Daniel," Mr Kane said, tapping his desk with deliberate patience. "Close the door."
"Yes, Mr Kane," Daniel replied, straightening.
He shut it behind him and faced Kane fully. "You wanted to see me about the South Division numbers?"
"Not today," Kane said, voice calm, measured. "I need two things handled immediately."
Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Go on."
"First," Kane began, "I want a discreet background check on Ellie Carter. Full scope. No one outside this office must know. Understand?"
Daniel nodded, already reaching for his tablet. "Discreet. I'll handle it."
Kane's gaze flicked toward the window, where the city stretched in orderly lights. "Second. My ex — her claim… it's strategic. I need you to anticipate every move. Document, gather leverage. If she contacts anyone for advantage, I want it neutralized before it spreads."
Daniel's fingers hovered over his device. "Understood. I'll make sure no one sees it coming."
"Good. Keep it tight. Keep it clean. She doesn't touch this office. She doesn't touch her," Kane said, his voice sharp, unwavering. "Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal," Daniel said. His professional mask was in place, but Kane saw the slight tension in his jaw.
Kane leaned back, eyes narrowing, thinking. Ellie. Always her. Even when it wasn't about her, it was about protecting her. And yet, she had no idea. She thought it was just work, just professionalism. That she was untouchable. He let himself linger on that thought for only a moment. Discipline. Focus. Control. That was all.
An hour later, Kane's office door opened. She didn't notice immediately. A sharp voice broke the quiet.
"Alexander Kane."
He looked up.
"What are you doing here?" he asked calmly.
"I think you know why I'm here," the woman said, stepping in confidently. She was striking, composed, but her eyes carried intent — manipulation veiled as charm.
"I do," Kane replied evenly. "Sit, or leave."
"I'd rather stand," she said. "We need to talk about your responsibilities… to me."
"Responsibilities?" Kane's voice was steady, cold. "You mean your claims?"
"Yes," she said. "You know the claim. I'm pregnant, Alexander. And I'm entitled to—"
He cut her off. "Stop. That is false. I don't negotiate with lies."
She smiled faintly. "It's not a lie. And you know it. You can't ignore me forever."
"I can," Kane said. "I am."
She leaned closer, lowering her voice. "I've been patient. But my boyfriend… he's getting impatient. You'll compensate, or he will."
Kane's eyes narrowed. "You will not use threats here. Not in this office. Not at all."
"I'm not threatening," she said. "I'm informing."
"Informing doesn't include lies. I know exactly what this is."
Her smile faltered for the first time. "You… you're protecting someone."
Kane didn't flinch. "I'm protecting my company and the people who belong to it. That includes you, but you are not part of it."
"I…" she hesitated. "You can't deny responsibility."
"I can. And I am," Kane said flatly. "Daniel will handle any communication from now on. No one else, and that includes you.
Do not approach me again without legal counsel."
She stared at him, incredulous, then finally nodded. "Fine."
"Fine," Kane echoed.
She turned to leave, then paused. "This isn't over."
"It is," he said.
Meanwhile, Ellie moved through the office like a ghost. She sensed something had shifted this morning. Kane was… distracted.
The sharpness in his instructions lingered, the way he paused before answering questions, the way his gaze lingered a second too long when he passed her desk.
She didn't understand it.
Didn't want to. Professional boundaries existed for a reason.
But the unease she felt was undeniable.
A quiet voice near the copier drew her attention. Two junior analysts whispered, too careful, too tense.
"Did you hear?" one said. "Kane's ex… apparently showing up again. People are saying she's trying to—"
"Shh," the other hissed. "Daniel was just talking to him. Kane shut it down. We're not supposed to know anything."
Ellie's grip tightened on her pen. She averted her gaze. Office gossip wasn't new. But tension smelled different today.
Daniel returned to Kane's office.
"Progress?" Kane asked, barely looking up from his desk.
"Background checks underway," Daniel said. "Her professional history is clean. Nothing personal yet, but I'll expand scope."
"And the ex?" Kane asked.
"Managed. I've already traced her known contacts. Any attempts at leverage will flag before it hits the office or legal team."
"Good. Keep it tight. No leaks," Kane said. His hand rested briefly on the edge of the desk. "I don't want speculation distracting anyone — especially not Ellie."
Daniel nodded. "Understood. Ellie will remain… unaffected. At least publicly."
Kane leaned back. "Publicly isn't enough," he muttered. Then louder: "Daniel, any private contact she initiates—intercept. Don't let it reach her."
"Yes, Mr Kane."
Ellie approached Kane's desk later, with her usual stack of files. He looked up, saw her fatigue, and said nothing. That silence carried weight she could feel.
"Here are the revised reports," she said.
He nodded. "I've reviewed the numbers. Good work."
"Thank you, Mr Kane."
A pause stretched. He tapped a pen, then said, "I need you to stay sharp today. Distractions are… unwelcome."
She looked at him, puzzled. "Distractions?"
"Rumors. Gossip. Noise."
Ellie blinked. "I—"
"You heard nothing," he said, cutting her off gently. "Focus on your work. That is all that matters here."
She nodded, swallowing a nervous thought.
Later, Kane received a message that made him frown. He opened it carefully, scanning the contents. His ex — a direct attempt to manipulate, claiming stakes she had no right to.
He tapped Daniel's tablet. "Document everything. Every message, every contact, every attempt at leverage. Make it untouchable."
"Already in motion," Daniel said.
Kane leaned back, eyes narrowing. "And Ellie?"
"She won't know. Not unless you choose to involve her."
He nodded slowly, satisfied. "Good. Let her remain above it all. She doesn't deserve this. No one does."
The office outside hummed in muted conversations. Ellie returned to her desk, unaware of the storm quietly brewing around her. She typed methodically, carefully, keeping everything perfectly professional, even as Kane's ex prepared to strike.
The tension in the office was subtle. Whispers, glances, a door that closed just a little too firmly. Kane maintained control, every move measured, but even he felt the weight of anticipation pressing in.
Ellie adjusted a folder, glanced up, and their eyes met across the room. Kane didn't look away. Nothing passed between them verbally. Yet something unspoken thrummed in the space.
For Kane, it wasn't desire. Not yet. It was protection. Focus. Control. Boundaries that could not be breached.
For Ellie, it was confusion. Unease. Awareness that something — someone — was watching too closely.
Hours passed. The office emptied, but Kane's thoughts didn't. Messages pinged on his phone. Daniel updated quietly, meticulously. Every move calculated.
By the time the lights dimmed, Kane stood by his desk, staring at the city lights beyond the window. Ellie left moments later, unaware that a web of strategy, secrecy, and impending conflict had already been set into motion.
No words were exchanged about it. None were needed. The tension lingered. Subtle, contained, and inevitable.
The office had not shifted, but everything in it had changed.