By mid-morning, Valle's nerves had settled just enough for her to notice the details around her.
The marketing floor of Vermillion Corp was nothing like she had imagined.
It wasn't cold or silent. In fact, it was loud in an organized way, keyboards clicking, phones buzzing, quiet laughter drifting between desks.
Large windows lined the walls, flooding the space with light.
"This is your desk," Tina said, gesturing to a clean workstation near the aisle. "You're lucky. Not everyone gets a window seat on their first day."
Valle smiled. "Thank you, I'll try not to mess it up."
Tina laughed. "That's the spirit."
Within minutes, introductions began.
A tall guy with glasses leaned over the divider.
"I'm Mark from the Data Analytics department. I survive on coffee and deadlines."
Another woman waved from across the aisle.
"Lena. If you need office gossip, I'm your girl."
Valle chuckled, grateful for the warmth.
Maybe this work wouldn't be so scary after all.
As they spoke, Valle couldn't help but notice how quickly conversations hushed whenever footsteps echoed from the hallway. People straightened in their chairs, screens switching instantly to spreadsheets.
"Does that happen often?" Valle whispered to Tina.
Tina followed her gaze, and then lowered her voice.
"Only when he might be around."
Valle's fear aroused again. "He?"
"The CEO," Tina said. "Mr. Ashford."
The name sounded heavy, important.
"What about him?" Valle asked.
Tina hesitated, then leaned closer.
"He's brilliant, but… demanding. Perfectionist. Some say he has a temper if things don't go his way."
Valle's mind immediately flashed back to the man she had nearly bumped into that morning, the calm voice, the sharp eyes, the way he had looked right through her.
"Has he ever yelled at anyone?" Valle asked.
Tina shrugged. "Not publicly. That's what makes it worse. When he's quiet, you know someone's in trouble."
A chill ran down Valle's spine.
Before she could respond, a sudden silence spread across the floor like a wave. The clicking of keyboards slowed. Someone coughed nervously.
There were footsteps.
Valle looked up just as a tall shadow passed by the glass wall of the office. She didn't see his face, only the sharp cut of a suit; that was a confident stride.
Her heart skipped.
The moment he disappeared down the hall, the room exhaled collectively.
"You see that?" Tina whispered.
Valle swallowed hard and turned back to her screen, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. She told herself to focus, and do her job well.
Still, she couldn't shake one thought from her mind.
If that was the CEO's temper…
What would happen if she ever gave him a reason to notice her?