The clock finally struck six, and the room exhaled.
Chairs scraped lightly against the tiled floor, monitors dimmed one by one, and the hum of productivity faded into the kind of silence that felt earned.
Georgia closed her laptop with a quiet snap. "Good work today, everyone. Tomorrow, same time. Don't be late—again." Her gaze flicked toward Luca, who grinned guiltily.
"No promises, boss," he said, earning a chuckle from Bella.
Wei Chen slung his arm around Camila's shoulder. "Let's go, baby. Dinner's on me tonight."
Camila smiled faintly—still quiet, still holding something back—but nodded. "Fine, but you're cooking."
Liam stretched his arms over his head. "See you all tomorrow. I'm going straight to bed."
"Lazy," Bella teased, gathering her bag.
"Efficient," Liam corrected, yawning.
The group trickled out together, laughter bouncing down the corridor.
The sky outside was soft with dusk—streaks of lavender fading into deeper blue.
