Mira stepped out of the elevator into the warm hum of the twelfth floor. The lobby felt different, cooler somehow, the air tasting of hushed anticipation. Coworkers paused in clusters, glancing up as she passed.
"Morning, Mira," Jenna called from down the hall, her tone polite but tense. A cluster of junior architects stood close by, regarding each other.
"Hi," Mira constructed, offering a faint smile as she glided past Jenna's open office doorway. Papers rustled behind her; sidelong glances eyed her passage. She held her head down, shoulders back, and moved towards her office.
At the other end of the hallway, someone muttered, "Family drama?" Between floors, the rumor machine ran wild. She put on her professional facade and entered her access code. The door clicked open.
Inside, the a
