ISABELLA
The day dragged on like a slow, painful wound. I was still training as a Junior Analyst, buried in spreadsheets and market reports that blurred together after hours of staring at them. My new desk was in the open-plan area, far from Rafael’s office and I hadn’t seen him once since that morning. Not that I was looking. Okay, maybe I was glancing towards his door every few minutes like a fool. Working apart from him was harder than I had expected. I was so used to being right there, reporting to him, seeing him, feeling his eyes on me like a constant shadow. Now I felt… invisible again. And I hated how much I missed it.
Lunch time finally came, and I stood up, stretching my stiff back. I decided to drop the latest analysis file at Rafael’s office before eating. Maybe I’d catch a
