The next day felt… off.
Not in the obvious way.
Everything looked the same—the office, the routine, the steady rhythm of work—but something underneath it had shifted.
And Bosco noticed.
He didn't at first.
Not when Riyana walked in and gave a brief, almost automatic, "Morning."
Not when she sat down and immediately opened her system.
Not even when she started working without a word.
It was later.
In the pauses.
"Riyana."
No response.
He looked up from the file in his hand.
She was staring at her screen, but her eyes weren't moving.
"Riyana."
This time, she blinked and looked at him. "Hmm?"
"You didn't hear me the first time."
"I was working."
Her tone wasn't sharp.
But it wasn't… right either.
Flat.
Distant.
Bosco leaned back slightly in his chair, observing her. "I asked for the Mehta file."
"It's on your desk."
"It's not."
A pause.
Riyana frowned, quickly standing up and walking to his cabin.
He followed her with his eyes.
She checked the desk, moved a couple of files aside, then stopped.
Found it.
Right where she had misplaced it.
"I thought I kept it here," she muttered.
"You didn't," Bosco said calmly.
She handed it to him without meeting his eyes. "Here."
"Thanks."
She nodded once and turned to leave.
Too quickly.
"Riyana."
She stopped.
Didn't turn immediately.
Then slowly looked back. "What?"
There it was again.
That tone.
Not rude.
Not cold.
But… closed.
"You're not acting like yourself today."
The words landed gently.
No accusation.
Just observation.
For a second, something flickered in her eyes—surprise, maybe.
Then it disappeared.
"I am."
"No."
Simple.
Direct.
Riyana's jaw tightened slightly. "I said I'm fine."
Bosco held her gaze.
Steady.
Unmoved.
"I didn't ask if you were fine," he said. "I said you're not acting like yourself."
A quiet pause filled the room.
Riyana looked away first.
"I just didn't sleep well," she said.
It sounded like an excuse.
Because it was.
Bosco didn't call it out.
But he didn't believe it either.
"Hmm."
That was all he said.
But the look he gave her—
It lingered.
The day continued.
But now, Bosco paid attention.
More than usual.
Riyana made fewer mistakes than yesterday.
She worked just as efficiently.
But she wasn't… there.
She didn't interrupt him.
Didn't question him.
Didn't even casually respond the way she had started to.
Everything was correct.
Nothing was natural.
And that bothered him.
Around noon—
Aisha walked in again.
Confident. Familiar.
"Hope I'm not interrupting," she said lightly.
"You're not," Bosco replied.
They started discussing work immediately.
Clear.
Focused.
Professional.
Bosco spoke the same way he always did.
Calm. Direct.
Nothing unnecessary.
But halfway through—
His eyes shifted.
Just for a second.
Toward Riyana.
She was at her desk.
Working.
Or pretending to.
Her posture was stiff.
Her pen hadn't moved in the last thirty seconds.
And she hadn't looked up once.
Not even when Aisha laughed.
Bosco frowned slightly.
Then looked back at the file in front of him.
But the thought stayed.
"Riyana."
She looked up.
Bosco gestured toward the cabin. "Come here."
Aisha glanced at her, offering a small, polite smile.
Riyana returned it.
Equally polite.
Nothing more.
She walked into the cabin, standing beside the desk.
Bosco slid a document toward her. "Check this."
She leaned slightly, scanning the page.
Close enough to read.
Far enough to keep distance.
"Second column," he said.
She nodded. "The numbers don't align with the previous report."
"Fix it."
"Okay."
Short.
Efficient.
Done.
She turned to leave.
"Wait."
She stopped.
Bosco looked at her—not at the file, not at the desk.
At her.
"You're sure that's the only issue?"
She blinked. "Yes."
"I think you missed something."
A pause.
Riyana frowned slightly, leaning in again, rechecking the document.
Her focus sharpened.
Now she was actually looking.
Actually thinking.
A few seconds passed.
Then—
Her eyes shifted.
"...The total," she said quietly. "It's calculated wrong."
Bosco nodded once. "Exactly."
Aisha leaned forward slightly. "That was quick."
Riyana straightened. "It wasn't that hard."
There it was.
A glimpse of her.
Natural.
Unfiltered.
Bosco noticed it immediately.
So did the silence that followed.
Because just as quickly—
She pulled back again.
Expression neutral.
Walls back up.
Aisha smiled lightly. "You're sharp."
"Just doing my job."
Polite.
Distant.
Bosco's gaze stayed on Riyana for a moment longer.
Something wasn't adding up.
By evening, the office had quieted down.
Aisha had left.
The conversations were over.
But the question in Bosco's mind wasn't.
He stepped out of his cabin, stopping by Riyana's desk.
"Leaving?"
She looked up. "In a bit."
He nodded.
Didn't move.
Didn't leave.
She noticed.
"What?" she asked.
"Nothing."
A pause.
Then—
"You were fine yesterday."
Her fingers stilled.
"And today?" she asked without looking at him.
"You're not."
Simple.
Again.
Riyana let out a quiet breath.
"Why are you overanalyzing this?"
"I'm not."
"You are."
"Then tell me I'm wrong."
That made her look at him.
Directly.
For a second, it felt like she might actually say something real.
Something honest.
But instead—
"I said I didn't sleep well."
The same answer.
The same distance.
Bosco watched her for a moment longer.
Then nodded slightly.
"Alright."
He turned to leave.
But just before he stepped away—
"Riyana."
She looked up again.
"If something's bothering you," he said, "don't let it affect your work."
Professional.
Neutral.
Safe.
But there was something under it.
Something quieter.
She held his gaze.
Then nodded once. "It won't."
He walked away.
This time, he didn't look back.
Riyana sat there, staring at her screen again.
But now—
Her thoughts weren't scattered.
They were loud.
Clear.
And frustrating.
He noticed.
Of course he did.
He notices everything.
She leaned back slightly, closing her eyes for a brief second.
Why does that make it worse?
She didn't want him to notice.
Didn't want to explain.
Didn't even want to admit it to herself.
But now—
It wasn't just her anymore.
Now he was part of it.
Across the room, Bosco paused near his cabin door.
His hand rested lightly on the handle.
His thoughts weren't on the files.
Or the meetings.
Or the work.
They were on her.
Yesterday she was fine.
Today she's not.
And he didn't know why.
That bothered him more than it should have.
Back at her desk, Riyana finally shut down her system.
She picked up her bag slowly.
Her movements quieter than usual.
Controlled.
But her mind wasn't.
As she walked out of the office, one thought stayed—
Unresolved.
Unanswered.
He noticed something was wrong…
A small pause in her steps.
…but he doesn't know why.
And for some reason—
That felt both relieving…
and disappointing.