After Office Hours

CHAPTER-TWO

By noon, the newsroom had become even louder.

Phones rang constantly.

Writers argued about headlines.

Someone complained loudly about coffee running out in the break room.

But at the desk near the centre of the floor, Nikos Stavros had already disappeared into his work.

His laptop screen was filled with notes, statistics, and half-written paragraphs.

Several browser tabs were open as he scanned reports and interviews related to the topic Andreas had given him.

It wasn't a simple article.

It was an investigative piece about corporate influence in digital media - a subject complicated enough to frustrate even experienced writers.

Most new hires would have panicked.

Nikos only leaned back slightly in his chair, thinking.

Across from him, Kostas watched with open curiosity.

"You've been staring at that screen for twenty minutes," Kostas said. "Either you're writing a masterpiece... or you're completely lost."

Nikos didn't look up.

"Neither."

"Then what?"

"I'm figuring out the angle."

Kostas blinked.

"The angle?"

"Yeah."

He turned the laptop slightly so Kostas could see the outline.

"This topic has already been written a hundred times. If I just repeat the same arguments, Andreas will destroy it."

Kostas whistled softly.

"You figured that out already?"

Nikos shrugged.

"It was obvious."

A voice suddenly joined the conversation from the next desk.

"You're brave talking about him like that."

Nikos looked up to see a woman leaning over the divider.

Her dark hair was tied into a loose ponytail, and her eyes sparkled with quiet amusement.

"Sofia Petrou," she introduced herself.

"Nikos."

She glanced toward the glass office.

"You survived your first meeting."

"Apparently that's impressive here."

Sofia laughed.

"You have no idea."

Before Nikos could reply, another chair rolled closer.

A tall man with sharp features and perfectly styled hair leaned over the desk.

"Elias Markos," he said dramatically.

Kostas groaned.

"Please ignore him."

Elias ignored that comment.

"So you're the new writer everyone's whispering about."

Nikos raised an eyebrow.

"That was fast."

"This place runs on gossip," Sofia said.

"More than coffee," Kostas added.

Elias leaned forward slightly.

"So tell us something important."

"Like what?"

"What did Andreas say to you in there?"

Nikos thought for a moment.

"He said my writing lacks discipline."

Kostas winced.

"Ah. Classic Andreas."

"But he also said I'm talented."

Now Sofia looked surprised.

"Wait... he said that?"

Nikos nodded.

Elias slowly leaned back in his chair.

"Okay," he said. "Now I'm interested."

Across the newsroom, behind the glass walls of his office, Andreas Nikolaou was still working.

But his attention wasn't entirely on the article in front of him.

Through the transparent walls, he could see everything happening outside.

Including Nikos.

The new writer had already gathered a small audience around his desk.

They were talking, laughing.

Getting comfortable.

Too comfortable.

Andreas didn't like that.

Aether Media was not a university campus.

It was a workplace.

His stylus tapped lightly against the tablet.

After another minute, he stood.

Outside, the newsroom chatter slowly quieted as people noticed the movement.

Andreas stepping out of his office usually meant something.

He walked directly toward Nikos' desk.

Conversations stopped mid-sentence.

Kostas immediately rolled his chair back toward his computer.

Sofia straightened up.

Elias pretended to read something on his screen.

Nikos looked up calmly as Andreas approached.

"Mr. Stavros."

"Mr. Nikolaou."

Andreas placed a hand on the desk.

"Have you started your assignment?"

Nikos nodded.

"Yes."

"Show me."

Without hesitation, Nikos turned the laptop around.

Andreas scanned the document.

The outline was detailed.

Well researched.

But then he reached the first paragraph.

His eyebrows lowered slightly.

"Stop."

Nikos blinked.

"Stop what?"

"This opening."

"What about it?"

Andreas pointed at the screen.

"It's weak."

Kostas slowly sank lower in his chair.

Here we go.

Nikos leaned forward.

"Weak how?"

"Your introduction focuses on personal perspective instead of data."

"It's called a hook."

"It's called unnecessary."

Nikos folded his arms.

"Readers connect to stories, not statistics."

"This is journalism."

"This is storytelling."

A small silence spread across the nearby desks.

Sofia quietly whispered to Elias.

"Is he arguing... with Andreas?"

Elias whispered back.

"Yes."

"On his first day?"

"Yes."

Andreas straightened slightly.

"You were hired to write articles," he said calmly.

"I was hired to write good ones."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"You think you know better?"

Nikos met his gaze without hesitation.

"I think I know readers."

That did it.

The tension between them became visible.

Andreas closed the laptop slowly.

"Rewrite the introduction."

Nikos didn't move.

"Why?"

"Because I told you to."

"That's not the reason."

Kostas quietly whispered to Sofia.

"He's dead."

Sofia nodded slowly.

"Completely dead."

Andreas leaned closer to Nikos' desk.

"You're new here."

"I noticed."

"That means you listen."

"That means I learn."

"And you follow instructions."

Nikos tilted his head slightly.

"I do. When they make sense."

Several people nearby stopped breathing.

Andreas studied him carefully.

Nikos wasn't being rude.

But he wasn't backing down either.

Interesting.

Finally, Andreas straightened.

"Fine."

He tapped the laptop.

"Keep it."

Nikos blinked.

"Really?"

"Yes."

Then Andreas added quietly:

"And when the editor tears it apart tomorrow morning, remember this moment."

With that, he turned and walked away.

The newsroom remained silent for several seconds.

Then Kostas slowly leaned toward Nikos.

"You're insane."

Sofia nodded.

"Completely insane."

Elias rested his chin on his hand, watching Andreas disappear into the glass office.

"No," he said thoughtfully.

"He's interesting."

Nikos reopened his laptop.

"You're all overreacting."

Kostas pointed dramatically toward the office.

"That man has made senior writers cry."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Nikos shrugged.

"I still like my opening."

Sofia stared at him.

"You're either very confident... or very stupid."

Nikos smiled faintly.

"Maybe both."

Inside the glass office, Andreas sat back down at his desk.

But he didn't immediately return to his work.

Instead, he looked out at the newsroom again.

His eyes found Nikos instantly.

The writer was already typing again, completely unfazed by their argument.

Andreas exhaled quietly.

Stubborn.

That much was clear.

But there was something else too.

Talent.

He picked up his tablet again.

But this time, he muttered under his breath.

"This is going to be exhausting."

Outside, Maria appeared beside Kostas' desk like she had been waiting for the drama.

"Well?" she asked.

Kostas grinned.

"They argued."

"How bad?"

"First day."

Maria's eyes lit up.

"Oh, this is going to be good."

She leaned slightly toward Nikos.

"Welcome to Aether Media."

Nikos looked up.

"Thanks."

Maria smiled knowingly.

"You just started a war with the most stubborn editor in the building."

Nikos leaned back in his chair.

A slow smile appeared on his face.

"Good."

And across the room, behind the glass walls, Andreas Nikolaou looked up again.

Almost like he had heard that.

Something told him this writer was not going to make his job easy.

And for the first time in a long time...

The newsroom suddenly felt unpredictable.