The city skyline shimmered beneath the pale morning sun, but inside Apex Holdings, the atmosphere was anything but calm.
The company's headquarters buzzed with controlled urgency. Employees hurried through the marble lobby carrying stacks of files and laptops, their voices hushed as they exchanged updates. Since the recent media attack, everyone knew the company remained under scrutiny. One wrong move could erase months of hard-earned recovery.
Caro stepped out of the elevator with a folder pressed against her chest. She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing toward the executive floor.
Things had changed.
Not dramatically.
Not enough for anyone else to notice.
But she noticed.
Peter no longer looked through her as though she were invisible. He no longer dismissed every suggestion she made before hearing it. The cold wall between them hadn't disappeared, but tiny cracks had begun to form.
Those cracks were enough to give her hope.
