All Chapters of With You : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

AVA The office was quiet when she stepped in. Early sunlight spilled through the slats in the blinds, brushing softly across the rows of empty desks. Computers still slept. Mugs sat where they’d been left yesterday, half-full, forgotten. She made her way to her desk, tugging off her scarf and setting down her bag then stopped. A yellow sticky note was neatly placed beneath her monitor. She blinked and picked it up, noting the clean handwriting. Well done. Your work stood out, keep going. No name. No initials. No hint of who had left it there. Ava stared at it for a moment, lips parting slightly. Her fingers brushed over the paper like it might explain itself if she looked long enough. She glanced around, but the floor was still mostly empty. Just Nelson a few desks away, already buried in his screen. “Hey, Nelson,” she said, holding up the note. “Did you…?” He pulled off one earbud. “Huh?” “This.” She gave a vague wave. “Leave something on my desk or see if anyone dropped any

AVA A few weeks later, the marketing team gathered in the conference room on the fourth floor. The hum of the AC blended with the occasional scrape of chairs as everyone settled in, coffee cups in hand, eyes flicking to the screen at the front of the room. Ava sat a little straighter in her seat, her laptop open and ready. It was her turn. Today’s internal review was focused on upcoming marketing directions for the new line of electric vehicles Wright AutoTech was preparing to roll out. She’d been assigned to lead the brainstorming session, with a pitch already prepared—a fresh strategy that leaned into lifestyle storytelling, community engagement, and a heavy social media presence. It had taken her days. Nights. Nerves. Mark caught her eye from across the table and gave her a quick thumbs-up. She smiled faintly, took a breath, and stood. “So,” she began, clicking to the first slide, “our target demographic for the Voltis series falls between age 28 and 40 who are urban professio

LUKE “I’m sorry. What??” The word hung in the air, soft but stunned. Luke didn’t look at Ava, but he could feel the heat rolling off her… shock, indignation, and probably the beginning of a mental list titled “Why This Is a Terrible Idea.” He didn’t blame her. Ken’s smug grin hadn’t faded. The man actually thought he was a genius. “You heard me,” Ken said, steepling his fingers. “You’re working together on SteeleForce.” Luke shifted slightly in his seat, elbows resting on the chair’s arms. SteeleForce. The name wasn’t unfamiliar. Mr. Raymond was a known player in the tech-automotive industry. Landing him would be a massive deal for Wright AutoTech but he knew exactly what this was. Ken wasn’t trying to create synergy. He wasn’t trying to foster collaboration or reward talent. He was trying to use them, both of them, as a stepping stone to elevate himself. Ken had never cared much for anyone but himself. And if he could ride on the backs of his two top-performing employees to w

LUKE Luke walked into the meeting room just before nine. Ava was already seated at the far end, her laptop open, a pen tucked behind her ear, and a bottle of water by her side. He almost smiled, she looked focused… and cute. She didn’t look up when he walked in, but he noticed the slight shift in her posture. Tense. Alert. Not unfriendly, but not warm either. He offered a polite, “Morning.” She looked up briefly. “Good morning,” she replied, soft but clear. He leaned back a bit. “Alright, so I was thinking... to make the presentation pop, we could use a demo portion for the pitch. What if we integrate a real-time simulation? Something interactive. Let the investor manipulate one of our latest product features.” “Luke…” she said slowly, “I get the appeal, but there are risks. Real-time demos can crash. We don’t control the setting or the WiFi. If anything glitches in front of a high-profile investor, we lose credibility fast.” Luke frowned, surprised. “Sure, but we’d test it ahea

LUKE The city was still quiet as Luke jogged through the streets, the early morning light spilling across rooftops. It wasn’t a fancy neighborhood, just a decent and middle-income area close to the office. His rented apartment wasn’t much to look at as well. It was a sleek, minimalist space on the edge of downtown. It wasn’t grand or flashy, but it suited him. He preferred the simplicity. The last thing he needed was attention. As he rounded the corner, he slowed to a walk, breathing steadily. A little boy on a scooter raced past him on the sidewalk, followed by a woman who looked like his mother. They laughed. Luke stopped for a moment, watching them, a familiar ache stirring inside him. He didn't think of his parents' death as often as he used to anymore, but the pain never truly disappeared. His phone buzzed, interrupting his thoughts. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen. One unread message from Granddad. Luke sighed. His grandfather rarely sent messages unless he had som