Chapter 28 – The Man at the Office

By eight-thirty Monday morning, Daniel Brooks was already in his office.

The relaxed man who had spent Sunday morning eating soup dumplings in a tiny neighborhood restaurant was gone.

In his place stood the CEO of Veridian Group.

Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city skyline. The morning sun reflected off neighboring glass towers, bathing the executive floor in pale gold. Assistants moved quietly outside the conference room, tablets in hand, while department heads filtered in one by one.

Daniel entered the boardroom precisely on time.

"Good morning."

Every conversation stopped.

"Morning, Mr. Brooks."

He acknowledged the greetings with a nod before taking his seat at the head of the long walnut table.

The quarterly strategy meeting began immediately.

"The Eastbridge project is two weeks behind schedule," the operations director reported.

"Reason?"

"Material delivery."

Daniel looked up from the report.

"The supplier's contract guarantees delivery within five business days."

"It does."

"Then why are we accepting eight?"

Silence.

The operations director cleared his throat.

"We're... negotiating."

Daniel closed the file.

"No."

The single word carried no anger.

It didn't need to.

"If the contract has been breached, enforce the penalty clause. If they still can't deliver, begin evaluating replacements."

"Understood."

He turned another page.

"Marketing."

A woman across the table straightened.

"The campaign exceeded projections by twelve percent—"

"Good."

She blinked, clearly surprised at the interruption.

"Expand it."

"Immediately?"

"Today."

The meeting continued at a steady pace.

Daniel asked concise questions.

Made quick decisions.

Delegated responsibilities.

He never raised his voice.

Never repeated himself.

And somehow, by doing neither, managed to command the entire room.

Exactly fifty-six minutes later, he closed the final folder.

"That's all."

The executives rose almost in unison.

Within moments, the boardroom had emptied.

Nathan Collins was waiting outside.

As always.

Tablet tucked beneath one arm.

Coffee in the other.

"You have three contracts to review before lunch."

Daniel accepted the coffee.

"Thank you."

"And legal would like your signature on—"

Nathan stopped.

Daniel looked at him.

"What?"

Nathan tilted his head.

"You seem..."

"What?"

"...Different."

Daniel continued walking toward his office.

"I wasn't aware."

"You weren't."

Nathan followed him inside.

"But I was."

Daniel sat behind his desk, setting down his coffee before opening the first contract.

Nathan remained standing.

"You look like you had a nice weekend."

Daniel signed the final page.

"Did I?"

Nathan smiled.

"I'll take that as a yes."

Daniel slid the documents aside.

"What gave it away?"

Nathan pretended to think.

"You've only checked your phone six times this morning."

"I don't keep count."

"I do."

Daniel looked up.

"I'm concerned."

"You should be."

Nathan grinned.

"It's my job."

Daniel returned to reading another file.

Nathan leaned casually against the bookshelf.

"Oh."

"There is one thing."

Daniel didn't look up.

"What?"

"I heard you had breakfast somewhere unexpected yesterday."

The pen paused.

Only for a fraction of a second.

Then Daniel continued signing.

"You've been talking to Violet."

"I've been listening to Violet."

Daniel finished the signature before placing the folder neatly on the completed stack.

"What exactly did she say?"

Nathan folded his arms.

"She said she ran into you at a dumpling restaurant."

Daniel nodded once.

"She did."

"And?"

"And what?"

Nathan laughed.

"Come on."

Daniel looked at him calmly.

"Who else knows?"

Nathan blinked.

"That you were eating dumplings?"

"That I wasn't alone."

Nathan considered the question.

"I honestly don't know."

Daniel held his gaze.

"Nathan."

"I'm serious."

Nathan lifted both hands innocently.

"She only mentioned it because she couldn't believe she'd found you there."

Daniel relaxed almost imperceptibly.

"And?"

Nathan's grin slowly returned.

"She also mentioned meeting someone."

Silence.

Nathan watched Daniel carefully.

"...Emma."

Daniel's expression didn't change.

"Yes."

"So that's her."

Daniel looked up from the paperwork.

"That's who?"

"The person you've been texting."

Another pause.

Then, to Nathan's surprise...

Daniel smiled.

A genuine one.

"Yes."

Nathan stared.

"You actually admitted it."

