The workday passed with almost insulting normalcy.Emails. Spreadsheets. Status updates that said nothing new in slightly different ways. Adrian moved through it all on muscle memory, responding when required, contributing just enough to stay visible without drawing attention.If anyone was watching him, they’d see an employee having an average Tuesday.Marcus, on the other hand, was unraveling—quietly, imperfectly.Adrian noticed it first in the morning stand-up. Marcus spoke too quickly, words tripping over each other as he explained a timeline that hadn’t changed since last week. His eyes flicked toward the department head twice while he talked, as if bracing for a question that never came.Later, in the bullpen, Marcus’s leg bounced beneath his desk hard enough to rattle the drawer. He checked his phone, locked it, unlocked it again. Typed something. Deleted it. Did it all over.Adrian didn’t look directly at him.He didn’t need to.Stress had a rhythm. Once you learned it, you co

Adrian and Elana left the office together, the late afternoon air cooler than expected, the sky washed in soft amber and gray. The walk home was easy—comfortable in that quiet way that only came after shared routines. They talked about small things. A comment she made about a ridiculous email thread. His dry observation about the office coffee somehow getting worse every week.She laughed, looping her arm through his as they crossed the street toward their apartment building.That was when the alert hit.It didn’t flash across his vision like before. It pulsed—subtle but urgent—settling into his awareness like a pressure behind his eyes.High-Risk Task Identified Immediate Threat Detected Objective: Protect Elana Threat Level: Severe Attacker Armed: Knife Failure Consequence: Serious Injury or WorseAdrian’s pace slowed by half a step.Elana noticed instantly. “Hey—what’s wrong?”Before he could answer, a figure detached itself from the shadowed corner ahead.The man moved fast,

Adrian felt the shift before it fully happened—the way Elana’s breathing changed, the way her body subtly angled toward his instead of simply resting against him. Comfort had turned into awareness, and awareness into something warmer, heavier, impossible to ignore.She lifted her head from his shoulder, just enough for their faces to be inches apart. He could smell her shampoo, something soft and faintly floral, mixed with the warmth of her skin. Her eyes searched his, not uncertain, just asking. Adrian didn’t rush it. He let the moment stretch, let the quiet speak for them.When they kissed, it was slow.Not desperate. Not hurried.Just lips brushing first, testing, learning. Elana’s hand slid up his chest, fingers curling lightly into his shirt as if anchoring herself. The kiss deepened naturally, unforced, their mouths moving together with an ease that felt earned rather than taken. Every small sound—the soft intake of breath, the faintest sigh—made the moment feel more intimate.A

Adrian woke to the soft glow of morning sunlight spilling through his blinds, a sense of anticipation buzzing in his chest. Today felt important, even before he got out of bed. Sliding his legs over the side, he swung his feet onto the floor, letting the cool wood greet him. His mind replayed last night—the stolen moments with Elana, the fire of desire tempered by restraint. A smile tugged at his lips as he grabbed the neatly prepared packet for his boss sitting by his laptop, ready to go.After a quick stretch, a few pushups, and some sit-ups to wake his body, he made his way across the hall. Elana was waiting just outside her door, her expression brightening when she saw him.“Good morning,” she said softly, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. “I wanted to apologize again for last night. I didn’t mean for… well, for you to be interrupted like that.”Adrian gave her a reassuring smile, handing her the packet. “No worries. It gave us something to look forward to later, didn’t it?”She

Adrian was still standing in Eleanor Whitmore’s office when the system surfaced—quiet, precise, impossible to ignore.System Alert:Major Conflict Resolved.Fraud Exposed.Rival Neutralized.Rewards Granted:Charm +2.0Social Confidence +2.0Perception +1.5Intelligence +2.5The change was immediate but controlled. Adrian felt it in the way his thoughts organized themselves more cleanly, in the way he became more aware of the room—Whitmore’s posture, his boss’s focus, the subtle shift in authority as the situation stabilized. His presence felt steadier, more assured, without tipping into arrogance.Whitmore studied him for a moment longer than strictly necessary.“Adrian,” she said, “walk me through how you recognized the problem early. Not the evidence—we have that. I want to understand the process.”He nodded, stepping slightly forward.“The proposal itself wasn’t the red flag,” Adrian said. “It was the surrounding behavior. The urgency. The resistance to normal review timelines. An