anymore.”
No response came immediately. Clara noticed.
“I’ll look into it. Talk to you later” he said and ended the call. Clara slowly lowered the phone.
Stella frowned. “That was fast.”
Clara didn’t answer. Her eyes stayed on the file.
Back at the house that morning, Tessa stood quietly by the dining area, clearing plates. She paused for a moment, then glanced toward the hallway Clara had walked through earlier. Her expression changed. Just slightly.
In another room, Victoria sat calmly, a cup of tea in her hand. Melissa stood beside her.
“Took her long enough to notice,” Melissa said.
Victoria didn’t look surprised. “She was always going to.”
Melissa crossed her arms. “So what now?”
Victoria took a slow sip. “We let her look.”
Melissa frowned. “That’s it?”
Victoria finally looked at her with a faint smile touching her lips. “For now.”
Back in her office, Clara leaned back in her chair. Her expression remained calm, but inside, something had shifted. “Who is behind this?” she murmured, but no answer came. Only silence. And for the first time, Clara wasn’t sure if the problem was inside the company… or much closer than she thought.
- Writer
