"Silas?" Sarah whispered, her voice barely audible in the quiet office.
Time seemed to stop completely. Sarah stared at the man in front of her, unable to believe what she was seeing. This couldn't be real. This had to be some kind of dream or mistake.
But it was really him. Silas Li, her childhood best friend. The boy who used to sing with her in her backyard, who promised they would become famous singers together someday. The friend who disappeared from her life when his parents moved away, leaving her with nothing but memories and broken dreams.
"Sarah Chen," Silas said softly, stepping into the office. His voice was deeper now, more mature than she remembered, but it still had that same gentle tone that made her feel safe when they were kids.
Zachary looked back and forth between them, his eyes wide with surprise and confusion. "Wait, you two know each other?"
"Yes," Sarah managed to say, still staring at Silas. "We… we grew up together."
