"Miss Carter."
Ellie stopped just outside his office.
"Yes, Mr Kane?"
"Come in."
She stepped inside, closing the door behind her.
"You wanted the South Division addendum?" she asked.
"Sit."
She hesitated, then took the chair across from his desk.
"You corrected the figures," he said.
"Yes."
"Without flagging them."
"They didn't require escalation."
His eyes lifted. "You decided that."
"I did."
A pause.
"You were right," he said.
Her shoulders eased slightly.
"You've been quiet today," he added.
"I'm working."
"You're always working."
She glanced at him, surprised.
"That's… my job."
"Not an answer."
She folded her hands together. "What do you want me to say, sir?"
He leaned back slowly. "You were at the hospital last night."
She stiffened.
"Yes."
"You didn't inform me."
"I didn't need to."
"No," he agreed. "You didn't."
Silence stretched.
"She's stable," Ellie said before she could stop herself.
His gaze sharpened. "Your sister."
"Yes."
"How long were you there?"
"All night."
"You came in anyway."
"Yes."
"You didn't ask for time."
"No."
Another pause.
"You don't have to prove anything here," he said quietly.
Ellie exhaled. "I wasn't trying to."
"Then what were you doing?"
She looked down at her hands. "What I always do."
"And that is?"
"Making sure things don't fall apart."
Something in his expression shifted.
"You can't carry everything," he said.
"I can," she replied. "I have to."
His jaw tightened.
"That wasn't an instruction," she added quickly. "Just… how it is."
He stood.
The movement startled her.
"Miss Carter—"
"Ellie," she corrected without thinking.
He stopped.
The room felt smaller.
"Ellie," he repeated, slower. "This stays professional."
Her pulse skipped.
"Yes," she said. "Of course."
He walked around the desk, stopping too close.
"You're exhausted."
"I'm fine."
"You're not."
"I didn't ask for—"
"I know."
She swallowed.
"I'm not crossing lines," he said.
Her voice came out quiet. "It feels like you are."
His eyes darkened.
"That's not my intention."
"Then what is?"
He didn't answer immediately.
When he did, his voice was lower. "To make sure you don't break."
Her breath hitched.
"I'm not fragile," she said.
"I didn't say you were."
They stood there, tension humming between them.
Then his phone buzzed on the desk.
He glanced at it. His expression closed.
"You're dismissed," he said.
Ellie nodded, relieved and unsettled all at once.
"Yes, Mr Kane."
She reached the door.
"Ellie."
She turned.
"Go home early."
"I—"
"That's not a suggestion."
She hesitated. "Thank you."
He didn't reply.
The underground car park was nearly empty when she reached it.
She pressed the key fob, the beep echoing too loudly.
"You're still here."
She froze.
She turned slowly.
Mr Kane stood near the elevator, jacket off, sleeves rolled.
"I thought you left," she said.
"I had calls."
She nodded. "I'm heading out."
"You look worse than you did upstairs."
"That's not comforting."
"It wasn't meant to be."
She opened her car door.
"Ellie."
She stopped.
"Yes?"
"You shouldn't drive like this."
"I'll manage."
"You're shaking."
She laughed softly. "I'm not."
He stepped closer.
"You are."
She inhaled sharply.
"Mr Kane—"
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"About what?"
"How bad it was."
She shrugged. "I didn't want it to matter."
"It matters."
"Why?"
The word hung between them.
His voice dropped. "Because I noticed."
Her heart thudded.
"We agreed to boundaries," she said.
"We did."
"And this is crossing them."
He didn't deny it.
"You're not invisible," he said instead.
"I don't need to be seen."
"You already are."
She looked up at him, breath shallow.
"Please don't," she whispered.
"Don't what?"
"Make it harder."
His hand lifted slightly, then stopped midair.
"Ellie," he said quietly, "look at me."
She didn't want to.
She did anyway.
Something in his expression—controlled, restrained, almost undone—made her chest ache.
"This doesn't happen again," he said.
"Then step back."
He didn't.
"I can't," he said honestly.
Her breath stuttered.
"Mr Kane…"
"Alexander," he said without thinking.
The name felt intimate. Dangerous.
She didn't repeat it.
"I'm just trying to survive," she said softly.
"I know."
"And you're making that difficult."
"I know," he said again.
His phone buzzed.
Once.
Twice.
He exhaled sharply and stepped back at last.
He checked the screen.
His jaw tightened.
"Problem?" she asked carefully.
"My ex," he said flatly.
Ellie blinked. "Oh."
"She's claiming she's pregnant."
Ellie stared.
"That's… serious."
"It's strategic."
"She wants something."
"Yes."
"What?"
"Money," he said. "Or a contract."
Ellie's grip tightened on her car door.
"That's messy."
"It's deliberate."
"Are you okay?"
The question slipped out before she could stop it.
He looked at her.
"Don't ask me that," he said.
"I'm sorry."
"No," he said quietly. "Don't apologize."
Silence stretched again.
"I should go," Ellie said.
"Yes."
She hesitated.
"Ellie."
"Yes?"
"This stays between us."
She nodded. "Of course."
She slid into her car.
Before closing the door, she looked back at him.
He was watching her openly now.
"Be careful," he said.
"You too."
She closed the door.
As she drove away, she felt it—
the shift.
Not love.
Not yet.
But something had cracked.
And neither of them could pretend it hadn't.