ever the kind of m

is rethinkin

nna the way he had pursued

assurance that she would even

he wasn't dazzled by expensive

n her ambition, and deter

to change

step was

invitations or lingering too lo

eir interactions happen organi

stayed present but careful,

eeling ov

made hims

ved on knowledge, on challen

rojects, invited her to closed

she absorbed everything, as

prec

, somethin

s strictly formal. Their conve

but Kelvin could feel it wasn

the office emptied, sh

you have given me, she said,

ua

atching her carefully

just briefly b

t moment,

notici

sn't

was som

time, Kelvin was

feel it

was invading

ad told herself that keeping t

urvive in his world. He was m

onditioned to get

, he wa

ngering glances, the slow shif

ions she had declined. Instead,

ul in the way he

at was

dn't just dismiss hi

she s

he valued her thoughts pulled

her in ways n

y he looked at her, like

o push him away, harder

he ha

ht too long to build her futu

dn't afford to be distracted

verything, she

one had

as getting to

her eyes trained on every

na. She had seen the shift,

thing more than

he had seen

But Rose knew women like Ann

't affected by power, by wea

knew t

wante

t too proud

s unacc

the patient game, waiting for

y his side. Now, this intern

ryt

made a d

wouldn't lea

e must

was subtle enough to avoid su

Anna d

r reputation

ef

hing undeniable, something t

n had a chanc

lf, the weight of he

Anna Banner wouldn't jus

corporate again. She smi