The pressure didn’t arrive loudly, it never did, but always lurking within the shadows right behind him.Christian noticed it first in the smallest places, things that usually moved without friction suddenly started resisting, like gears misaligned by half a millimeter.A supplier requested reconfirmation on terms that were already signed.A compliance officer postponed a clearance with polite regret.A finance subcommittee asked for additional documentation on a project that had already passed two internal reviews.None of it screamed sabotage, but all together, it hummed that something happening behind his back.Christian stood by the glass wall of his office, tablet in hand, his eyes scanning the latest updates. The city outside was very normal and pleasant, cars moving, lights blinking, people unaware that a quiet tightening had begun several floors above them.Luna entered the room first, followed by Andrew behind her, neither of them spoke immediately after entering, that alone

"Nothing in this world comes with free of cost or out of Goodwill," Christian thought to himself, "especially from a stranger all of a sudden, what if there's a bigger conspiracy happening in the name of help? How am I supposed to crack the truth?" He didn’t believe in coincidences, not after everything he had lived through.He sat alone in his office long after sunset when all his friends left, he got time alone to concentrate, the glass walls reflecting his silhouette back at him like a second observer. The city outside had dimmed into a scatter of lights, distant and indifferent, while the tablet in his hands glowed softly.Approval timestamps, internal routing logs, and departmental overrides.He scrolled slowly, carefully, not searching for proof, but only patterns, he has been looking into it for so long expecting at least a small clue but in the end, he came to the same place where he began.The bottlenecks that had tightened around him for days had vanished too neatly. Not

"I…" Aurora hesitated as she isn't sure what to reply to Rosaline's deal.The word barely left her lips before it dissolved into silence.Rosaline didn’t rush her, she didn’t fill the gap with pressure, didn’t lean forward, didn’t even tighten the situation.She simply waited as she wanted Aurora to give a response wholeheartedly than being rushed because it's a matter of life and she can't take it as a joke.The more she waited the more Aurora started becoming tensed, since it's a kind of waiting that didn’t feel like patience, but like certainty.Aurora stared at the hand extended across the table. It was steady, and calm, not trembling, not even desperate.It wasn’t the hand of a woman begging, it was the hand of a woman offering something already decided, that's the reason why Aurora couldn't come to a conclusion so soon.Rosaline tilted her head slightly and said softly, "I know we have to think twice before taking any decision, but in this I don't understand what's making you t

"I feel like," Andrew said while flexing his hair, "these days, all we have to do is relaxing while working is going to happen automatically on its own, isn't it great?" Kira sighed at his words, "only a lazy dumbass like you could think of things like these." "I agree with Kira," Tanya said while throwing a pen at Andrew, "just because a few things are resolved, that doesn't mean we can be relaxed, we are not sure when... What might happen!" Andrew shrugged his shoulders dramatically and looked at Christian, who had been silent throughout the entire conversation, only sipping his coffee like an innocent bystander."Hey, Chris!""Huh?" Christian blinked, finally looking up."What kind of a friend are you?" Andrew asked with fake hurt, placing a hand over his chest.Christian frowned at dramatic behaviour. "Now what happened? What did I do?" Andrew pointed at the women around the table like they were criminals in court. "We are the only men in this group, these women are bullying m

"My Lord," Lysandre looked at Adrian quietly, "you don't need to come here all the way, we will take care of these bastards for you." "Yes my Lord," another one from their team said, "rather than wasting your time by coming all the way here, you can spend with your son." Adrian took out a cigar and lit it, while his eyes darkened in anger, "I know you people can handle it, but I want to torture them by myself, only then I can be satisfied...." "Young master thinks you're a calm and kind gentleman, if he knows you have such a side, don't you think he'll be afraid?" Lysandre raised an eyebrow pointing at dual personality Adrian shows based on people in front of him.Adrian rolled his eyes, "my son will never know this side of mine! There's no way I'm going to let him this side of mine." "So, are you planning to pretend in front of him forever, my Lord?" A woman from their team giggled, Adrian frowned slightly, "when did I pretend? I'm being the way I'm..." Lysandre chuckled, "yes,