"I don't usually lie."

"No."

Nathan laughed.

"But you usually dodge."

Daniel leaned back in his chair.

"It's Emma Hart."

Nathan repeated the name quietly.

"Emma Hart."

Daniel nodded.

Nathan waited.

"...Well?"

"Well what?"

"Aren't you going to tell me about her?"

Daniel was silent for a moment.

When he finally spoke, his voice was noticeably softer than it had been throughout the meeting.

"She bakes."

Nathan frowned.

"...She bakes?"

"At a neighborhood bakery."

"That's your first description?"

Daniel smiled to himself.

"She makes very good salt bread."

Nathan blinked.

"I was expecting..."

"What?"

"I don't know."

He waved a hand vaguely.

"She's kind. She's funny. She's beautiful."

Daniel considered it.

"Those are also true."

Nathan laughed.

"But your first compliment is her bread?"

Daniel reached for his phone.

Without another word, he unlocked the screen.

Nathan leaned closer.

On the display was a photo.

Emma.

She was standing behind a bakery counter wearing a pale blue apron dusted with flour.

She wasn't looking at the camera.

Instead, she was laughing at something outside the frame while holding a tray of freshly baked salt bread.

Nathan had never seen the picture before.

More importantly...

He had never seen Daniel look at a photograph like that.

There was unmistakable warmth in his eyes.

Nathan slowly looked from the screen back to his boss.

"...You're gone."

Daniel raised an eyebrow.

"I'm what?"

"Gone."

Nathan pointed at the phone.

"You have the smile."

"What smile?"

"The one people get when they're hopeless."

Daniel locked the phone and slipped it back into his pocket.

"I wouldn't go that far."

Nathan laughed.

"I would."

Daniel simply returned to the paperwork.

The conversation, apparently, was over.

—

By noon, the executive floor had grown noticeably quieter.

Most employees had headed out for lunch.

Nathan walked past Daniel's office carrying two takeaway meals.

The door remained open.

Daniel hadn't moved.

He was still reading reports.

His jacket now hung neatly over the back of his chair, sleeves rolled to his forearms as another stack of documents waited for his signature.

Nathan knocked lightly.

"Mr. Brooks?"

Daniel looked up.

"I'm grabbing lunch."

A nod.

"I'll eat later."

"You said that yesterday."

"I know."

"And last Thursday."

"I'm aware."

Nathan sighed dramatically.

"You'll survive thirty minutes."

"I have a meeting at one."

"I know."

Nathan looked at the untouched mountain of paperwork before smiling to himself.

His boss wasn't going anywhere.

Not for another hour, at least.

"...All right."

Daniel had already returned to reading.

Nathan quietly pulled the door closed behind him.

Instead of taking the elevator to the lobby cafeteria, he pressed the button for the ground floor.

His curiosity had finally gotten the better of him.

Emma Hart.

The baker with excellent salt bread.

The woman who had somehow convinced Daniel Brooks to smile at his phone during office hours.

Nathan took out his own phone.

A quick search.

The bakery's address appeared immediately.

Only fifteen minutes away.

"...Well," he murmured as the elevator doors opened.

"I've always liked good bread."

-

Twenty minutes later, a small brass bell chimed above the entrance of Mrs. Alvarez's Bakery.

Warm air carrying the scent of butter and freshly baked bread drifted toward Nathan as he stepped inside.

The shop was cozy, lined with wooden shelves filled with loaves, pastries, and neatly arranged rows of golden salt bread. A handful of customers lingered near the display case, while someone worked quietly in the kitchen behind the swinging door.

Behind the counter, a young woman in a pale blue apron looked up from arranging a basket of fresh rolls.

Nathan studied her for a brief moment.

The smile.

The eyes.

The flour dusting the front of her apron.

She looked exactly like the woman in Daniel's photo.

"Emma Hart?" he asked.

The young woman blinked, clearly surprised that a complete stranger knew her name.

"...Yes?"

Nathan smiled politely.

"Good afternoon."

He took a small step closer to the counter.

"My name is Nathan Collins."

Emma searched her memory.

The name meant nothing.

"I'm sorry..." she said. "Have we met?"

"Not yet."

He chuckled lightly.

"But I believe you've been seeing my boss."