9
1468 Words
The ride back to Hartwell Architectural Studio was unusually quiet.
No one spoke.
The excitement that had filled the team only an hour earlier had completely vanished, replaced by disappointment.
Aurora sat by the window, her blueprint resting on her lap.
She replayed every word Cassian Vaughn had spoken.
“The guest arrival experience is ordinary.”
“The public spaces lack identity.”
“Efficiency isn’t memorable.”
She hated admitting it.
But his criticism wasn’t baseless.
She simply refused to admit it out loud.
The company van pulled into the parking lot, and everyone climbed out with heavy steps.
Inside the office, the atmosphere felt even heavier than before.
Employees who hadn’t attended the presentation immediately gathered around.
“What happened?”
“Did we get approved?”
“How did the meeting go?”
One look at the team’s faces answered every question.
“…Rejected?” someone whispered.
Maya sighed.
“Every single proposal.”
The room instantly fell silent.
One architect buried his face in his hands.
“I pulled three all nighters.”
“So did I.”
Another designer dropped into a chair.
“I knew working with Vaughn Group would be impossible.”
Mr. Harrison entered moments later.
“Conference room.”
Nobody complained.
Within minutes, the project team had gathered once again.
Mr. Harrison remained standing.
“I know today wasn’t what any of us expected.”
Nobody answered.
“But we’re not giving up.”
He placed Aurora’s blueprint on the table.
“Mr. Vaughn rejected every proposal.”
Another pause.
“However…”
He looked toward Aurora.
“He specifically requested that this concept be redesigned.”
Several heads turned.
Aurora blinked.
“…Mine?”
Mr. Harrison nodded.
“Yes.”
One of the senior architects frowned.
“So… we’re putting everything on Aurora?”
Mr. Harrison folded his arms.
“No.”
“We’re putting our faith in the only proposal Mr. Vaughn believed had potential.”
The room became quiet again.
Aurora stared at the blueprint.
She wasn’t sure whether to feel honored…
Or irritated.
After the meeting ended, Maya caught up with her near the elevators.
“So…”
Aurora sighed.
“So.”
“You’ve officially become the office’s last hope.”
“I didn’t ask for that.”
Maya laughed.
“No, but apparently Mr. Impossible did.”
Aurora groaned.
“Don’t remind me.”
“You know…”
Maya nudged her shoulder.
“I think he enjoys making your life difficult.”
Aurora scoffed.
“He doesn’t even know me.”
“Exactly.”
“So why me?”
Maya shrugged.
“Maybe because your design was the least terrible.”
Aurora gasped dramatically.
“You’re supposed to encourage me.”
“I am.”
“That didn’t sound encouraging.”
“It was realistic.”
Aurora rolled her eyes.
“I need better friends.”
“You’ll survive.”
She smiled despite herself.
“I probably will.”
The rest of the afternoon disappeared beneath endless sheets of tracing paper.
Aurora erased.
Redrew.
Measured.
Calculated.
Nothing felt right.
Every version looked…
Ordinary.
She stared at another sketch before crumpling it into a ball.
“No.”
Another one followed.
“No.”
Then another.
“No.”
Soon, a small mountain of discarded paper surrounded her desk.
Maya walked past carrying coffee.
“…Should I be worried?”
Aurora didn’t even look up.
“Very.”
“You’ve destroyed an entire forest.”
“I know.”
Maya placed a fresh cup of coffee beside her.
“You’ve been staring at that page for twenty minutes.”
“I have ideas.”
“They don’t look like ideas.”
“They’re refusing to cooperate.”
Maya smiled.
“Take a break.”
“I can’t.”
“You need one.”
Aurora sighed.
“If I stop now, I’ll lose my train of thought.”
“You already lost it.”
Aurora pointed her pencil toward the trash bin overflowing with paper.
“It died in there.”
Maya laughed before returning to her desk.
Aurora leaned back in her chair.
Cassian’s words echoed in her mind again.
“Efficiency isn’t memorable.”
“What does that even mean?”
She rubbed her forehead.
Every architect designed buildings that functioned well.
Wasn’t that enough?
