Chapter 30 Thirty
Monday morning came quietly.
Izzy woke up earlier than usual, though she hadn’t slept much. The alarm buzzed at six-thirty, and she just lay there for a while, staring at the ceiling.
Her mind kept replaying everything that happened at the retreat . the pool, the hallway, the kiss she shouldn’t have allowed. Dominic’s voice whispering things she didn’t want to remember.
It was Monday now. A new week. And she had made up her mind.
No more thinking about him.
No more weakness.
From now on, it would be work … only work.
She got up, showered, and stood in front of the mirror while brushing her hair. “Professional,” she whispered to her reflection.
“Calm. Focused.”
Her reflection looked tired, but she gave herself a small nod.
She wore a plain beige blouse tucked into black trousers, added light makeup, and tied her hair in a ponytail. She looked neat, responsible … like someone who had her life under control.
By eight-thirty, she was in the office. The usual hum of keyboards and phone calls filled the room. The smell of coffee drifted through the air.
Everything felt routine, and that was exactly what she wanted.
She placed her bag on her desk, turned on her laptop, and started working on the reports left from last week. She read emails, replied to clients, and reviewed some updates from the design department.
At nine sharp, Dominic walked in.
The air didn’t shift … at least, not for anyone else.
He greeted the staff the same way he always did … calm, confident, professional.
And she didn’t look up from her screen.
But she felt him walk past. That quiet authority he carried everywhere.
He said a few words to the department heads, then went straight to his office.
When he spoke her name, it was in the same steady tone he used with everyone.
“Miss Hale, please bring the revised proposal when you’re done.”
“Yes, sir,” she said without glancing at him.
Her tone was even, her face blank.
She brought the file to his office. She knocked lightly, then stepped inside.
He was sitting behind his desk, jacket off, shirt sleeves rolled up. His attention was on the document in front of him.
“Here’s the revised proposal,” she said.
He nodded, took it from her, and began to read. His expression stayed calm, unreadable.
“Good,” he said after a moment. “The layout is cleaner. Send the final version to finance team for approval.”
“I’ll do that,” she said.
He looked up at her then, eyes unreadable.
“How was your weekend?”
“It was fine,” she said shortly. “I rested.”
He studied her face for a few seconds, then nodded. “That’s good.”
“Is there anything else, sir?”
“No,” he said quietly.
She turned and left the office without another word.
The entire interaction lasted maybe three minutes.
The hours passed. The day felt long, but steady.
At eleven-forty, she received a message on her phone.
Adrian: Lunch later? My treat. You deserve it after last week’s pitch.
Izzy stared at the screen for a moment. She hesitated, then smiled faintly.
Izzy: Sure. One o’clock?
Adrian: Perfect. Don’t stand me up this time.
She laughed quietly under her breath. It felt nice.
When one o’clock came, Adrian came by the office. “Ready?”
“Yeah,” she said, as she went to meet him outside.
They went down to a small café across the street. It was quiet and warm, with soft music and the smell of fresh pastries.
Adrian ordered two sandwiches and coffee for both of them.
He was easy to talk to… friendly, funny, and relaxed in a way that made her feel comfortable.
“So,” he said, stirring his coffee, “how do you feel now that the retreat’s over? Less chaos?”
“Much less,” she said, smiling. “I think I’ve had enough drama for a while.”
“Drama?” he teased. “You mean company politics, or…”
She gave him a small look. “Don’t start.”
He raised his hands in mock surrender. “Okay, okay. Just asking. You were quiet that last day.”
“Just tired,” she said. “It was a long week.”
He nodded. “I get that. But you did great, you know? Everyone’s still talking about your presentation.”
She smiled a little. “Thanks.”
“I meant it,” he said, leaning back. “You’re sharp, Izzy. Smart. Confident. I like that.”
She looked down at her cup. Compliments always made her a little awkward. “Thanks, Adrian.”
They talked for a while about work, travel, random things. It was light and easy.
No tension, no confusing looks … just normal conversation between coworkers.
Izzy felt lighter as returned to the office . She needed that … a reminder that she deserve to have a relationship this simple
The rest of the day stayed quiet.
She and Dominic crossed paths a few times, but everything was strictly professional.
In the afternoon, she brought him a file to sign.
He barely looked at her as he flipped through the pages. “Have you confirmed the client meeting for Thursday?”
