I swear I didn't see anything, he said to the glass, his voice cracking. I swear I was just doing my job, testing the sensors. I didn't know you were here. Please, I have a daughter. She's six.
I need this job. "I can't—" "Stop talking." Marcus' jaw snapped shut. The silence stretched. Seconds became eternities.
He could hear his own breathing ragged and panicked. And beneath it, the soft sounds of Elena getting dressed. When she finally spoke again, her voice was controlled. But something underneath it, something he couldn't quite identify. What's your name?
Marcus Cole. IT security maintenance. I've worked here 4 years. I've never had a complaint. I swear this was an accident.
I thought I heard you the first time. A pause. Longer than comfortable. You can turn around now. Marcus turned slowly, keeping his eyes fixed on the floor.
He couldn't look at her. Didn't deserve to. Elena Hart stood behind her desk, fully dressed now in the cream blouse and black skirt. Her hair was pulled back in that severe style he recognized. She looked every inch the CEO again, all traces of vulnerability erased.
But her eyes studied him with an intensity that made his skin prickle. "Look at me," she said. It was the hardest thing Marcus had ever done. Meeting Elena Hart's gaze felt like staring into a searchlight. But he forced himself to do it.
She deserved that much. An acknowledgement of what he'd done, an acceptance of whatever judgment she was about to deliver. You really didn't know I was here. It wasn't a question. No, ma'am.
The work order just said security system malfunction. I fixed the controller and I was testing all the sensors. I thought the whole floor was empty this early. His hands were shaking. He clenched them into fists at his sides.
I understand if you need to fire me. I understand this is I don't have any excuse. I just want you to know it was an accident. I would never stop. He stopped.
Elena walked around her desk, each step deliberate, controlled. She stopped 3 ft away from him, close enough that he could smell her perfume. Something subtle that made the air between them feel charged. You're terrified, she observed. Yes, ma'am.
Of me or of losing your job? Both. The truth fell out before he could stop it. Mostly the job. I have a daughter.
She's six. I'm all she has. I can't. His voice cracked. He forced himself to breathe.
I can't afford to lose this. Something shifted in Elena's expression. Recognition maybe like she'd seen something in his desperation that resonated with her own hidden truths. She studied him for a long moment. "The door was unlocked," she said finally.
"I should have secured it. That's on me, not you." Marcus blinked, certain he'd heard wrong. "Ma'am—" "You were doing your job testing the security system. I was careless."
She turned away, moving back to her desk with that same controlled grace. What you saw stays between us. Understood? Yes, ma'am. Absolutely.