Response time for her requests is 10 minutes maximum. All other issues within the hour. She handed him a tablet. This links to building management. You'll receive work orders here along with Ms. Hart's schedule so you can plan maintenance around her commitments.
Amanda's eyes held his. That schedule is confidential. You don't discuss it with anyone. Not other staff, not your friends, not your family. Understood.
Understood. Ms. Hart values three things above all else. Amanda's voice was matter of fact, delivering information he needed to survive. "Discretion, efficiency, invisibility. Your work should be seamless."
She shouldn't have to think about whether the systems function. If she notices you at all, it should be because you've solved a problem before it became her problem. The irony of being told to remain invisible by the woman whose boss had personally promoted him wasn't lost on Marcus. He kept his expression neutral. Questions?
A thousand. None he could actually voice. No, ma'am. Good. Staff briefing every morning at 6:45 in the main conference room.
Start your systems check at 7:30. Ms. Hart arrives between 8:00 and 8:30, and everything should be perfect before she walks through that door. Amanda paused. Something in her expression shifted almost imperceptibly. Ms. Hart doesn't make recommendations lightly, Mr. Cole.
She saw something in you that made her believe you belong up here. Her voice dropped. I suggest you prove her right. Before Marcus could respond, Amanda was gone. He stood alone in his new office, surrounded by the trappings of a life he'd never imagined.
Wondering what exactly Elena Hart had seen. The first week passed in a blur of learning protocols and staying out of sight. Marcus memorized every circuit, every server, every security checkpoint. He discovered the executive floor had more technology packed into a single level than the rest of the building. Combined smart glass that adjusted for light levels, climate controls that responded to occupancy sensors, conference room systems that cost more than luxury cars.
He attended the morning briefings, learned to decode Amanda's careful language. Ms. Hart requires uninterrupted focus time meant keep the entire wing silent. Board members visiting from New York meant everything needed to be perfect to the point of obsession. Press conference in the main auditorium meant Elena would be on edge, her standards impossibly high. And through it all, Marcus caught only glimpses of her, a flash of auburn hair as she strode past, her voice carrying through a conference room door crisp with authority.
Once he was replacing a malfunctioning access panel when she emerged from a meeting and their eyes met for half a second before she looked away and continued walking. She gave no sign of recognition, no acknowledgement that he existed beyond his function as the person who kept her world running smoothly. It should have been a relief. Instead, it felt like standing in a room where all the air had been sucked out. Marcus told himself it was better this way. professional, clean.