His Favorite Confession

Shadows In The Lobby

The rest of the workday crawled by like molasses. Alora found herself repeatedly zoning out at her desk, her mind replaying the heavy heat of Hayden's office and the absolute certainty in his eyes.

As the clock ticked toward 5:00 PM, she began packing up her things. Just as she zipped her bag, a sharp voice cut through her thoughts.

"Alora?"

She looked up to see Marcus Vance, Hayden's younger cousin and the head of business development, leaning casually against her partition. Marcus always carried himself with an easy, effortless charm, but there was something sharp and calculating hidden behind his lazy smile.

"Good evening, Mr. Vance," Alora said politely, keeping her posture formal.

"Cut the formalities, Alora. We've worked on enough late-night pitches together for you to call me Marcus," he said, stepping closer. His eyes flicked down to her desk and then back up to her face. "You look distracted today. Or should I say... inspired? Rumor has it the boss called you into the inner sanctum for a rather lengthy private meeting this morning."

Alora’s stomach gave a nervous lurch, but she kept her voice steady. "We were reviewing the quarterly risk projections, Marcus."

"Right. Risk projections," Marcus chuckled softly, a sound that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Hayden is a difficult man to crack. Be careful, Alora. People who get too close to the sun in this building tend to get burned."

Before she could think of a suitable reply, Marcus gave a sharp nod and walked away toward the executive elevators, leaving a cold sense of unease lingering in his wake.