university ever could. Deadlines never slept, phones never stopped ringing, and Adr

as holdin

re

The board presentation was scheduled for ten, and she'd been up half the night fine-tuning the slides Adrian

7:59, he

nce still hit her like cold air after w

r. King," s

anced at the stack of file

sure everyt

tly. "Good. I h

only smiled and followed him i

he reviewed notes. The silence stretche

g up, he said, "You'

d. "Thank

aid. "Most assistants last t

s I'm s

faintly. "That

iment exactly, bu

s clicked. Adrian took command effortlessly, his voice steady, his logic unbreakabl

projector flickered

drian's jaw tightened. "Continue without visua

she tracked down an intern from tech support and brought him back within minutes. The sy

ne with a brief nod. "Good work. All of you

d by now, she knew

leaned against the table.

expect chaos,"

"That's how this

met his.

udying her. "I don't surv

said quietly, "Tha

prise, maybe, or memory. "Lonely isn't a

had softened,

y washing the glass walls in amber light. Maya finished typing th

f, tie loosened. He rarely left before midn

en't gon

ishing the

mputer. "Send it to my

s,

nd, and began packing her things. Th

regret taki

up. "Hone

ith the

ing at her lips. "It's... intense, but I feel

ng stare she was starting to understand. "Most people

to hide how his words

reached for his briefcase

y before she

outside. Somewhere between the exhaustion and the quiet hum of the city, she realized that the

what that meant yet, she

asn't just he

ing her bigg