The office buzzed with a frenetic energy that mirrored the storm building inside Isabelle. Phones rang, keyboards clicked, and the steady hum of conversations filled the air—but she barely noticed any of it.
Her desk was buried under mock-ups, product samples, and marketing drafts. Sticky notes clung to the edges of her monitor, each one a reminder of a deadline creeping closer. A cold cup of coffee sat forgotten next to her keyboard, and the ache in her shoulders had settled in hours ago, a dull, persistent throb she didn’t have the time to acknowledge.
The launch was weeks away.
And there was still so much left to do.
She picked up a prototype of the plush toy they were banking their entire campaign on and turned it over in her hands. It was adorable—exactly what they’d envisioned. B
