Jonah stirred, his eyes fluttering open. He glanced at the clock on the table, it boldly read 6:00 AM. He sat up, all the crying finally got to him. He felt like he had a hangover but he brushed it off, he had to get ready for work. He slowly got out of bed, trying not to disturb Elliot, and headed to the bathroom. After a quick shower and shave, he dressed in his work outfit. He went downstairs, expecting to find the house quiet, but was surprised to see Elliot already dressed and making coffee.
"Elliot? What are you doing up so early?" Jonah asked, his brow furrowed.
"You aren't the only busy one," Elliot giggled, "I have plans of my own." Elliot added, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "Since you will be at work, I am going to meet up with Clara. We have a few things to sort out."
"What kind of things?" Jonah asked curious.
"Just... details," Elliot said, his tone deliberately vague. "We need to discuss if she had made any progress in the search for the blackmailer, and I also want to check in at the hospital. Someone needs to keep an eye on things." Jonah's heart warmed at Elliot's thoughtfulness. "Thank you, Elliot," he said, his voice filled with gratitude. "You do not have to do that though."
"Oh, shhh..... Of course I do," Elliot replied, his eyes filled with determination. "I want to. Besides, I can't stay idle, I need to be busy."
"Alright," Jonah said, nodding. "Just take care and thank you again. I do not know what I would do without you."
"It is fine Jonah, I love you and have to stand by you" Elliot said, giving him a reassuring smile. "Now, you better get going. You do not want to be late." Jonah grabbed his briefcase and headed out the door, he sighed. He did not really want to go to work today but he did not want Victor to get any form of idea about him. He hopped into his car and drove to his workplace, the city waking up around him.
The morning air was a blur, his mind preoccupied with his father, his mother, and the future of things. He pulled into the parking garage, his stomach churning with anxiety. He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself, and headed towards the elevator.
The doors slid open, revealing the familiar colourful environment of his office building. He stepped inside, wondering what Victor had in store for him today. As he walked down to his workstation he spotted Sarah, his colleague, and approached her.
"Morning, Sarah," he said, forcing a smile. "You look ravishing as always, is Victor in yet?"
"Morning Jonah, it has been a while. Thanks for the compliment." She greeted with a smile. Jonah nodded politely. Sarah looked up. "No, not yet," she replied. "He usually comes in a bit later on Thursdays. Why? Something urgent?"
"No, just wanted to go over a few things, we had a meeting scheduled today" Jonah said, shrugging.
"Thanks." Sarah nodded, "Well you would just have to wait, hopefully it will not be too long." She told him. Jonah nodded as he settled onto his wooden stool, anxiety churning in his stomach. He pulled up the design files for the deal he had discussed with Victor, the intricate blueprints filling his screen. He tried to focus, to immerse himself in the details, but his mind kept drifting back to his father, his mother, and the unsettling feeling that something was wrong.
Two hours passed, the morning sun streamed through the office windows. Suddenly, Sarah approached his cubicle.
"Jonah," she said, her voice low, "Victor wants to see you in his office." Jonah nodded. He saved his work and headed towards Victor's office, the polished mahogany door looming before him. He took a deep breath and knocked.
"Come in!" Victor's voice echoed from within. Jonah opened the door and stepped inside. Victor sat behind his desk, his expression unreadable. "Jonah," he said, gesturing to a chair, "sit down." Jonah sat, his gaze fixed on Victor. "You look stressed," Victor said, his eyes narrowing. "Everything alright?"
"Yes, everything is fine," Jonah replied, forcing a smile. "Just a bit tired."
"Right," Victor said, his tone skeptical. "Well, let us get down to business. I have been reviewing your work on the private deal. Impressive, as always."
"Thank you," Jonah said, his voice tight.
"But," Victor continued, his eyes glinting, "there are a few changes I would like to make. Minor tweaks, really. Just to ensure everything aligns with my vision for the clients." He pulled up the design files on his screen, pointing to specific areas.
"Here," he said, "I would like to adjust the dimensions of this structural support. And here, we need to revise the material specifications. A more durable alloy, perhaps." Jonah listened intently, nodding as Victor outlined his changes.
"I understand," he said. "I will make the revisions immediately."
"Good," Victor said, leaning back in his chair. "And Jonah, I want to repeat the importance of discretion. This deal is highly confidential. We can't afford any leaks."
"Of course," Jonah replied. "My lips are sealed."
"Excellent," Victor said, his eyes gleaming. "I knew I could count on you. Now, get those revisions done. And Jonah?"
"Yes?" Jonah answered.
"Try to relax," Victor said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "You are starting to look like you have seen a ghost." Jonah forced a laugh.
"I'll try," he said, rising from his chair. "Thank you, Victor."
"Hold on though, you said yesterday you were stressed from a domestic issue. How are your mum and dad?" Victor asked, the fake sincerity plastered on his face.
"Oh, yea, them, they are doing great, thanks for asking." Jonah said through his tight smile and left the office immediately closing the door a little too loudly. Victor smiled at the message Jonah was trying to send, his plans only just got better. He left Victor's office, annoyed at Victor's particular interest in his parents. He felt it was unprofessional and hated it. He returned to his workstation, the design files looming on his screen. He began to make the revisions, though he was distracted his mind racing, trying to decipher if Victor had ulterior motives or he genuinely just cared about his parents. A part of his mind also told him that maybe Victor knows already. But he shrugged off the thought, saying it's impossible, Victor is not that close to his family.
***
Elliot and Clara meet up at Clara's office. She ran an NGO for all underprivileged people. Elliot sat in her newly decorated office, "Nice work you have done here." Elliot commented looking around.