Third Person's POV.
Friday at Morre Holdings felt like a desert since most employees usually worked from home. Following the intense heat of the flagship shoot, the office should have felt back to normal, but for Penelope, it felt hollow. She spent the morning in back-to-back meetings, but her mind kept drifting to the weight of Harlow's hands and the way he'd looked at her in the dim light last night.
Then, she saw him.
He was in the lobby, leaning against the reception desk, chatting casually with the studio manager. He looked effortless in a blue sweater, the very image of a relaxed professional. Penelope slowed her pace, her heart picking up speed as she prepared for the inevitable spark, the secret smirk, the lingering gaze.
Harlow looked up. His eyes met hers for a fraction of a second—and then he looked right through her. He didn't nod. He didn't smile. He turned back to the manager and continued the conversation as if she were just another person passing through the hall.
"Are you kidding me? He's actually doing it. He's treating me like... like everyone else." Penelope screamed inwardly. She's the one who set the ground rules. She literally threatened him into this. So why does it feel like she just got slapped? Her skin is crawling, and she has spent the last six hours in a daze because she couldn't stop thinking about him, and he's out here acting like he doesn't even know her name? What an Infuriating man.
The rest of the day was a blur of meetings, work and silent fuming. By the time dinner rolled around—a weekly tradition with the squad at a secluded Italian spot downtown—Penelope was physically present but mentally miles away.
Percy and Gemini were in their own world, whispering to each other and sharing smiles over dessert. Ohio was recounting a hilarious story about a catastrophic fashion show she'd attended, but Penelope just stared at her pasta, twirling her fork in circles.
"Penelope? Hello? Earth to the queen?" Ohio waved a hand in front of her face.
"Sorry," Penelope snapped out of it, realizing the table had gone quiet. "Just a long week. The summer campaign has been... demanding."
Percy narrowed his eyes, his brotherly intuition pinging. "You've been brooding since the shoot ended. If Harlow is still being a problem—"
"He's not," Penelope interrupted a little too quickly. "He's being perfectly professional. This has nothing to do with him."
After dinner, they said their goodbyes and Penelope finally drove Ohio and herself back to their shared home, the silence of the apartment felt weird somehow. She went to her room, pacing the length of the rug. She tried to read. She tried to work. But the image of Harlow ignoring her in the lobby earlier kept playing on a loop.
He's winning, she realized. He's following my rules, and he's fucking winning.
With a frustrated growl, she grabbed her phone and typed a message.
Penelope: Let's meet. Same place. Thirty minutes. Don't be late.
She grabbed her keys and a trench coat, creeping toward the front door. She was halfway across the living room when the lights flicked on. Ohio was standing there, a silk sleep mask pushed up on her forehead, holding a glass of water.
"Going somewhere?" Ohio asked, one eyebrow arched.
Penelope froze, her hand on the doorknob. "I... I realized I left some files at the office. I just need to—"
"Penelope, stop," Ohio laughed, leaning against the kitchen island. "You've been moping around like a Victorian ghost all day. You're going to see Harlow, aren't you?"
Penelope's shoulders slumped. She expected a lecture on professional boundaries or a warning about her reputation. Instead, Ohio just waved her hand toward the door.
"Go get some, girl," Ohio said with a smirk. "Please. For all of our sakes. If you don't go get that fire out of your system, I'm going to have to move out just to get some peace. You're wound up tighter than a vintage corset."
Relieved and slightly embarrassed, Penelope let out a short, breathless laugh. "I'll be back late."
"I figured," Ohio called out as Penelope vanished into the hallway.
Ohio stood in the quiet living room, taking a sip of water and shaking her head in genuine amusement.
"The Moore twins... honestly. They both act like they're the most nonchalant people on the planet, but give them a little bit of genuine affection and they lose their minds. Percy's acting like a giant baby with Gemini, and now Penelope is sneaking out like a teenager to see a guy she claims to hate. They're exactly the same. God, I'm glad they've found something to obsessed about aside from work."
Ohio shook her head fondly and went back to her room after having a mental conversation with herself.