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Cassy didn't go straight back to her desk. She stood in the hallway for a moment instead. Breathing. Calm. Controlled. But inside, something was still unsettled.
Not because of Veronica. Not entirely. But because of how Caleb didn't stop her. How he watched. How he didn't deny what Elena said. She's not just a secretary.
Cassy closed her eyes briefly. "…Focus," she whispered to herself. And walked back in.
Inside the office, things were quieter than usual. Too quiet. Like something had shifted in the air and refused to settle back.
Adrian looked up as she passed. "…Everything okay?"
Cassy nodded. "Yes."
He didn't believe her. But he didn't push. Because even he could feel it now. Something was happening. Something no one was saying out loud.
And Caleb Garcia? He was at the center of it.
"Miss Williams."
She stopped. Didn't turn immediately this time. Just breathed. "Yes, sir?" she said calmly.
Caleb stood at his office door. Watching her again. But differently now. Less controlled. More focused. "Come in," he said.
Inside, the door closed. But this time, the silence wasn't sharp. It was heavy. Different.
Cassy stood near the desk. Waiting. As always.
But Caleb didn't speak immediately. He was thinking. And that was never a good sign. "You handled Veronica well," he said finally.
Cassy blinked. "I just did my job."
Silence.
"That's not what I meant," he said quietly. A pause. "You didn't back down."
Cassy hesitated. "…Was I supposed to?"
That made him stop. Because that wasn't Cassy from the beginning. The one who lowered her gaze. The one who softened her voice. The one who stayed invisible.
"No," he admitted. A beat. "But most people do."
Cassy studied him. "…I'm not most people."
That made something flicker in his expression. Something restrained. Something real.
"I know," he said. And that was it. Simple. Certain.
Silence stretched again. But it wasn't empty. It was full of everything neither of them were naming.
Cassy shifted slightly. "…Is she going to stay?" she asked carefully.
Veronica. The question she didn't want to ask but needed to.
Caleb's jaw tightened slightly. "I don't know," he said. Honest. Again. Too honest. That answer shouldn't have mattered. But it did.
Cassy nodded slowly. "…Okay." She turned slightly. Like she was going to leave.
But Caleb spoke again. "Cassy." She stopped. Didn't turn fully. Just waited. A pause. Longer than usual. "You don't have to compete with anyone."
Silence. That hit differently. Because it wasn't about Veronica. Not really.
Cassy turned back slightly. "…I'm not competing," she said softly. A pause. "I'm just trying to understand where I stand."
Caleb looked at her for a long moment. Then stepped forward. Just slightly. "You stand here," he said quietly. Simple. Direct.
Cassy frowned slightly. "That's not specific."
A faint shift in his expression. Almost frustration. Almost restraint. "Close enough," he said.
Silence.
Cassy didn't respond immediately. Because that answer, it wasn't clarity. It wasn't closure. It was something in between. Something unstable. Something growing.
And Caleb didn't step back. Neither did she. Because now, even distance felt like a decision.
Cassy finally exhaled softly. "…That's not fair," she said quietly.
Caleb's gaze didn't move. "I never said it was."
And for once, neither of them had a better answer because whatever this was… It wasn't fair. It wasn't simple. It wasn't controlled. It was real.
And it was getting harder to ignore.