Aria did not sleep.
Lasted less than a moment.
The hours dragged while her eyes stayed fixed on the ceiling tiles. That single instant kept returning, uninvited. Each time it played, details shifted slightly. Darkness offered no escape, only repetition. Sleep never came close.
The balcony.
The darkness.
The kiss.
Aria buried her face in the pillow.
Aria stands frozen, voice flat. The word hangs - sharp, heavy - a single breath too late.
Her phone buzzed.
Message from the intern.
Intern:
Aria typed quickly.
Aria:
Pause.
Then another message.
Intern:
Aria froze.
Aria:
________________________________________
Orion Office Morning
The moment Aria stepped inside the office…
Something felt different.
People were whispering.
Looking at her.
Only later acting like it never happened.
Over there - she just walked in. That one right there.
Copywriter:
A voice said something about seeing them out there, near the railing. That moment stayed stuck in my head - two figures against the evening light.
Aria nearly tripped.
Aria leaned close, voice low. She asked the intern what words had reached their ears. The question slipped out between breaths.
Last thing I noticed? You both went missing together.
Aria exhaled.
Aria:
Intern leaned closer.
A figure was spotted trailing behind you. That person happens to be an intern.
Aria: Someone needs a hobby.
Then the elevator doors opened.
And Kael walked in.
The entire floor became silent again.
But this time -
Everyone looked between him…
And Aria.
Kael noticed.
His eyes slowly found hers.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
A sudden image rose - her lips touching his. That moment replayed without warning.
Aria looked away so fast she nearly knocked over a chair.
Intern whispered.
Intern:
Aria:
Intern:
Aria:
________________________________________
Creative Meeting – Later
Everyone sat around the conference table.
Tension thick in the air.
Kael stood near the screen like always.
Professional and Calm.
Like nothing had happened.
Kael:
Designer:
Kael:
Aria blinked.
Aria:
Copywriter:
Aria:
Right.
Work.
Focus.
Normal things.
Kael continued speaking.
But his eyes kept drifting toward Aria.
She noticed.
Right away, she glanced toward the notebook in her hands.
A note appeared before her, pushed across the desk. Handwriting filled the yellow square, hurried but clear. Someone had left it there without a word.
“Did you two fight or something??”
Aria wrote back.
“Or something.”
Across the room -
Mira entered.
Late.
Elegant as always.
The moment she entered, her eyes moved across the space without pause.
Then stopped.
On Aria.
Then Kael.
After that, return to Aria.
Interesting.
Down into the chair went Mira, movement careful.
Mira: Continue.
Fingers tapping the edge of the table, Kael picked up where he left off.
Yet her attention had already drifted away.
She was watching.
Observing every micro-expression.
Every glance.
Every shift in tension.
Something had changed.
Mira found mysteries annoying - each one felt like a puzzle she never asked to solve.
________________________________________
After the Meeting
Aria stuffed her notebook into the bag without pause. She moved fast, fingers brushing the zipper shut before stepping away.
Goal:
Step one -Stand up quietly.
Step two -Step slow toward the exit.
Step three -Run.
Then her foot touched the hall floor -
Kael’s voice stopped her.
Kael:
She closed her eyes.
Aria:
She turned slowly.
Aria:
He walked toward her.
A silence hung where footsteps should have been.
Too empty.
Kael broke the silence first. A pause hung heavy before words finally came. Talking felt unavoidable now. Something needed saying, so he started.
Aria Questions Campaign Details?
Kael:
A sudden rush hit her chest once more.
Aria:
Kael:
Aria blinked.
Aria:
Mistook you for another person, Kael said.
What came next landed with more weight than I thought it would.
Aria's grin didn't reach her eyes. She held it anyway.
Aria:
Something changed, Kael saw it. He picked up on the difference without needing proof.
Kael:
Aria gave a nod. Things might have felt strange if it had gone differently.
Silence.
A silence settled, heavy without words. It sat there, not named but felt deep.
Kael:
Aria choked slightly.
Aria:
Kael:
Aria:
Kael studied her carefully.
Kael:
Aria:
Kael:
She cut him off.
Aria:
Silence.
Long silence.
Kael’s expression changed slightly.
More distant.
Kael:
Aria:
He nodded once.
Kael:
He walked away.
But something about the way he said it…
Didn’t sound convincing.
________________________________________
Mira’s Office – Later
Mira stood near the window.
Watching the city.
Her assistant entered.
Assistant:
Mira nodded.
The assistant handed her a tablet.
Mira pressed play.
Camera angle: party hall.
Guests dancing.
People talking.
Then -Aria walking to the balcony.
Thirty seconds later -
Kael following.
Mira leaned back slightly.
Mira:
She skipped forward.
The lights went out.
Darkness.
Then lights returned.
And the camera captured the moment they stepped apart.
Not the kiss itself.
But close enough.
Mira paused the video.
Her expression thoughtful.
Mira:
Assistant:
Mira smiled faintly.
Mira:
Assistant:
Mira looked back at the frozen frame of Aria and Kael.
Mira:
________________________________________
Final Scene
Meanwhile -Aria sat at her desk pretending to work.
Her mind was still spinning.
Aria:
Simple.
Professional.
Logical.
Her phone buzzed.
Unknown message.
“You really think he kissed the wrong woman?”
Aria froze.
She slowly looked around the office.
Everyone was working.
No one watching.
Another message arrived.
“Because from where I stood…”
Pause.
“It didn’t look like a mistake.”
Aria’s heart dropped.
Someone knew.
But who?
She looked toward Kael’s office.
The blinds were closed.
And for the first time since joining Orion -
Aria realized something.
The office wasn’t just full of designers.
It was full of secrets.
