In the Shadows of Us

Episode 6: Cracks in the Armor

Leah barely got any sleep that night. The call. Nico. The past creeping back in. It was too much.

By morning, she had forced herself into work mode. She arrived at the office earlier than usual, reviewing reports and pretending that everything was fine.

But the moment she stepped into the conference room, she knew she wasn’t fooling anyone—especially not Nico.

He was already there, leaning against the table, scrolling through his phone. When he looked up and met her gaze, his sharp eyes flickered with something she couldn’t quite place.

“Rough night?” he asked.

Leah straightened her posture. “Just busy.”

Nico didn’t buy it. “Lying isn’t a good look on you, Leah.”

She set her laptop down a little too forcefully. “And prying isn’t a good look on you, Nico.”

A smirk tugged at his lips, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Not prying. Just observing.”

Before she could snap back, the rest of the team arrived, saving her from another verbal sparring match with him.

The meeting began, and Leah did what she did best—took control. She laid out the project timeline, assigned tasks, and made sure every detail was covered.

Everything was going smoothly.

Until Nico decided to challenge her.

“I think we need to revise the product launch strategy,” he said, his voice calm but firm.

Leah frowned. “We’ve already finalized the plan.”

Nico leaned forward. “And I’m saying it can be better. We should aim for an international expansion sooner rather than later.”

Her jaw tightened. “That’s too aggressive. We need to secure the local market first before thinking bigger.”

“Or,” Nico countered, “we take the risk and dominate before the competition catches up.”

Silence filled the room.

Leah exhaled sharply. “That’s reckless.”

Nico’s lips twitched. “Or maybe you’re just afraid of making bold moves.”

Something in her snapped. She wasn’t afraid. But the way he pushed—the way he always wanted to test her limits—made her feel like she had something to prove.

Leah straightened her shoulders, meeting his gaze head-on. “Fine. You want bold? Let’s do a market test. If your strategy outperforms mine, we go with your approach.”

Nico’s smirk widened. “Now that’s the Leah I remember.”

The tension between them crackled like a live wire. The rest of the team watched, unsure whether this was a professional debate or something much more personal.

The meeting continued, but Leah’s mind was elsewhere.

She wouldn’t lose.

Not to him. Not to anyone.

But as she glanced at Nico—who was watching her with that familiar, knowing look—she wondered if this was really about business anymore.

Or if it was about something they never finished.