( told from third person's pov)
Monday mornings at Parallex HQ always moved fast.
Phones rang nonstop across the floor, keyboards clicked in uneven rhythms, and assistants hurried from office to office carrying folders and coffee cups like the entire building would collapse if they slowed down for even a second.
Ethan stepped out of the elevator with a tired sigh, adjusting the cuff of his sleeve as he walked.
His car was still at the mechanic, so he'd been forced to take a cab that morning. Between the traffic and a driver who somehow managed to hit every red light in Harrington, he was already twenty minutes behind schedule.
A young assistant hurried toward him with a tablet pressed against her chest.
"Good morning, sir."
"Morning," Ethan replied, loosening his tie slightly. "Please tell me the world isn't on fire already."
She laughed nervously.
"Not yet, sir. But we do have a new client waiting in your office."
Ethan slowed a little. "This early?"
