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Chapter Sixteen: unspoken Tension

Penulis: Anna Yamoh
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-05-01 20:03:59

Celeste's pov

It was the first time I’d beaten Leo to the office.

The executive floor was still and quiet, bathed in soft morning light. I stepped out of the elevator and walked past the sleek, empty desks toward the familiar doors of Leo’s office. After punching in the access code, I stepped inside.

Everything was still—his desk empty, the usual hum of tension absent.

I settled behind my corner desk and pulled up the day’s agenda. A full lineup. Meetings, calls, preliminary reports on the upcoming merger.It was going to be a long day.

The soft knock startled me.

I turned just as the door cracked open and Maya stepped in, clutching a sleek folder. “Hey,” she said, voice low as if afraid to disturb the silence. “I brought the finalized PR breakdown for the travel side of the merger. Mr. Kingsley wanted it before ten.”

“Thanks,” I said, standing to take it from her. “I’ll make sure it’s on his desk.”

Her gaze flicked to the empty chair behind his desk. “He’s not in yet?”
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