Elias Voss stepped out of his office with the same precision as always—but something about him had changed.
Subtle.
Sharp.
His expression was set in a deep, controlled frown, the kind that didn't need anger to be felt. His jaw was tight, the line of it more defined than usual, his lips pressed into a thin, unreadable line.
But his eyes—
his eyes were different.
They moved.
Constantly.
Scanning.
Searching.
The moment he stepped onto the floor, the atmosphere shifted. Conversations lowered. Movements slowed. Employees straightened instinctively as he passed.
"Mr. Voss."
He didn't respond.
Didn't even look at them.
Because he wasn't looking at people.
He was looking through them.
Every step he took was steady, controlled—but his gaze flicked across every figure in his path with sharp precision.
Hair.
That was all that mattered.
Red.
He walked past a group of assistants, his eyes catching on one of them for half a second.
A woman.
She noticed immediately.
Her posture straightened, a small, hopeful smile touching her lips as she adjusted her hair slightly, mistaking his attention.
Elias's gaze lingered—
then moved on.
Not red.
He kept walking.
Another woman passed him in the hallway, her heels clicking softly against the floor. She slowed just slightly as he approached, her expression shifting, a subtle confidence appearing as his eyes landed on her.
For a second—
she thought it meant something.
She tilted her head, just enough to be noticed.
Elias didn't even register it.
His eyes had already moved.
Not red.
He passed her without a word.
Behind him, confusion lingered.
But Elias didn't notice.
Didn't care.
His focus sharpened as he reached the elevator, his reflection briefly catching in the polished metal.
That same frown.
That same tension.
His eyes darker now.
More focused.
Almost… restless.
The doors opened.
He stepped inside.
Turned.
And still—
his gaze moved.
Scanning the people already inside.
One by one.
Hair.
Blonde.
Black.
Brown.
Not red.
A woman near the corner caught his attention for a fraction of a second. She met his gaze and smiled slightly, clearly recognizing him.
Most did.
Most reacted.
Most tried.
Elias looked away before the moment could even exist.
The doors closed.
Silence filled the space.
But his mind—
wasn't quiet.
Red.
It stayed there.
Sharp.
Persistent.
Unwanted.
Yet impossible to ignore.
The elevator opened again to the lower floor.
He stepped out without hesitation.
And again—
his eyes moved.
Every hallway.
Every reflection.
Every passing figure.
Searching.
Calculating.
Expecting—
something.
Someone.
A flash of red.
But there was nothing.
Only normal.
Only controlled.
Only the same predictable world he had built.
And yet—
it didn't feel the same.
Elias slowed slightly for the first time, his gaze sweeping the lobby once more.
People moved as they always did.
Spoke as they always did.
Nothing out of place.
Nothing unusual.
Nothing—
red.
His jaw tightened again.
Because this—
this didn't make sense.
She had been there.
Real.
Present.
And now—
nothing.
No trace.
No sign.
Just absence.
Elias turned sharply toward the exit, his steps resuming their usual precision, but the tension remained—coiled beneath the surface, controlled but undeniable.
Because he wasn't just looking anymore.
He was searching.
And Elias Voss didn't search for things.
Things came to him.
But this—
this was different.
And he didn't like it.
Not one bit.