Apparently not.
As evening approached, employees began leaving one after another.
“See you tomorrow!”
“Good night!”
“Don’t stay too late, Aurora.”
“I won’t,” she replied automatically.
An hour later…
She was still there.
The office had become almost silent.
Only the hum of the air conditioner kept her company.
She stood and walked toward the rooftop terrace.
Whenever she struggled with a design…
She looked at the sky.
The cool breeze brushed against her face as she stepped outside.
The city stretched endlessly before her.
Cars moved like tiny streams of light below.
People hurried home.
Buildings stood proudly against the orange glow of the setting sun.
Aurora rested her hands on the railing.
“If I were a guest…”
She closed her eyes.
“What would make me remember this place?”
Not the lobby.
Not the rooms.
An experience.
A feeling.
A first impression.
Suddenly…
Her eyes opened.
“The arrival.”
She whispered the words to herself.
The arrival wasn’t supposed to simply guide guests inside.
It was supposed to welcome them.
To leave them speechless before they even stepped through the doors.
A smile slowly spread across her face.
She rushed downstairs.
Her pencil danced across the paper.
The entrance became larger.
The water features curved naturally around the building.
Glass reflected the ocean instead of hiding it.
Open terraces invited guests to pause and admire the view.
Every line suddenly had purpose.
Hours slipped by without Aurora noticing.
By the time she finally looked up…
It was nearly nine o’clock.
She blinked.
“I’ve been here all day…”
Her phone buzzed.
Lucas: Have you eaten?
Aurora looked at the untouched sandwich beside her.
She hadn’t.
She smiled before replying.
Aurora: I forgot.
Almost instantly…
Lucas: Of course you did. Stay there.
Aurora laughed softly.
“He’s coming.”
Exactly twenty-five minutes later…
Lucas walked into the office carrying two paper bags.
He looked around.
The entire design department was dark except for Aurora’s desk.
“I knew I’d find you here.”
Aurora looked up with a guilty smile.
“I lost track of time.”
“You also lost dinner.”
He handed her one of the bags.
“Eat.”
She opened it.
Her favorite chicken wrap.
“You really know me too well.”
“I have to.”
She took a bite before letting out a satisfied sigh.
“This is amazing.”
Lucas glanced at the drawings spread across the desk.
“So…”
She immediately frowned.
“Don’t say it.”
“You’ve been thinking about work all day.”
“I’m redesigning a project.”
“That serious?”
She nodded.
“The client rejected everything.”
Lucas whistled softly.
“Tough client.”
“The toughest.”
She shook her head.
“I’ve never met anyone so… frustrating.”
Lucas pulled up a chair.
“What did he say?”
Aurora mimicked Cassian’s calm voice.
“‘Efficiency isn’t memorable.’”
Lucas blinked.
“…That’s actually not bad advice.”
Aurora stared at him.
“Whose side are you on?”
“I’m on yours.”
“Then agree with me.”
“I can’t.”
She pouted.
“Traitor.”
Lucas laughed.
“If his criticism makes you better…”
He tapped one of her sketches.
“…then prove him wrong.”
Aurora looked at the drawing again.
Then smiled.
“I will.”
Across the city…
The lights inside Vaughn Group Headquarters were still on.
Cassian stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office, overlooking the skyline.
His assistant stepped inside.
“Sir.”
Cassian didn’t turn around.
“What is it?”
“I’ve contacted three architectural firms in case you decide to replace Hartwell.”
A brief silence followed.
“Cancel it.”
The assistant looked surprised.
“Sir?”
“They still have time.”
“Their presentation didn’t meet your standards.”
“No.”
“It didn’t.”
Cassian’s gaze remained fixed on the city below.
“But one architect listened instead of defending her mistakes.”
His assistant frowned thoughtfully.
“You believe she’ll improve it?”
Cassian answered without hesitation.
“If she doesn’t…”
“We’ll move on.”
The assistant nodded.
“I understand.”
After he left, Cassian looked once more at the blueprint resting on his desk.
Then he closed the folder.
Two weeks.
That was all the time she had.
- Writer
