The office was buzzing that morning. The staff gathered in the lobby, waiting for the weekly meeting with the CEO.
Aria stood next to Mia, balancing a stack of files. "Ugh, I swear if I have to stare at Daniel Cross's frozen face for another hour, I'll—"
"Shhh!" Mia nudged her hard. "He's right there!"
Aria froze. Her eyes darted toward the glass doors. Sure enough, Daniel Cross, tall and intimidating in his crisp suit, was walking in with his usual aura of doom.
She whispered anyway. "Seriously, how does he even walk like that? It's like he swallowed a steel rod. I bet if you tickled him, he wouldn't even twitch."
Mia covered her mouth, shoulders shaking with laughter. "Aria—stop—"
But Aria didn't stop. Once she started ranting, she couldn't hold back.
"God, his eyes are like ice daggers. I bet if he ever smiled, the sun would explode. And his voice? Ugh. Every time he says my name, I feel like I'm at a funeral."
The room went dead silent.
Mia's eyes widened in horror.
Slowly… very slowly… Aria turned.
Daniel Cross was standing right behind her.
His icy-blue eyes locked on her, unreadable. His assistant Ethan stood beside him, biting his lip to keep from laughing.
Aria felt her soul leave her body. "...Oh no."
Daniel leaned closer, his voice low and cutting. "Miss Lane. Care to repeat what you just said?"
Aria's brain screamed. Play dead. Maybe he won't fire you if you play dead.
But her mouth betrayed her. "...I said… I admire your… dagger-like eyes?"
Mia facepalmed so hard it echoed.
Ethan coughed into his fist, hiding a grin.
Daniel straightened, expression colder than ever. "My office. Now."
As Aria followed him, trembling, Mia whispered after her, "Rest in peace, bestie. I'll water your plants."
The office was buzzing that morning. The staff gathered in the lobby, waiting for the weekly meeting with the CEO.
Aria stood next to Mia, balancing a stack of files. "Ugh, I swear if I have to stare at Daniel Cross's frozen face for another hour, I'll—"
"Shhh!" Mia nudged her hard. "He's right there!"
Aria froze. Her eyes darted toward the glass doors. Sure enough, Daniel Cross, tall and intimidating in his crisp suit, was walking in with his usual aura of doom.
She whispered anyway. "Seriously, how does he even walk like that? It's like he swallowed a steel rod. I bet if you tickled him, he wouldn't even twitch."
Mia covered her mouth, shoulders shaking with laughter. "Aria—stop—"
But Aria didn't stop. Once she started ranting, she couldn't hold back.
"God, his eyes are like ice daggers. I bet if he ever smiled, the sun would explode. And his voice? Ugh. Every time he says my name, I feel like I'm at a funeral."
The room went dead silent.
Mia's eyes widened in horror.
Slowly… very slowly… Aria turned.
Daniel Cross was standing right behind her.
His icy-blue eyes locked on her, unreadable. His assistant Ethan stood beside him, biting his lip to keep from laughing.
Aria felt her soul leave her body. "...Oh no."
Daniel leaned closer, his voice low and cutting. "Miss Lane. Care to repeat what you just said?"
Aria's brain screamed. Play dead. Maybe he won't fire you if you play dead.
But her mouth betrayed her. "...I said… I admire your… dagger-like eyes?"
Mia facepalmed so hard it echoed.
Ethan coughed into his fist, hiding a grin.
Daniel straightened, expression colder than ever. "My office. Now."
As Aria followed him, trembling, Mia whispered after her, "Rest in peace, bestie. I'll water your plants."