105

105
Chapter 105

The next morning, Sophia arrived at work feeling lighter than she had the previous day.

It was probably because Jessica seemed better before they left yesterday or also probably because she and Damien had spent a quiet evening together. Either way, she walked into the office with a calmer mood.

The moment she stepped into the department, Jessica looked up from her desk. Immediately, her face brightened.

“Sophia!”

Sophia smiled and walked over while Jessica leaned forward excitedly.

“I already prepared something.” Jessica said with a big smile.

Sophia’s eyelids fluttered. “For what?”

“For Saturday obviously.” She uttered, looking offended.

Sophia looked confused at that because she wasn’t expecting this when she came over to work today.

Jessica smiled proudly seeing how confused Sophia looked.

“It is a gift.”

Sophia squinted her eyes, looking a little flustered.

“A gift?” She repeated.

Jessica nodded with a smile.

“You invited me to your house. I can’t just show up empty handed.”

Sophia immediately laughed.

“You really don’t need to bring anything.”

Jessica waved her off hearing that.

“No. It’s already decided.”

Sophia smiled while placing her bag down.

“Now I’m curious.”

Jessica grinned. “No spoilers.”

Sophia laughed softly. “Okay then. I can’t wait. Trust me.”

“You’ll like it.”

Sophia shook her head with amusement before settling into her chair.

~

The morning passed quietly at first as everyone focused on work. Sophia occasionally answered emails while Jessica worked nearby. Every now and then, they exchanged random comments or complained lightly about assignments.

A little later, someone from administration walked into the department.

“The H.O.D wants everyone in the conference room.”

Several people looked up and then one employee sighed.

“Meeting again?”

Another laughed, but then there was no choice concerning that. Soon enough, everyone got up and headed into the meeting room.

Their H.O.D stood at the front with a few documents. Once everyone settled, she looked around.

“This won’t take long, everyone and I felt this is the best spot to have this meeting.”

The room fell silent and everyone was focused.

“Our department has been doing fine, but doing fine isn’t enough.” Several people immediately looked interested including Sophia. “I want ideas.”

Everyone exchanged confused looks and then she smiled slightly.

“How do we stand out more? How do we improve? How do we grow as journalists?”

That immediately sparked conversation. Suggestions began coming from different directions. Someone suggested creating stronger investigative content.

Another suggested more audience engagement and interactive reports. Someone else also talked about developing a stronger digital presence.

Jessica then raised her hand.

“What about creating short documentary features?”

The H.O.D nodded. “That’s good.” She said, looking satisfied.

Sophia thought for a moment before speaking too, then she raised her hand as well.

“We could collaborate more across departments and bring different perspectives into reports.”

The H.O.D looked impressed and nodded her head satisfactorily.

“That’s practical.” She uttered calmly.

Soon, the room became more active. People were exchanging ideas, building on suggestions, debating approaches and discussing goals.

For once, it didn’t feel like one of those exhausting meetings everyone secretly hated.

By the end of it, several points had been written down and the H.O.D looked satisfied.

“Good.”

Then she closed her notebook.

“This is the kind of thinking I want.”

People slowly began standing up and as they walked out, Jessica leaned towards Sophia.

“That was surprisingly productive.”

Sophia smiled. “I thought people were going to start sleeping.”

Jessica laughed. “That was on my mind too.”

Soon, everyone returned to their desks and the office settled back into its normal rhythm.

By the time work finally came to an end, Sophia stretched lightly in her seat and shut down her computer.

The day had passed surprisingly quickly. After saying goodbye to a few colleagues and reminding Jessica not to overthink too much again, she picked up her bag and left the office.

The drive home felt peaceful and amazing. As she sat in the backseat, she looked outside quietly and thought about Saturday. Jessica already seemed unusually excited to visit, and Sophia found herself smiling a little at the thought.

When she finally got home, the mansion felt calm. She stepped inside and realized Damien still wasn’t back yet.

Sophia looked at the time.

“Hmmm my busy bee. I think I’m going to make dinner for us.”

Sophia could have waited for the maids to prepare dinner, but suddenly she felt like doing something herself for both of them.

She walked into the kitchen and the maid who was there was a little surprised to see her in the kitchen at that time.

“Ma’am?”

Sophia smiled. “I’ll prepare dinner tonight.”

They immediately offered to help but she only asked them to bring ingredients and assist where necessary.

Soon, she got to work.

She prepared several dishes she knew Damien liked and occasionally laughed at herself whenever she had to double check measurements.

Cooking ended up being more relaxing than she expected.

By the time she finished, the dining table had already been arranged neatly. She looked at everything proudly.

“Not bad.”

Not too long later, she heard movement near the entrance. Sophia looked up immediately and realized that Damien had returned.

He loosened his tie while walking in and stopped slightly when he noticed the dining setup. His eyes moved towards Sophia.

She smiled. “You’re right on time.”

Damien walked closer and glanced at the food.

“You cooked?”

Sophia crossed her arms dramatically. “That surprised?”

His lips curved slightly. “A little.”

“That’s rude.”

Damien gave a quiet laugh before pulling her lightly closer and kissing her forehead.

“It smells good.”

Soon, both of them sat down and started eating. To Sophia’s satisfaction, Damien actually seemed to enjoy it.

As they ate, Damien talked about work. Apparently, things had gone unusually well.

“One of the projects finally moved forward,” he explained while eating.

Sophia nodded. “That sounds important.”

“It is.”

“I’m glad.” She said with a smile.

He looked at her briefly.
“How was your day?”
Sophia told him about the meeting at work and how everyone exchanged ideas.
She also mentioned Jessica being excited for Saturday.
Damien listened quietly.
Dinner stretched comfortably with easy conversation, teasing, and quiet moments.
By the time they finished, both of them felt relaxed.
Later that night, after getting ready for bed, Sophia climbed under the covers.
Damien joined her shortly after.
She moved closer naturally and rested beside him.
The room became quiet.
Within minutes, both of them drifted off to sleep.