The Forgotten Heiress

Chapter Two: The Vacancy

Chapter Two

The conference room felt nothing like it had that morning.

Only hours earlier, it had been filled with optimism. Now, an uneasy silence settled over the Haven team.

Serena stood at the head of the table while Infinity Lawson held a printed resignation letter.

"No one has been able to reach Mr. Brooks," Infinity said. "His phone is switched off, and he hasn't responded to any emails."

A software engineer frowned.

"I still can't believe it."

"He was here this morning," another team member added. "He presented the latest updates like any other day."

Serena remained silent.

Mr. Brooks had been composed, professional, and focused throughout the meeting. There hadn't been the slightest indication he intended to leave.

Infinity glanced down at the letter.

"HR confirmed that Mr. Brooks cleared out his office shortly after we left for the investor lunch. He submitted his resignation before leaving the building."

"What reason did he give?" Serena asked.

Infinity looked back at the letter.

"'Personal circumstances requiring my immediate attention.'"

She lowered the paper.

"That's all."

The room fell quiet.

One engineer sighed.

"I never thought he'd leave in the middle of the project."

"Neither did I," another admitted.

Infinity closed the file.

"Without a project lead, development can't continue."

No one argued.

Mr. Brooks had overseen every major stage of Haven's development. Replacing him overnight simply wasn't possible.

Serena drew a slow breath.

"Effective immediately..."

She paused before finishing the sentence.

"...the Haven project is suspended until we appoint a new project lead."

The words hung heavily in the room.

Months of planning had come to an unexpected halt.

Serena looked around at the team.

"I know this is disappointing."

Her voice remained calm.

"But rushing this decision would only hurt the project. We'll begin searching for a replacement immediately."

The team nodded, though the disappointment on their faces remained.

One by one, they gathered their laptops and quietly left the conference room.

Infinity was the last to move.

"I'll begin contacting recruiters."

Serena gave a small nod.

"And widen the search if we have to."

"I will."

After Infinity left, Serena found herself alone in the suddenly silent conference room.

The Haven logo still glowed across the display.

Only that morning, it had represented possibility.

Now it represented a problem she had no immediate solution for.

The executive floor had grown unusually quiet.

Most of the employees had gone home hours ago, leaving only the soft hum of computers and the glow of office lights.

Serena sat alone in her office, her laptop open before her.

Candidate profiles, emails, and recruitment recommendations filled the screen. One after another, she reviewed them, only to close each file with the same conclusion.

None of them were ready to lead Haven.

A gentle knock interrupted her thoughts.

Infinity stepped inside, two cups of coffee in hand.

"I figured you'd still be here."

Serena accepted one with a faint smile.

"Thanks."

Infinity glanced at the laptop.

"You've been searching for almost four hours."

"And I still don't have a project lead."

"We'll keep looking tomorrow."

Serena leaned back in her chair, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Haven can't afford to wait forever."

"It won't have to." Infinity offered an encouraging smile. "We'll find someone."

After a moment, Serena nodded.

"You should head home."

"What about you?"

"I'll leave soon."

Infinity studied her for a second before giving in.

"Don't stay too late."

"I won't."

Once the door closed, silence returned.

Serena looked back at the countless applications on her screen.

Not one of them felt right.

With a quiet sigh, she shut the laptop.

A single tear escaped before she brushed it away almost immediately.

She picked up her bag, left her office, and climbed into the waiting car.

"Take me to a quiet bar," she told the driver.

"Yes, President."

The car pulled away into the night.

The bar was quiet enough for Serena to hear her own thoughts.

Unfortunately, they all led back to work.

"Well... this is unexpected."

She looked up.

Adrian stood beside her, smiling.

"I didn't expect to run into you again."

"Neither did I."

He gestured to the empty stool.

"Mind if I?"

She glanced around the nearly empty bar.

"I don't think anyone else is fighting for it."

"I'll take that as permission."

He sat, and the bartender placed a glass of water in front of him.

Serena frowned.

"Water?"

"I've got work tomorrow."

"So do I."

"Judging by your drink, I'd say your day was worse."

She smiled despite herself.

"That obvious?"

"You don't seem like someone who spends Tuesday nights at a bar."

"And what do I seem like?"

He studied her for a second.

"The kind of person who keeps a schedule for everything."

She laughed.

"I do."

"I knew it."

"You guessed."

"I guessed correctly."

She shook her head.

"Don't get too confident."

