Chapter 10 — Locked Space
741 Words
Aurora rejected Cassian’s breakfast invitation without a second thought.
The message was polite, direct, and impossible to misinterpret.
Schedule conflict. We can discuss project matters during office hours.
Amelia read the reply over her shoulder and sighed.
“Do you enjoy disappointing powerful men?”
“I enjoy protecting my schedule.”
“I wasn’t talking about your schedule.”
Aurora picked up her laptop and walked toward the conference room before the conversation could continue.
The joint development project entered its final review that afternoon, bringing executives from both companies into Vale Tower for a system-wide presentation.
Every department was connected through a centralized network that controlled security, communications and document access.
Cassian arrived first and took his usual seat.
Aurora entered a few minutes later carrying a stack of reports.
Neither acknowledged the breakfast invitation.
Business came first.
It always had.
The presentation lasted less than an hour.
Engineers explained timelines, investors approved funding and legal teams finalized the remaining agreements.
Everything proceeded exactly as planned until every screen in the room went black.
The lights flickered once before emergency power activated.
A calm automated voice echoed through the floor.
“Security protocol initiated. Temporary lockdown in progress. Please remain where you are.”
Confused conversations immediately filled the room.
Executives reached for their phones, only to discover there was no signal.
The head of security entered moments later.
“The system detected unauthorized access. Individual floors will remain sealed until the inspection is complete.”
“How long?” someone asked.
“Approximately one hour.”
Most departments were guided toward secured lounges.
Cassian and Aurora were directed to a private executive office already protected by internal security protocols.
The heavy door closed behind them with a quiet click.
Silence settled almost immediately.
Aurora placed her files on the table and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city.
Rain covered the glass, turning the skyline into blurred lights and shadows.
Cassian loosened his tie.
“I doubt this was part of today’s schedule.”
“It wasn’t part of mine either.”
“You sound disappointed.”
“I dislike wasted time.”
He looked at her for a moment before answering.
“I’ve noticed.”
Minutes passed without urgency.
Aurora reviewed the emergency updates on her tablet while Cassian answered emails that would never send without a network connection.
Eventually she set the device aside.
“It isn’t working.”
“The network is isolated.”
“So we’re officially trapped.”
His expression remained calm.
“I prefer temporarily delayed.”
A quiet laugh escaped her before she realized it.
Cassian looked up immediately.
“You do laugh.”
Aurora shook her head.
“Don’t make it important.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
Neither of them looked away.
The rain intensified outside.
Thunder rolled across the city, followed by a brief flash that illuminated the office.
Aurora stepped closer to the window.
“I used to hate storms.”
Cassian joined her without thinking.
“And now?”
“I learned they pass.”
He nodded slowly.
“My father used to say the same thing.”
The admission surprised both of them.
Until that moment, every conversation had revolved around work, strategy or power.
Now the silence carried something quieter.
Something personal.
Aurora turned toward him.
“For someone who controls everything, you reveal very little.”
“I reveal what people need.”
“And what do you want?”
The question stayed between them.
Cassian could negotiate billion-dollar contracts without hesitation.
Answering her suddenly felt more complicated.
“I don’t know yet.”
For the first time since they met, Aurora saw uncertainty cross his face.
It disappeared almost instantly, but she had already noticed.
The emergency locks disengaged with a sharp metallic sound.
The automated voice returned.
“Security inspection complete. All restrictions have been lifted.”
Neither of them moved immediately.
The door stood open.
The distance between them remained unchanged.
Aurora reached for her files.
“I suppose we’re free.”
Cassian watched her for another second before picking up his jacket.
“Are we?”
She met his gaze.
The question had nothing to do with the room anymore.
Without answering, Aurora walked into the corridor.
Cassian followed a few steps behind, carrying the strange certainty that an hour inside a locked office had changed the direction of something neither of them had intended to begin.
- Writer
