Sadie
The morning felt strangely quiet.
Seattle's sky was its usual wash of silver clouds, but something in the air felt heavier than yesterday. Maybe it was because the neighbourhood still buzzed about the arrest. Maybe it was because Zane's shadow felt closer than usual. Or maybe it was just me — a little too aware that my problems didn't stay problems for long anymore.
They disappeared.
I tried not to think about that as I got ready for work. My new boss, Mr. James, was supposed to be strict but fair. I'd heard whispers already:"He's intense.""He never smiles.""He runs the accounting floor like a military base."
Honestly? Fine. As long as he kept his hands to himself.
The office lobby was unusually cold when I walked in. People were quieter today, watching me in that subtle way people do when they know something but don't want to admit it. I pushed past it, heading straight to my desk.
I had barely opened my laptop when the intercom rang.
"Hello?" I answered, trying to sound professional.
A clipped voice: "This is James. Report to my office. Now."
The line went dead before I could reply.
I stared at the phone.Rude.
I straightened my blouse and walked through the hallway, my steps sounding too loud against the tile. I knocked once, twice, three times before I finally heard him say:
"Intern Sadie."
"Yes, sir."
"Come in."
His office was spotless — every pen aligned, every file stacked with precision so sharp it felt intentional. He didn't look up. He just turned a page in a file, his expression unreadable.
"Sir?" I said, stopping in front of his desk.
"I've heard about you," he said, not looking up.
From my colleagues? The words felt heavy, like they had a second meaning. My stomach tightened.
He finally lifted his gaze.
His eyes were calm. Too calm.
"You've had an… eventful start here," he said. "A missing supervisor. A sudden vacancy. Quite the anomaly."
My breath caught in my throat. Was this about Bill? Did he know? No — he couldn't know. Nobody knew. Officially, the investigation was still ongoing. Unofficially, well… Zane's name didn't need to be spoken to be felt.
"I had nothing to do with that," I said quickly.
James watched me for a long moment. Not accusing. Just observing. Evaluating.
"I never said you did," he replied softly.
The way he said it made the hairs on my arms rise.
He closed the folder with a quiet click.
"Tell me something, Miss Robertson," he said. "Are you aware that powerful people take an interest in you?"
My pulse stuttered.
Interest.Not protection.Not danger.Interest.
Like I was a file on a desk instead of a person.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I said carefully.
James held my gaze, and something flickered behind his eyes — not fear, but awareness.
"A name crossed my desk this morning," he said. "Someone requested oversight reports on your department. Someone above every pay grade in this building."
My heartbeat thudded painfully.
Zane.
Of course it was him.
But how much did James know?How much did he think he knew?
He leaned back in his chair, folding his hands.
"I'm not asking you for an explanation," he said. "I don't need one."He paused."But I do need to know whether your presence here will… complicate things."
His tone wasn't threatening. It was measured, analytical — like he was predicting a storm and deciding whether to board up his windows or simply watch.
I swallowed.
"No," I said quietly. "I won't cause complications."
James nodded once.
"Good. Then we understand each other."
He dismissed me with a flick of his hand, returning to his papers as if our entire conversation had been a simple scheduling update.
But as I stepped out of his office, my mind spun.
James knew someone was watching me.He didn't know who.But he felt the pressure.
People like him always feel pressure before anyone else.
And if Zane had his eyes on the department…
He had his eyes on James.On the interns.On the files.On everything.
Not violence.Not threats.Just a quiet, invisible influence that made people nervous without knowing why.
As I walked back to my desk, I realized something:
This wasn't Zane protecting me.
This was Zane claiming the entire floor around me — like drawing a circle no one else was allowed to cross.
And that was the moment I felt it —a shiver of fear,and something dangerously close to comfort.