The tension that lingered between Elias and Grady after the meeting wasn't the kind that dissipated with time. The next morning, Elias stood at the head of the long table, reviewing the final blueprints for the new structure they were about to start. The room was quiet, the only sound the scratch of pens against paper and the low murmur of conversation.But there was something off. The air felt strained, and the voices didn’t sound as certain. Elias could see it in the faces of his team—some had started to doubt the choices they had made, the path they had agreed on. It was subtle, but it was there. Grady’s resistance had planted a seed, and now Elias had to act quickly before it spread.He tapped the table to get their attention. “Alright, listen up,” Elias said, his voice cutting through the silence. “We’re about to start the next phase, and I need everyone here to be on the same page. We’re not just building structures, we’re building something bigger than all of us. If you’re uns

Elias stood at the front of the conference room, his mind still circling the conversation from the morning. The meeting was starting, but his thoughts were a little distant, caught in the turbulence of everything he had been trying to handle. His fingers drummed absentmindedly on the surface of the table as the team filed in, and for the first time in a long time, he wasn’t sure how to begin.Lana was already seated at the side, flipping through a few documents, her usual composed demeanor present. She gave him a slight nod as he looked her way, a silent reassurance that he wasn’t alone in this, even if it sometimes felt that way.The team settled in, murmuring quietly as they took their places. The air was thick with unspoken tension, and Elias couldn’t help but notice the subtle shift in their eyes when they looked at him. He had always been the one with the answers, the one they turned to when they were uncertain. But now, it felt like they were waiting for him to say something, wa

Elias didn’t move for a long moment after Grady’s words. The quiet of the room pressed in, heavy, and he could feel the tightness in his chest refuse to ease. Grady hadn’t asked for a promise, hadn’t demanded that he change overnight—he had only left him with the truth. But it was a truth Elias didn’t know how to live with yet.Finally, Elias sank onto the edge of the couch, his hands clasped tightly in front of him. Grady stayed standing for a beat longer before lowering himself into the chair opposite. There was no impatience in his posture, no accusation, but his presence alone kept Elias from slipping too far into himself.“You don’t have to say anything right now,” Grady said evenly. “But don’t tell me you’re fine. You’ve said that too many times already.”Elias almost laughed, the sound bitter on his tongue. “I don’t even know what fine is anymore.”“That’s honest,” Grady replied quietly. “It’s a start.”Elias looked up, meeting his gaze. “But it doesn’t fix anything.”“No,” Gra

Elias sat across from his desk, staring at the pile of paperwork in front of him. His thoughts were scattered, every sheet of paper feeling heavier than the last. Grady’s warning about Mara had planted a new kind of unease inside him—one that had nothing to do with the project at hand and everything to do with his past.Mara’s reach had always been long. She had a way of weaving herself into the fabric of everything, making her presence known even when it wasn’t welcomed. And now, it seemed, she was doing it again.The door opened, and Lana stepped in, a quiet knock preceding her entrance. She noticed the stack of documents on the desk but didn’t mention it. Instead, her gaze met his with that same understanding that had marked their conversations lately.“You look like you’re about to tear through that desk.”Elias gave a wry smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m thinking about it.”Lana folded her arms, her expression turning serious. “What’s got you so worked up?”“Grady told y

Elias had been expecting a fallout, but nothing prepared him for the tension that settled in the air after his confrontation with Mara. He knew she wouldn’t back down easily. Mara never did. She was methodical, calculating, and always a few steps ahead. But Elias wasn’t going to let her dictate his every move anymore. The conversation had made that much clear—he had drawn a line, and he wasn’t crossing it.But as the days passed and the project continued, Elias realized just how far Mara’s reach extended. He began noticing subtle shifts, changes in the behavior of the people around him. Small whispers, moments of hesitation when certain names came up in meetings. A few colleagues had begun to avoid eye contact when they passed by his office, as if they were trying to remain neutral in a battle they weren’t ready to fight.The worst part was that Elias didn’t know if it was Mara pulling the strings or if it was his own insecurities making him paranoid. But one thing was becoming incre