Marcus said his voice rough. Yes, Elena agreed. But she didn't leave. She stayed there working on her tablet while he completed the installation. And her presence felt less like surveillance and more like companionship.
When he climbed down and packed his tools, she looked up one more time. "Thank you, Marcus." It was the first time she'd used his first name. The sound of it in her voice rewired something in his brain, created a connection he wasn't sure he wanted and definitely didn't know how to handle. Anytime, Miss Hart.
He left before he could say something stupid, but he felt her watching him all the way to the door. The weeks that followed developed their own rhythm. Marcus arrived early, checked systems, attended briefings, anticipated problems before they became problems. And increasingly, Elena found reasons to interact with him directly. The projection system in conference room B keeps dropping signal during presentations. she said.
One afternoon, appearing in his office doorway without warning. Marcus looked up from his laptop, startled by her proximity. She rarely came to his office. Usually summoned him to wherever she needed him. I can take a look now if you're free to show me when it happens.
I have a call in 15 minutes, but afterward, I'll come to you. Elena nodded. Didn't leave. her fingers drummed against the doorframe in an uncharacteristic display of restlessness. "There's a board meeting tomorrow," she said. "Richard Chen is pushing for a review of my first two years, trying to suggest my leadership has been aggressive and divisive."
Marcus sat down his laptop. "Is that what he said in the conference room when I was under the table?" Elena's lips curved. "You said you didn't listen." I said I didn't listen.
I didn't say I was deaf. A surprised laugh escaped her. The sound was so unexpected, so human that Marcus felt his chest tighten. "Richard has been with this company for 32 years," Elena said. "He was my father's closest adviser."
He believes he should be running things, that I'm just a placeholder until someone more qualified can take over. Are you? Am I what? a placeholder. Elena's expression hardened. I've tripled our contracts, acquired two competitors, increased employee compensation by 18% across the board.
But Richard sees a 29-year-old woman in her father's chair, and he can't accept that I belong here. Then prove him wrong. That's what I've been doing every day, every decision. Her voice carried an edge of exhaustion. But it's never enough.
There's always another challenge, another test, another man who thinks he knows better. Marcus stood crossed to the doorway where she stood close enough that he could see the faint shadows under her eyes, the tension in her jaw. You asked me once why I do more than the minimum, he said quietly. You want to know the real answer? Elena waited.