When Hearts Speak Louder

An Office on the Fortieth Floor

The rain had not stopped since last night. Leah stood in front of the window of her small apartment in Edgewater, sipping her cold coffee without tasting it. She looked toward the distant gray waters of Lake Michigan beneath the heavy clouds and thought about the message still saved on her phone. Do not accept. Who would send something like that, and why. She had spent hours last night turning Adam Blackwell’s card between her fingers, thinking about his offer, a private residence, a project for an investor, a chance to design something real, something meant for one person instead of an entire board of directors. But the message remained like a small thorn in the back of her mind, a warning from someone unknown, maybe a jealous colleague, maybe Claire Harrington herself, or maybe something else. Her thoughts stopped when her phone rang An unknown number. Hello. Ms. Montgomery, this is Mia from Blackwell Holdings. Mr. Blackwell asked me to arrange the start of your work today if you are ready. Would ten o’clock suit you Leah looked at the clock. It was a quarter to nine Today If possible. He is very eager to begin the project Leah stood silent for a few seconds, thinking about the mysterious message, about Adam’s gray eyes, about that moment in his office when, for a brief instant, he had seemed like a human being rather than only a businessman.

I will be there at ten That was how she found herself now, five minutes before ten, standing once again in the lobby of the fortieth floor. But this time the place was different, crowded, employees moving quickly, meetings beginning and ending, phones ringing in the background. Standing there, she suddenly felt like a student on the first day of school. Leah, welcome. Mia appeared from behind the reception desk with her warm smile. Come with me, I will show you your office They walked through glass corridors. Leah noticed the looks that followed her. Some were curious, some cautious, and some were as cold as ice. A woman in her forties with short blonde hair glanced at her from behind her computer, then returned to her work without smiling This is the workspace for the architectural team, your desk is here Leah stopped in front of a desk in the corner. A floor to ceiling window looked out over the river, the same river she had seen yesterday,

but this time she was seeing it from inside. It is… beautiful. Mr. Blackwell requested this desk specifically for you. He said you needed natural light Leah felt something strange in her chest. She turned to Mia Is he here today Mr. Blackwell. Mia laughed softly. He is always here. His office is over there in the opposite corner, but he is in a meeting right now. He asked me to tell you he will review your work at the end of the day. Review my work, she had not even started yet After Mia left, Leah sat down in her chair. She opened her bag and took out her notebook and her old blue pen, placing them on the desk. Then she looked at the window for a full minute, trying to calm the beating of her heart Are you the new one She looked up. A man in his late twenties stood at the entrance of her glass space. He was tall, blond, with amused blue eyes and an easy smile. Yes, Leah Montgomery. David Chen He extended his hand. Structural engineer I have been here for three years. Do not be afraid of Rebecca, she looks fierce but she melts after the third coffee. Leah laughed despite herself. Rebecca is the one with the short hair Exactly. She will come to test you soon, just be firm and do not show fear As David predicted, less than ten minutes later Rebecca stood in front of her desk Leah Montgomery Leah stood up. Yes, I am Leah Rebecca looked at her over the top of her glasses. I heard you will be working on a private project for Mr.

Blackwell. That is correct. Do you have experience in luxury residential design. The question carried a faint tone of challenge. Leah caught it immediately I have experience designing spaces that reflect the identity of the people who live in them, whether they are luxurious or modest, the principle is the same Rebecca raised one eyebrow The same principle People want to feel that they are in their home. Luxury alone does not create a home. Rebecca was silent for a few seconds, then a faint almost invisible smile appeared on her lips. We will see. Then she walked away. An hour later the team held a quick meeting in the glass conference room. This time Adam was there He sat at the head of the table as usual, his face closed, his eyes observing everyone without missing anyone. When Leah entered he looked at her for a second, then returned his gaze to his papers. We have a new assignment for the architectural team, he said without introduction. The thirty fifth floor needs a complete redesign. The space is seven hundred square meters, the budget is limited, the deadline for the initial concept is forty eight hours. A low murmur spread around the table That is impossible, Rebecca said loudly. Forty square meters alone needs at least two weeks for a serious concept Adam looked at her That is why I assigned it to the entire team. You will work together. And Leah, he paused for a moment, you will lead this

project Complete silence All eyes turned toward Leah. Some were shocked, some angry, and some curious. Mr. Blackwell, Leah said calmly, I am new here, perhaps it would be better if That is exactly why I chose you, he interrupted. You are new. You do not have preconceived ideas about what works and what does not. I want a fresh vision. Do you have a problem with that She looked at him. He was challenging her, she could see it clearly in his eyes, a harsh test I have no problem with it, she said. I will start immediately When the meeting ended David tried to smile at her encouragingly, but Rebecca passed by him and whispered something that made him lower his head Leah returned to her desk. She sat looking at the empty screen Forty eight hours It was impossible, but it was also her only chance to prove herself here She began to draw The hours passed like minutes. Leah sketched, erased, drew again. She went to the thirty fifth floor to measure the space herself, then returned to adjust the plans. She did not feel hunger. She did not feel tired.

Only lines, spaces, and light. When she lifted her head again it was eight in the evening. The floor was quiet, most of the lights were off She looked at the drawings scattered across her desk. They were still far from perfect, but she was beginning to see the shape of a solution, a clever idea to divide the space using movable glass units that allowed flexibility and reduced cost She took a deep breath Then she noticed something Her desk drawer was slightly open, about one centimeter She had not opened it since she sat down Slowly she reached forward and pulled the handle The drawer opened Inside there were drawings Thick sheets of paper, sketched in pencil, carefully folded. Leah took them out, her heart beating violently She opened the first drawing It was a house, no, it was more than a house, it was the idea of a house. Precise lines, large windows, a flat roof blending with nature. The house was surrounded by lightly sketched

trees. She looked at the signature in the corner It was her signature This was her drawing, an old drawing from her university years. She had drawn this house one night when she dreamed about a real home, a home unlike the houses she had known She opened the second drawing, another house, different, then a third All of them were her drawings, old sketches, some from university days, some from her early working years. Drawings no one had ever seen before, kept in her old notebooks in her apartment How did they get here Who put them there. Do not accept. The words whispered in her head like a distant voice. The mysterious message, and now these drawings She quickly turned toward Adam’s office in the opposite corner. It was dark, empty But only a few meters away, near the door of the glass space, there was a shadow. Someone standing in the darkness, watching her Before she could see who it was, the shadow disappeared Leah remained standing there, the drawings in her trembling hands, silence filling the place And on her phone a new message was waiting I told you not to accept.