"I work with customers. Confidence pays the bills."

"So does good food."

"I like to think I provide both."

She chuckled, surprising herself.

For the first time that day, she wasn't thinking about the office.

"So," she asked, "do you always come here after work?"

"Sometimes."

"Why here?"

He looked at the water in his hand.

"It helps me think."

"About?"

A faint smile crossed his face.

"My mum."

Serena nodded.

"I see."

He didn't elaborate, and she didn't ask.

"What about you?" he said.

She sighed.

"Work."

"That bad?"

"It'll still be waiting for me tomorrow."

"I've found work usually does."

She laughed softly.

"I was hoping you'd say it disappears overnight."

"If I discover how, I'll let you know."

She reached for her third glass.

Before she could lift it, Adrian lightly rested his fingers against it.

"I think this one stays on the counter."

She looked at him.

"Were you always this bossy?"

"Only with interesting customers."

"I'm not your customer."

"You were a few hours ago."

She rolled her eyes.

"Technicality."

"It still counts."

She smiled, but left the glass where it was.

A few minutes later, she stood.

The room shifted just enough to make her pause.

Adrian was beside her immediately.

"I think someone should take you home."

"I'm fine."

"I'm sure you are."

He smiled.

"Who can I call?"

She hesitated before answering.

"...Infinity."

"Infinity Lawson."

"My assistant."

He took her phone, found the contact, and made the call.

Infinity arrived a short while later, relief washing over her face the moment she saw Serena.

"I've been looking everywhere for you."

"I wasn't hiding."

"So you say."

Infinity slipped an arm around her.

"Come on."

Adrian walked them to the door.

The cool night air wrapped around them the moment they stepped outside.

Serena shivered.

Without a word, Adrian removed his jacket and settled it over her shoulders.

She looked up.

"You'll freeze."

"I live five minutes away."

She wasn't convinced, but she smiled anyway.

"...Thank you."

"My pleasure."

Infinity helped her into the car.

Before closing the door, Serena looked back.

"Goodnight, Adrian."

He smiled.

"Goodnight, Miss Marie."

The car pulled away, his jacket still resting over her shoulders.

The next evening, Serena was one of the last people to leave Marie Tech.

The paper bag containing Adrian's jacket rested on the passenger seat beside her throughout the drive.

By the time she reached Bellissimo, the restaurant was already closing.

The sign on the door read CLOSED.

She hesitated before knocking lightly on the glass.

Adrian looked up from wiping down a table and smiled in recognition.

"I was hoping you'd come back."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"I'd started wondering if I'd accidentally donated my favorite jacket."

A laugh escaped her as she held up the paper bag.

"I don't make a habit of stealing."

"Pity. It suited you."

She shook her head, amused, and handed him the bag.

"I wanted to return it myself."

"I'm glad you did."

A brief silence settled between them—not awkward, just comfortable.

Serena slipped into one of the chairs and opened her laptop.

"I just need five minutes before I head home."

"Tough day?"

"The same tough day from yesterday."

She stared at the screen, frowned, then rubbed her temple.

Adrian glanced at the code as he walked past.

He slowed.

"...May I?"

She looked up.

"You code?"

"A little."

She hesitated before turning the laptop toward him.

"It's probably not worth your time."

He studied the screen for a few seconds.

"You've been trying to fix the output."

Her eyes narrowed.

"How did you know?"

"You've corrected the function three different ways."

He pointed to a single line.

"The logic isn't wrong. The condition is."

Serena made the change.

She pressed Enter.

The error disappeared.

She blinked.

"...You've got to be kidding me."

A slow smile spread across Adrian's face.

"I've said that to my computer a few times."

She looked at him differently.

"Where did you learn to code?"

"I studied software engineering."

"And you're waiting tables?"

"For now."

There was no bitterness in his voice.

Just quiet acceptance.

Serena closed her laptop.

"Thank you."

"It was only one line."

"It was the right one."

She stood, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"I should let you finish closing."

"And I should probably stop keeping visitors after hours."

She smiled.

"I wasn't exactly visiting empty-handed."

He lifted the paper bag.

"I suppose not."

She laughed.

"Goodnight, Adrian."

"Goodnight, Miss Marie."

On the drive home, the conversation replayed in her mind.

A waiter had solved in seconds what had kept an entire development team stuck.

For the first time since Mr. Brooks resigned, Serena found herself thinking less about the problem...

...and more about Adrian.