“Yes, sir. It’s set for ten a.m.”
“Good.” He signed the document and handed it back. “You’ll join the meeting.”
“Understood,” she said, tucking the file under her arm.
He nodded once, his tone even. “Thank you, Miss Hale.”
“You’re welcome,” she replied and turned to leave.
Izzy could still feel the tension every time they were in the same room. He didn’t say anything, but sometimes she caught him watching her when he thought she wasn’t looking.
She ignored it every time.
By five-thirty, the office started to empty. Her colleagues were laughing, gathering their bags, saying goodnight.
Izzy shut down her laptop, organized her desk, and slipped her phone into her bag. She was ready to go home.
As she stood, she saw Dominic coming out of his office. He stopped briefly by her desk.
“Leaving already?” he asked.
“It’s the end of the day,” she said without looking up.
He paused, as if he wanted to say something more, but didn’t. “Good work today.”
“Thank you,” she said, keeping her tone polite.
She picked up her bag and headed for the elevator.
When the doors closed, she finally exhaled. Her hands trembled slightly, though she wasn’t sure why.
It wasn’t anger or sadness …. just a strange mix of relief and exhaustion.
She was doing well, she told herself. She was keeping her distance.
At home that night, she changed into a loose T-shirt and shorts, made herself a cup of tea, and curled up on the couch. The city lights glowed outside her window, soft and golden.
She turned on a movie but barely paid attention. Her thoughts kept drifting to work …
To Dominic.
He hadn’t said anything personal all day. He hadn’t tried to talk to her, hadn’t texted, hadn’t looked at her the way he used to.
It should have made things easier.
But somehow, it just made her wonder what he was thinking.
Her phone buzzed.
She picked it up, expecting a message from Maya or maybe Adrian.
Instead, it was Dominic.
Dominic: Get home safe?
She stared at the message for a moment. Then she placed her phone face-down on the couch and didn’t reply.
Tuesday was the same.
And Wednesday.
And Thursday.
Every morning, she came in early, worked hard, and kept to herself. Every meeting was professional. Every conversation was about reports, clients, and schedules.
Dominic didn’t push her.
He was distant …polite, calm, unreadable. He treated her exactly like any other employee.
And somehow, that hurt more than ever.
But she didn’t show it.
At lunch, she sometimes ate with Adrian or a few others from the marketing team.
They talked, joked, and shared office gossip. It helped distract her from the quiet tension that still lingered in the background.
Adrian was nice … easygoing, respectful, and genuinely fun to be around. Sometimes, she caught herself smiling without realizing it.
Once, he teased her. “You’re smiling more these days.”
“Am I?” she said, pretending not to notice.
“Yeah. I like it. You should do it more often.”
She laughed softly. “I’ll try.”
Friday morning came before she knew it.
When she got to the office, she brought coffee for herself and Maya, who had come to drop off some supplies. Maya grinned at her from the front desk.
“Still no drama?” Maya asked, sipping her drink.
“None,” Izzy said firmly. “And I want to keep it that way.”
Maya smirked. “So, no mysterious boss texts?”
Izzy gave her a look. “I said I want peace, Maya.”
“Okay, okay,” Maya said, laughing. “I’m just checking.”
Izzy smiled despite herself. “ I have to go back to work before you get me in trouble.”
When Maya left, Izzy sat at her desk, reviewing files for the next week’s client presentations. She was halfway through when Dominic stepped out of his office.
He glanced around, then spoke to the team. “Good work this week, everyone. Let’s finish strong before the weekend.”
His eyes brushed past her … just briefly … then moved on.
Izzy didn’t react either. She just nodded slightly and continued typing.
That evening, everyone had gone home, Dominic stopped by her desk one last time.
“Miss Hale,” he said.
She looked up. “Yes, sir?”
“Good work this week,” he said quietly. “You’ve handled things well.”
“Thank you,” she said, meeting his eyes briefly before looking away.
He nodded once. “Have a good weekend.”
“You too,” she replied.
And that was it.
Just two people ..
Boss and employee saying goodnight.
She packed up her things, walked out of the building, and breathed in the cool evening air. The sky was painted orange and purple as the sun set.
It felt like peace.
Simple, ordinary peace.
And for the first time in a long while, Izzy felt okay with that.
She didn’t need Dominic’s attention. She didn’t need his approval.
She had her work, her friends, her quiet life.
For now, that was enough.