The afternoon settles slowly over the city, the sky outside the tall glass windows turning pale silver as clouds drift across the horizon.
Inside the open workspace of the visiting team, the atmosphere is quieter now. Most of the executives have retreated to private offices, leaving the project teams to refine their reports.
Lina sits at the long conference table reviewing a series of presentation slides on her laptop.
Numbers.
Marketing projections.
Campaign timelines.
Normally she would be fully focused.
Today she isn't.
Her thoughts keep drifting back to the terrace.
To Victor.
To the warning he sent her.
Stay away from him.
She presses her lips together and scrolls through the document again.
Across the room, Daniel watches her.
He had noticed the moment Victor stopped Lina earlier.
He had noticed the tension in her shoulders when she returned.
And he definitely noticed the look Victor Hale gave him during the meeting.
Daniel closes his laptop slowly.
He stands and walks over.
"Hey."
Lina looks up.
"Hey."
Daniel pulls out the chair beside her.
"You've been staring at that slide for ten minutes."
She glances at the screen.
"Oh."
He smiles slightly.
"That's usually my move when I'm thinking about something else."
Lina exhales quietly.
"I'm fine."
Daniel tilts his head.
"That wasn't convincing."
She laughs softly.
"You're very observant."
"I try."
He leans back in his chair, studying her for a moment.
"Victor pulled you aside earlier."
The statement is calm.
Not accusing.
But direct.
Lina hesitates.
"He wanted to talk about the project."
Daniel raises one eyebrow.
"On the terrace?"
She sighs.
"Daniel—"
"I'm not interrogating you."
"I know."
He watches her carefully.
"But something happened."
The concern in his voice is genuine.
And somehow that makes Lina soften slightly.
"It's complicated."
Daniel smiles faintly.
"The best stories usually are."
Lina closes her laptop.
"Victor and I… worked together for a long time."
Daniel nods slowly.
"I figured that much."
"Our working relationship wasn't exactly simple."
Daniel studies her face.
"Was it just work?"
The question hangs between them.
Lina doesn't answer immediately.
She looks down at the table.
Daniel understands the silence.
"Got it," he says quietly.
"It was more than that."
Lina finally looks at him.
"Yes."
Daniel nods slowly again.
He doesn't look angry.
Just thoughtful.
"That explains the tension."
Lina shifts slightly in her chair.
"It's over."
"I believe you."
She studies his expression.
"You do?"
"Yes."
He pauses briefly before adding,
"But I also believe feelings don't disappear overnight."
Lina smiles faintly.
"That's very wise."
"My mom used to say that."
"She sounds like a smart woman."
"She was."
Daniel leans forward slightly.
"Did Victor hurt you?"
Lina blinks at the question.
The directness catches her off guard.
"Why would you assume that?"
Daniel shrugs lightly.
"Because powerful men usually don't end relationships peacefully."
Lina considers that.
Victor's face flashes through her mind.
The intensity.
The control.
The moments of unexpected vulnerability.
"He didn't hurt me the way you think," she says quietly.
Daniel watches her carefully.
"But he did hurt you."
Lina doesn't answer.
Daniel nods once.
"Okay."
The quiet understanding between them feels surprisingly comforting.
After a moment he stands.
"Come on."
"Where are we going?"
"Coffee."
"We have work."
"And our brains need fuel."
Lina laughs.
"That's your scientific reasoning?"
"Absolutely."
They walk toward the elevator together.
When they reach the lobby café, the smell of fresh coffee fills the air.
Daniel orders two drinks without asking.
"You remembered what I like?"
"Caramel latte."
Lina smiles.
"Impressive."
"I pay attention."
They sit at a small table near the window.
Outside, the wind pushes people quickly down the street.
Daniel wraps his hands around his coffee cup.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Why did Victor look like he wanted to punch me during the meeting?"
Lina nearly chokes on her drink.
"He did not."
Daniel laughs.
"He absolutely did."
"That's ridiculous."
"Lina."
"Okay maybe a little."
Daniel studies her again.
"Does he still have feelings for you?"
Lina's heart skips once.
"I don't know."
Daniel nods slowly.
"And you?"
Lina looks out the window.
The city moves endlessly beyond the glass.
Cars.
People.
Lights.
"I'm trying to move forward," she says softly.
Daniel watches her carefully.
"And am I part of that plan?"
She turns back to him.
"Yes."
The answer is honest.
Daniel smiles.
"That's good."
But a shadow of something else flickers briefly in his eyes.
Something thoughtful.
Something cautious.
Because Victor Hale's behavior earlier didn't feel like simple jealousy.
It felt like something else.
Something deeper.
Daniel leans back in his chair.
"You know what's strange?"
"What?"
"Victor kept studying me during the meeting."
"Maybe he was evaluating the presentation."
"Maybe."
But Daniel isn't convinced.
Because there was something about the way Victor looked at him.
Not just curiosity.
Not just suspicion.
Something almost… familiar.
Daniel shakes the thought away.
"That guy is intense."
Lina laughs softly.
"That's one word for it."
Daniel smiles again.
"Well."
He lifts his coffee slightly.
"To complicated situations."
Lina lifts hers.
"To complicated situations."
Their cups touch lightly.
But neither of them realizes how complicated things are about to become.
Because upstairs in the executive office…
Victor Hale is standing at his desk staring at the investigation file one more time.
The report is clear.
Undeniable.
The name of Daniel's mother.
The hospital records.
The timeline.
Everything connects perfectly.
Victor closes the file slowly.
For the first time in his life…
Victor Hale understands that the man Lina is beginning to care about.
is not just a rival.
Not just a stranger.
But the brother his father kept hidden from the world.
And now the question is no longer if the truth will come out.
Only when.