LOGINAdrian was already outside, leaning against the wall two storefronts down with his jacket pushed back and his phone face-down on the railing beside him.His demeanor was one of someone who genuinely had nowhere better to be.When Adam pushed through the door, Adrian looked over and raised his chin."I thought you might follow," he said."The card was right there." Adam fell into step beside him as Adrian pushed off the wall. "Where are we going?""There's a decent diner about six blocks up. Good coffee, bad lighting, nobody bothers you." Adrian said as he glanced sideways. "Unless you had somewhere to be.""I'm good."They walked, their footsteps echoing of the street where few people passed.Thursday evening tended to be that way since the weekend hadn't quite arrived, the city was at a mild simmer rather than a boil.Adrian had his hands in his pockets and the relaxed stride of someone who'd made peace with the pace of things a long time ago."You said that was the longer conversati
Adam stayed with his drink, where Daniel had left him, not quite ready to move.The bar had filled up properly now.The earlier quiet replaced by the low comfortable noise of a Thursday evening finding its rhythm.He was thinking about nothing in particular or trying to, at least, when someone dropped into the chair across from him with the full confidence of a man sitting down at his own kitchen table."Hope that's not saved," the man said, already settled, already comfortable.Adam looked up.Mid-thirties, maybe. Sandy hair, open collar, a jacket that was clearly expensive without announcing itself. He had a drink in one hand something clear, probably just soda and a relaxed expression of someone who'd happened to notice a free seat and took it."It's not," Adam said."Good." The man glanced around the bar with mild appreciation. "Great place. Genuinely underrated.""You come here often?""Now and then." He turned back to Adam with an easy smile. "Adrian Vance.""Adam Wilson.""I k
Adam was surprised when Olivia texted him on Thursday evening if he was available to meet with someone. ByMore surprisingly was the person. Daniel. Her cousin.When he thought about it, Adam felt it should have been expected.He was dating the man's cousin afterall.The bar Daniel had chosen was fairly simple.No craft cocktail menu on a chalkboard, no Edison bulbs strung at careful intervals to suggest character. Just solid wood counters, decent lighting, and a bartender who didn't hover.Daniel was already there when Adam arrived, sitting at a corner table with two drinks already ordered, jacket off, collar open.He looked up when Adam walked in and raised a hand in a wave, like they were picking up something that had been briefly interrupted rather than starting something new."Adam." He didn't stand, just gestured at the chair across from him. "We finally meet properly this time.""I know," Adam agreed, and sat.The drink in front of him was whiskey, neat.He hadn't told Daniel h
Walter Cho's office wasn't what Adam expected.There was no glass tower and no skyline view, just a converted warehouse space near the rail yards, exposed brick, a long table covered in rolled blueprints instead of a polished desk.It smelled like sawdust and coffee.Adam liked it more than he expected to and he also felt it fit the man's character more."Most people who meet me for the first time look disappointed," Walter said, not looking up from the plans he was straightening. "They want marble. I give them plywood and ask if they still want to talk business.""I came for the conversation, not the furniture." Adam replied."Good answer." Walter finally looked up, gesturing at the chair across from him.Melissa was already seated, notebook open, pen uncapped.She'd arrived some minutes early, the way she always did, like punctuality was a personality trait instead of a habit."Your assistant called ahead asking for margin breakdowns on three of my past projects,"Walter said, amuse
Melissa Hale’s apartment was smaller than people probably expected, given the title on her business card and the six-figure decisions she signed off on weekly.In the living room, a desk was crowded with two monitors, a coffee maker that ran basically every hour, and a couple of sofas.She liked it that way.Less to clean, more to focus on.It was just past seven in the morning, and she was already two coffees in, scrolling through Titan's contract pipeline with the focus of it not being a chore, but a shape waiting to be solved.Her phone buzzed.It was a text from her only friend and self-acclaimed sister, Hana.– Mom's asking if you're still "working for that rich kid" lol. She wants to know if he's nice.Melissa snorted, typing back without looking up from the second monitor.–Tell her he's polite and chronically late. Otherwise a functional human.–She says that sounds like every man in the family.– I know that.She set the phone down and let herself enjoy the small, ordinary no
Olivia's lecture had already ended by the time Adam reached the building, but she was exactly where she said she'd be; sitting on the low stone wall outside and scrolling her phone with patience.She had the look of someone who'd learned not to expect punctuality.So it wasn’t unexpected when, Olivia looked up.Turned her eyes back to her watch, then looked back at him."Who are you?"Adam blinked."What?""You're early."She narrowed her eyes."Did someone steal Adam Wilson and replace him with a responsible adult? Should I be worried?""I'm exactly on time.""For you, that's early." She finally noticed whatever was left on his face from the hallway conversation. "Rough afternoon?""Group project stuff. Derek thinks I've been using the company as an excuse to dodge responsibility.""Has he met you? You don't dodge responsibility. You just collect way too much of it and then act surprised when it crushes you." She hopped off the wall, falling into step beside him. "Is he wrong, though
The door creaked open fully. A man stood outside in a dark suit that looked too clean for the environment he was stepping into. Behind him were four others, spaced evenly, posture disciplined in a way that didn’t belong anywhere near Marcus’s cramped office. The man at the front looked at the bi
Marcus stared at Adam for several seconds in the now quiet office. The silence wasn’t because anybody was afraid. At least that was what Marcus used to convince himself. The problem was that Adam wasn't acting the way he remembered. The old Adam used to sit across from him with tired eyes and
The Mercedes rolled smoothly through traffic as Adam drove away from Titan Maintenance Solutions. His destination wasn't home. It was the address attached to a debt collection office. The message he had earlier received had ruined whatever good mood remained from the meeting. Adam glanced at
Upon entering the office, Jerome recognized Adam Wilson immediately and his expression changed. It wasn't surprising to see the young man here— after all, they showed interest in the maintenance company just to serve as an obstacle for him. But something about Adam felt different. Jerome couldn'







