I didn't know what to say at first.
His concern lingered in my ears, steady and sincere in a way that unsettled me more than it comforted me. For a moment, I just stood there, gripping the phone, my thoughts tangled between instinct and reason.
"Thank you," I finally said, my voice softer than I intended. "But I hope you'll stop sending people to my store. I've already given up the associate director position."
There was a pause on the other end.
"Why?" Elliot's voice sharpened slightly, concern threading through it.
I exhaled slowly, steadying myself. "I just want to focus on designing. That's where I belong. I don't have the ability to manage others, and I don't want to drag the pack down because of my limitations."
"You don't trust your own strength?" he pressed. "Or is it the position you don't want? The resources? The power?"
