Chapter 24 24
Chapter 24 24
The next morning, Lily sat at the dining table with the pile of work spread out in front of her. The CEO’s folder was on one side, Annie’s proposal on the other, and her laptop sat open in the middle like it was silently judging her.
On Friday morning, when she was leaving for work, she had made a mental note to spend the entire weekend sleeping and relaxing because she needed it more than anything. But the events of the working day had clearly ruled out her much needed rest.
She stared at everything and sighed.
“I don’t even know where to begin.”
Lily picked up the CEO’s folder and flipped it open, scanning the first page again, even though she had already read it twice the night before. The expectations were precise. Every detail mattered, and somehow, that made it worse.
It reminded her too much of him; controlled, exact, and impossible to read. She closed the folder slowly, exhaling through her nose. Of course he would give me something like this.
Claire walked in with a mug of coffee, looked at the table, and winced. “That is a lot.”
“It’s too much. It seems it increased again this morning!”
“It’s much, but not impossible.”
Lily gave her a flat look. “You’re saying that because it’s not your work. If you had half of this for the weekend, you'll probably be driven crazy!”
Claire sat across from her. “Actually, I have my own problem too. I’m stuck on my article. I've been on it for the longest. Writer’s block has decided to build a house in my head.”
Lily rubbed her forehead. “What if we go somewhere else to work? Somewhere calm. I feel like if I stay here, I’ll just keep staring at the papers until Monday comes. And you know that means doom.”
Claire’s eyes brightened. “Waterside?”
Lily considered it. “Yeah, it's not a bad idea. That might help.”
“Perfect. Calm air, peaceful view, and maybe my brain will remember that it’s supposed to be useful.”
An hour later, they arrived at the waterside with their bags, laptops, and documents. The place was quiet in a way Lily desperately needed.
The water stretched out before them, smooth and silver under the morning light. Gentle ripples moved across the surface as though the water itself was breathing slowly. Boats drifted lazily in the distance, and the soft sound of waves brushing against the shore carried a strange peace with it. The air smelled fresh, touched with the faint scent of water and earth, and the breeze moved gently through Lily’s hair, cooling the tension in her head.
She stood still for a moment, taking it all in.
“Oh my God,” she breathed. “This is perfect.”
Claire smiled and spread a small mat near a shaded spot. “I told you.”
Lily sat down and arranged her files carefully. “This is the perfect scenery for the kind of work these jerks have given me.”
“Jerks plural?” Claire asked, opening her laptop.
“The CEO and Annie.”
Claire nodded knowingly. “Ohh, that's right. You're stuck between two jerks. That sounds poetic and like a good line for my book.”
Lily made a face.
“Don’t worry. Just do your best. Annie is looking for a reason to say you’re not capable, and your boss clearly has no mercy, so don’t give either of them a chance. If you need help, you can call my attention. I'll try my best. For now, forget Kyrian, forget Tracy, forget everything else. Focus on surviving this job.”
Lily’s fingers hovered briefly over the edge of the documents before she pulled them closer. She straightened the papers anyway, forcing her focus back where it belonged. One problem at a time.
Lily inhaled deeply and nodded. “You’re right.”
“I’m always right.”
Lily smiled faintly. “Debatable.”
They worked quietly for some time. The calm environment helped more than Lily expected. Her thoughts felt less tangled, and as she read through the proposal requirements, ideas started forming. She made notes, arranged sections, and slowly began to feel like she could actually finish the work.
After a while, Claire stood up. “I need to take a call and maybe get us something to drink. Don’t run away.”
“I won’t.”
Claire walked off, leaving Lily alone with the water, the breeze, and her scattered documents. Lily stretched her arms above her head and released a soft sigh. For the first time in days, she felt a little lighter.
She reached for the CEO’s file again, more steadily this time, and began outlining her approach on a fresh page. If she broke it down section by section, requirement by requirement; it wouldn’t feel as overwhelming.
Then a shadow fell across her papers.
“Hi.”
Lily looked up.
And her breath caught.
It was the man from the mall.