The next morning was quiet in the office, too quiet. The kind of calm that always came after a big event.
Nara sat at her desk, reviewing reports and drafting follow-up notes from the Dynamite Group press conference. Her inbox was mercifully light, and for once, she could breathe. Still, her mind wasn't fully present. Every so often, her memory betrayed her with flashes of him, the confidence in his voice, the way he looked at her mid-speech, like she was the only one who wasn't supposed to fade into the crowd.
She shook her head, willing the thought away. Focus, Nara. You're not that girl anymore.
A notification pinged on her screen.
Subject: "Client Appreciation – Dynamite Group."
It was an email from Mrs. Hellen.
> Team,
Mr. Dynamite has sent his appreciation for the excellent coordination and professionalism during the press conference. He expressed his gratitude for everyone's effort and invited our department to a team dinner this Friday evening at The Monarch Restaurant.
Let's represent the company well. Kindly confirm your attendance by tomorrow morning.
Regards,
Hellen
Nara stared at the email for a long moment, her heart doing that restless flutter again. He noticed. He actually noticed.
But before she could let the thought settle, her phone rang. It was another client, one from out of town who needed on-site assistance with an urgent contract signing.
By the end of the call, her plans were already rearranged. She'd be traveling Friday morning and wouldn't be back until late the next night. Of course. The irony wasn't lost on her. Fate had an odd sense of humor, always pulling her close enough to feel the possibility, then tugging her away before it could unfold.
She typed her reply to Mrs. Hellen quickly:
> Hi, Mrs. Hellen,
Thank you for the update. I'll unfortunately be out of town Friday assisting the Kander Group. Please extend my gratitude to Mr. Dynamite on behalf of our team.
Best,
Nara
She read the message twice before hitting send, ignoring the small ache of disappointment sitting somewhere between her chest and her breath.
---
Across the city, Keigh leaned back in his chair as his assistant read out the confirmation list for Friday's dinner.
"Most of the team will be there, sir," she said. "Except for… Nara Lyn, the event coordinator. She'll be away for another client engagement."
He nodded lightly, concealing the flicker of reaction behind a composed expression. "Understood. Make sure her team receives a personal thank-you note."
But even as the meeting resumed, his mind drifted, not to numbers or strategies, but to a woman with calm eyes and an unshakable grace. He told himself it was just curiosity. Nothing more. Yet something told him he'd see her again.
Maybe not by design, but by whatever quiet force had already begun to weave their paths together.