HIS SALVATION

Chapter 21 - Subtle Shift

Morning

The first thing Elsie did after waking up was reach for her phone.

Before checking her work emails, she opened Livia's messages.

Elsie: Morning. Are you okay?

A few seconds later, the reply appeared.

Livia: I'm fine. Promise.

Elsie smiled.

Elsie: Good. And don't forget what I told you yesterday. Document everything and take the proper steps.

Livia: Yes, Mom.

Elsie frowned at the screen.

Elsie: I'm twenty-two.

Livia: Exactly. Very young Mom.

Elsie laughed.

Elsie: See you later.

She put her phone down.

One problem checked.

Now for the next one.

Veyr Group.

By the time Elsie entered the headquarters, she had already managed to nearly drop her handbag twice, forget which pocket contained her access card, and apologize to a decorative plant after bumping into it.

“Sorry.”

She stared at the plant.

“It wasn't your fault.”

A passing employee looked at her strangely.

Elsie smiled politely.

“Good morning.”

The employee continued walking.

Elsie nodded to herself.

“Professional.”

She adjusted her handbag and continued toward the project development department.

This time, she knew exactly why she was there.

As Westbridge International's representative, Elsie had been assigned to oversee the development and coordination of the cooperation project from Westbridge's side.

Her responsibilities were surprisingly extensive.

She would monitor the implementation timeline, coordinate progress between the two companies, review performance indicators, track resource allocation, flag discrepancies in project data, and ensure that both teams remained aligned with the revised framework agreed upon during the contract meeting.

Most importantly, she would be following the numbers.

Numbers were rarely confusing.

People were.

And Elsie had always been unusually good at noticing patterns in numbers and data.

Give her a complicated spreadsheet, and she could find an inconsistency almost instinctively.

Give her a perfectly flat carpet—

Apparently, that was another matter.

The project team welcomed her into the department and began walking her through the current development schedule.

Elsie quickly settled into work.

She reviewed the implementation dashboard.

Checked the projected milestones.

Compared the latest figures with the approved framework.

Then she stopped.

“This percentage doesn't match.”

One of the employees beside her looked over.

“Which one?”

She pointed at the screen.

“The resource allocation here. It was revised yesterday, wasn't it?”

“Yes.”

“But this figure still reflects the previous distribution.”

The employee stared.

A moment later, his eyes widened.

“You're right.”

Elsie smiled.

“I usually am when numbers are involved.”

She paused.

“Unfortunately, they don't listen when I tell them where to go.”

The employee laughed.

Within the next hour, Elsie had already identified two minor inconsistencies and suggested a cleaner way of organizing the progress reports.

The atmosphere wasn't exactly friendly.

This was Veyr Group, after all.

But it was beginning to become slightly less intimidating around her.

Then lunch arrived.

Elsie looked at the clock.

“Finally.”

She stood.

“Where's the cafeteria?”

One employee pointed toward the corridor.

“Take the elevator to the lower level, then turn left.”

“Thank you.”

She walked away.

Five minutes later, she returned.

“Quick question.”

The employee looked up.

“Yes?”

“Which elevator?”

He pointed behind her.

Elsie turned.

“Oh.”

She had been standing beside the wrong elevator.

“Excellent start.”

The cafeteria was enormous.

Bright.

Modern.

Clean.

And, most importantly—

full.

Elsie stood at the entrance holding her tray.

She looked left.

Then right.

Almost every table was occupied.

Veyr Group clearly took lunch seriously. The cafeteria offered a wide selection of meals, comfortable seating, drinks, desserts, and enough space to accommodate the company's enormous workforce.

Most employees ate there unless they had meetings, work arrangements, or other commitments.

Elsie looked around.

“Okay…”

She spotted a two-person table.

One seat was occupied by a young woman eating quietly.

Elsie approached.

“Excuse me?”

The girl looked up.

“Yeah?”

“Would you mind if I sit here?”

She glanced around the packed cafeteria.

“It's just that apparently the entire population of Newhaven decided to have lunch today.”

The girl laughed.

“Sure. Sit.”

“Thank you.”

Elsie carefully placed her tray down.

Then immediately nearly dropped her spoon.

She caught it.

Barely.

The girl watched her.

Elsie smiled.

“I have a complicated relationship with objects.”

“I can see that.”

Elsie sat down.

“I'm Elsie.”

“Aelia.”

“Nice to meet you, Aelia.”

“You're new, right?”

“Very obvious?”

“A little.”

Elsie looked down at herself.

“Is it the lost expression?”

“Mostly.”

Elsie laughed.

“What department?”

“Management.”

“Oh!”

Elsie leaned forward.

“So you're one of those people who knows what everyone is supposed to be doing?”

Aelia smiled.

“Something like that.”

“Excellent. I'll need you.”

