Chapter 3 - Unearthing the Hidden Secrets
1275 Words
The doorknob halted in its turning motion, as if the person on the other side had a sudden change of heart. I found myself frozen in Lucien's office, eyes glued to the door. The following silence was an oppressive kind, the sort that bears down on your ears. Then, the handle gradually returned to its place. No one entered. I released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. Shortly after, I heard the sound of footsteps retreating down the hallway in a calm, measured rhythm. A rhythm that was all too familiar.
A few seconds later, the office door swung open. Lucien walked in, his demeanor composed. His tie was straight, his expression unreadable, no indication of the strange event that had just occurred. "Why are you still standing,” he questioned. I blinked in surprise. "There was a noise." "I'm aware," he replied, removing his cufflinks and setting them on his desk. "A loose ventilation panel." "It sounded like metal breaking," I protested. He looked at me, a steady gaze. "You scare easily," he stated matter-of-factly. "I don't," I said quietly. After a moment's pause, he moved past me to sit behind his desk. "You should go home, Miss Bennett. It's late." I hesitated, "Are you staying?" "Yes." "Alone?" His gaze slowly lifted to meet mine. "Is that a concern?" I immediately felt foolish. "No. Of course not." "Good," he responded. Dismissed, I left his office without uttering a word. But as I walked down the hallway, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was not right. And it had nothing to do with ventilation panels.
---
The next morning, I arrived earlier than usual. Not because I had to. I wanted to observe. The office building felt normal again. Employees were milling around the lobby with coffee cups in hand, discussing their weekend plans. No signs of damage, no bent metal, no repair crew. If something had broken, it was fixed remarkably quickly.
As I rode the elevator alone to the thirty-second floor, I noticed something odd. The air smelled different. Cleaner, yet sharper. It carried the scent of impending rain. I dismissed the thought and went about setting up my desk. There was already a stack of documents waiting for me. He had arrived before me. Of course he had.
At nine sharp, his office door opened. "Miss Bennett," he called. I promptly stood and entered his office. He was engrossed in something on his tablet. "Cancel my afternoon meeting." "With the board?" "Yes." "They flew in this morning." "I'm aware." I hesitated before asking, "May I ask why?" He didn't reply immediately. Then, calmly, he said, "I won't be available." His answer wasn't explanatory, but I nodded anyway. "I'll inform them."
As I was about to leave, he instructed me to close the door. When I faced him again, his expression had slightly changed. He wasn't cold or distant. He was focused. "Did you sleep well?" he asked. The question caught me off guard. "Yes." "You look tired." "I stayed up reviewing the contracts again." "That wasn't necessary." "You said mistakes wouldn't be tolerated." His face reflected a faint shadow of an emotion. "You take things very literally." "You're very clear," I retorted. For a moment, something akin to amusement flashed in his eyes before it vanished. "You're adjusting faster than I expected," he said. "Is that a compliment?" "An observation," he replied.
Before I could exit his office, his gaze sharpened slightly. "Did you hear anything else last night?" My heart rate spiked. "No." He studied me for a moment as if trying to measure my honesty. Then, he nodded once. "You may go."
---
By midday, a palpable tension had returned to the office. Vanessa was whispering to another employee near the coffee machine. When I approached, they abruptly stopped talking. It could have been a coincidence. Or not.
At three in the afternoon, security escorted two unfamiliar men out of the building. I watched the scene unfold from my desk. They didn't look like employees or clients. Their expressions were hostile. One of them glanced up toward our floor before being hustled out. Something about his glance unsettled me. It wasn't anger, more like he was searching for something. I instinctively turned toward Lucien's office. His blinds were partially lowered. He was standing behind the glass, watching. Not the men. Me.
When our eyes met, he didn't look away. Instead, he picked up his phone. Seconds later, my desk phone rang. "Yes?" "Inside," was his command. I promptly entered his office. "You're distracted," he observed. "Two men were escorted out." "Yes." "Who were they?" "Uninvited." "That's not very specific." His gaze hardened slightly. "You don't need specifics." "With respect, if it affects the company—" "It doesn't," he cut me off. Silence lingered between us again. Then, unexpectedly, he stepped closer.
He didn't invade my personal space but was close enough for me to be aware of our height difference. "You're curious," he said. "I prefer informed." "Curiosity can lead to places you don't belong," he warned. I didn't respond. Instead, I asked, "Are you in danger?" His expression instantly changed, not to fear or concern, but something more controlled. "You assume a lot." "I observe." "And what have you observed?" I had observed a lot of things, but I couldn't say them out loud. "That you don't cancel board meetings without reason," I replied instead.
There was a long pause before he unexpectedly smiled. It wasn't warm, but it was genuine. "You're not as fragile as you look." "I'm not fragile." "No," he agreed quietly. "You're not." We held the moment slightly longer than professional boundaries allowed. Then someone knocked on the door. He stepped back immediately. "Enter."
Vanessa walked in. "I rescheduled the board for next week," she said, barely glancing at me. "Good," he replied. Her eyes lingered on him, then me. Something unreadable flashed across her face. When she left, the atmosphere in the room changed again. "You should be careful around her," he advised. "Why?" "She doesn't like competition." "I'm not competing with anyone." "You are," he said calmly. "You just don't realize it." His words unsettled me more than it should have. "Competition for what?" I asked. He didn't answer but instead returned to his desk. "Go home on time tonight." "That's unusual." "Take it as a rare kindness." "Should I be worried?" Another pause. "Not yet."
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That evening, I left at six, earlier than before. The sky was already darkening as I stepped outside. I had walked two blocks when I caught a whiff of the sharp scent from the office, like rain, like something electric in the air. I slowed my pace slightly. The street wasn't empty. Cars were passing by, people were walking. Nothing unusual. But the feeling remained. The feeling of being watched.
I casually glanced around and spotted a man I didn't recognize standing near a parked black car across the street. He wasn't looking at the traffic or his phone. He was looking at me. When our eyes met, he didn't look away. My heartbeat quickened. Then, a second figure appeared beside him. Broader. With a familiar posture. Lucien. He whispered something to the man, whose expression tightened. Then they both got into separate cars and drove away.
I stood there for several seconds, confused. Why was he there? Why hadn't he told me? And why did it feel like he was ensuring I got home safe? The answer unnerved me. Because protection implied danger. And danger meant I was closer to the secret he was concealing than I intended to be.
- Writer
