THE BACK DETAILS OF NIGHTINGALE  ****Lisa left very early in the morning the next day to go see her sister in her apartment.  She was not feeling easy and needed to see her. When she got to her house, she knocked and it was opened in no time.  “You were early.” Mara didn’t look surprised when she opened the door. That, more than anything, unsettled Lisa. “I didn’t call,” Lisa said. “I know.” The apartment smelled like brewed coffee and paper, not the polished kind Lisa was used to. Stacks of printouts sat neatly on the dining table, it was a habit Mara picked up years ago.  Mara stepped aside, barefoot on the tiled floor. “You usually came with a warning. Or an excuse.” Lisa walked in anywa

LAURA'S INTERVENTION   Victor didn’t answer, he just looked away as though he didn't hear the question. Manuel turned toward the door, then stopped. “If I ask you to move,” he said, “will you?” Elias didn’t hesitate. “We never stopped.” Manuel nodded, unlocked the door, and stepped then stepped out.  He got home in no time and he was welcomed warmly like it wasn't his. “You’re back late, sir. Should I serve your food now?!” Manuel stopped just past the door, the door closing behind him with a thud sound. He loosened his tie slowly, his fingers stiff. “No,” he said after a pause. “Don’t serve the food.” A pause came before she spoke, fingers folded just above the edge of her apron,

A SUDDEN CALL Jamie was in the sitting room, watching one of his favorite channels on television, he was holding a glass of wine in his right hand, smiling widely.Suddenly, one of the guards in the house knocked and he allowed him in. He presented a wrapped letter to him and then left without a word and Jamie didn't bother asking him either.He kept the drink aside and quickly unwrapped the letter to read the content. BOARD SESSION. Attendance required. 7:00 AM.It was written in bold on the letter and he checked to see if there was any other detail, but he saw none.The summons arrived without ceremony. No letterhead and no explanation. Just a short message routed through internal channels Jamie hadn’t used in months.The guard had brought it from there. Whenever he got things from that route, he knew it was somehow important.Jamie read it twice, then once more, slower. He didn’t react right away. He finished his drink, rinsed the mug, set it upside down like always.By the tim

ANOTHER LINE OF TASK Manuel exhaled slowly.“So,” he murmured. “You survived.”He straightened, his expression smoothing back to a more calmer one.“Continue the audit,” he said. “Quietly.”As the analyst left, Manuel remained staring at the name, his mind already moving several steps ahead.He smiled faintly, tapping his fingers on the desk, the idea of what he needed to do was coming to him now.He picked up his phone and dialed Laura's number. “Come to the office.” He said and then the line went dead. In no time, Laura knocked at his door and he ushered her in and asked her to sit. He looked at her and then presented the list to her, the names with date and the files that were given to him that morning.Laura took it and stared at it for a while, she opened the first slide and then saw the names attached. “These names….” She tried to say something, but ended up staring at Manuel for a moment. Manuel smiled and then stood, tucking his both arms in his pocket like always. “My

THE NIGHT MANUEL IS NAMED The boardroom was filled with more people than expected.It was 2:00pm in the afternoon, and even with the air conditioning inside, everyone inside seemed to be sweating hard, their expressions hardened. They all had a document in front of them, but none of them touched it, they just whispered within themselves, some hissing as though regretting an action. Soon, Manuel stepped in and everywhere turned silent at once like they were not talking a few minutes ago. Manuel’s eyes swept through the whole room, Laura was standing by the door, in case of anything, so she could step in. Manuel had asked her to stay there and just watch the whole meeting.Manuel stood at the head of the table, looking at them one after the other, but when he did, they would throw their face away as though avoiding his gaze.There were no papers in his hands and no screen behind him, he stepped in with bare hands and his gaze.The board members sat upright, shoulders stiff, eyes ale