“For what?”

“Directions.”

Aelia laughed.

“You already found the cafeteria.”

“After asking four people.”

“That bad?”

“I took a scenic tour of the building.”

Aelia shook her head.

“You're funny.”

“I try.”

Within minutes, the conversation had expanded beyond Aelia.

Elsie noticed an employee sitting alone at the neighboring table.

“Excuse me.”

The man looked up.

“Yes?”

“Important question.”

He blinked.

“What?”

“Is the chocolate cake good?”

He stared at her.

Then glanced toward the dessert counter.

“I think so.”

Elsie nodded seriously.

“Excellent. You've been helpful.”

The man smiled despite himself.

“Anytime.”

Aelia covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.

“You just asked a complete stranger about cake.”

“He looked trustworthy.”

“He was eating noodles.”

“Exactly. Good judgment.”

The employee at the next table laughed.

Aelia finally gave up trying to maintain a serious expression.

Soon, Elsie was talking to Aelia, then asking another employee about the best coffee, then dragging someone nearby into a debate about whether cheesecake counted as a proper lunch dessert.

It didn't take long for people to start noticing.

The usually restrained cafeteria had become strangely lively.

Someone laughed.

Then another person joined.

Aelia was smiling.

An employee who had been silently eating his lunch suddenly offered his opinion about the cheesecake debate.

Elsie immediately turned toward him.

“You're involved now.”

He looked confused.

“I didn't say anything.”

“You made eye contact.”

“That isn't consent.”

Elsie burst out laughing.

“Fair point.”

Around them, employees were trying very hard to keep their expressions professional.

They were failing.

Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the cold atmosphere of Veyr Group was shifting.

Not dramatically.

Not permanently.

Just enough.

A little warmth.

A little laughter.

A little noise.

And somehow, it was all coming from one newly arrived Westbridge employee who had already managed to get lost twice before lunch.

— Veyr Group Entrance

Zavian entered the headquarters shortly after lunch.

He had just returned from an important meeting.

Lucian walked a few steps behind him, continuing his report.

“The final arrangements have been confirmed. The European division also requested—”

Zavian stopped.

Lucian stopped immediately.

Several bodyguards behind them came to a halt as well.

Zavian looked around.

Something was different.

Not enough to be obvious.

But enough to be noticed.

There was more conversation than usual.

A few employees were smiling.

Someone at the reception desk was actually laughing.

Zavian raised an eyebrow.

Lucian looked around.

He hadn't noticed.

Then realization crossed his face.

“Oh.”

Zavian looked at him.

Lucian straightened.

“I'll inquire and report it to you immediately.”

Zavian gave a short nod.

Then continued toward the elevators.

Top Floor — CEO's Office

Zavian stood before the enormous windows overlooking Newhaven.

Lucian remained near the desk.

“It appears the change in atmosphere began after Ms. Ashford arrived this morning.”

Zavian said nothing.

“She has been working with the project development team and has already identified several minor inconsistencies in the latest figures.”

A pause.

“She also spent most of lunch in the cafeteria.”

Zavian glanced at him.

Lucian continued.

“She spoke with several employees.”

Another pause.

“And apparently made them laugh.”

Zavian's expression remained unchanged.

“She seems to have had a noticeable effect on the department.”

A curt nod.

Lucian blinked.

“You can leave.”

“Of course.”

Lucian turned toward the door.

He stopped for half a second.

He had expected Zavian to question the situation.

Perhaps even order him to investigate why Elsie had disrupted the usual atmosphere of the company.

Instead—

nothing.

Lucian left the office with a faintly puzzled expression.

Apparently, Ms. Elsie Ashford could alter the atmosphere of an entire company and still somehow not be considered a problem.

That was new.

— Evening

The working day finally ended.

Elsie stepped out of Veyr Group with her handbag over one shoulder and her notebook tucked beneath her arm.

She exhaled.

“Survived.”

Again.

She walked toward the street.

Then stopped.

Something felt strange.

She glanced over her shoulder.

People were passing by.

Cars moved along the road.

A few employees were leaving the building.

Nothing unusual.

Elsie narrowed her eyes slightly.

Was someone watching her?

She looked across the street.

Nothing.

She checked behind her once more.

Still nothing.

Elsie shrugged.

“Newhaven is making me suspicious.”

A cab approached.

She raised her hand.

The car stopped.

Elsie climbed inside.

Within moments, it disappeared into the evening traffic.

Across the street, inside a quiet café, a man lowered the newspaper in front of him.

He had watched Elsie leave.

His hand reached into his coat.

He retrieved his phone.

One call.

The line connected.

His voice was quiet.

“She’s here.”

Silence.

He ended the call.

Nothing more was said.

Outside, Newhaven continued moving as usual.

But across the street from Veyr Group—

someone had been waiting.