Rayyan sat across from Imran, fingers wrapped around a glass he hadn't lifted.
Imran noticed.
"You've been doing that for ten minutes," he said casually.
Rayyan didn't look up. "Doing what?"
"Staring like the glass offended you."
Rayyan exhaled and finally took a sip. "Long day."
"That's every day," Imran replied. "This is different."
Rayyan's jaw tightened. "Family issues. Work pressure."
Imran nodded slowly. "That's what I thought."
Rayyan glanced at him. "Thought?"
"That you'd hide behind safe excuses."
Rayyan scoffed. "I don't hide."
Imran leaned forward, elbows on the table. "You do when it's personal."
Silence stretched between them.
Rayyan broke it first. "I gave an employee a car."
Imran blinked. "You what?"
"It was… deserved," Rayyan said quickly. "Performance-based."
Imran stared at him. "You don't reward performance with luxury vehicles."
Rayyan's voice hardened. "She earned it."
"She," Imran repeated, smiling slightly. "There it is."
Rayyan frowned. "Don't start."
"I'm not," Imran said calmly. "I'm listening."
Rayyan looked away. "She works hard. She's competent. Reliable."
"And?" Imran pressed.
"And people notice her too much," Rayyan added, irritation creeping in. "It's distracting."
Imran chuckled. "To you."
Rayyan shot him a look. "You think this is funny?"
"I think you're in denial."
Rayyan straightened. "About what?"
Imran held his gaze. "You're in love with her."
The words hit the table like a dropped glass.
Rayyan laughed once. Short. Sharp. "That's ridiculous."
"Is it?" Imran asked gently.
"She's my employee," Rayyan snapped. "And I don't mix..."
"Control with emotion?" Imran finished. "You already did."
Rayyan clenched his jaw. "I care professionally."
"You get jealous professionally now?" Imran asked.
Rayyan froze.
Imran continued, voice steady. "You noticed a client praising her. You adjusted her workload. You remember what she drinks. You're watching her."
"That's management," Rayyan argued.
"No," Imran said quietly. "That's attachment."
Rayyan stood abruptly. "You're reading too much into this."
Imran didn't move. "You don't deny facts this aggressively."
Rayyan ran a hand through his hair. "You don't understand."
"I do," Imran said softly. "Because I've been there. And I lost her because I waited for logic to approve my feelings."
Rayyan looked at him, conflicted.
"She deserves better than confusion," Imran added. "So do you."
Rayyan sat back down slowly. "I'm not in love."
Imran smiled faintly. "Okay."
Rayyan frowned. "That's it?"
"That's it," Imran replied. "You'll come to it on your own."
Rayyan stared at the table, thoughts loud, heart louder.
Imran stood. "Just don't wait until someone else calls her by your hesitation."
Rayyan looked up sharply. "What does that mean?"
Imran shrugged. "Nothing. Or everything."
He left Rayyan alone with the truth he refused to name.
And the name he couldn't stop thinking about.
'Nuha'
The Lexus RX 500h+ rolled smoothly into the parking space.
A few heads turned.
Then more.
Whispers started almost immediately.
"Is that her car?"
"No way."
"She was off just one day…"
"Did she win a raffle?"
"Or..."
Nuha stepped out calmly, adjusted her bag on her shoulder, and locked the car without looking around.
She had learned long ago that attention only grows when you acknowledge it.
Inside the building, the murmurs followed her like a low hum.
"She looks different."
"Confidence looks good on her."
"Maybe the boss..."
Rayyan was just stepping out of the elevator when he saw her through the glass doors.
For a moment, he forgot to move.
She walked with quiet assurance, her steps unhurried, posture relaxed. She wasn't trying to impress anyone...and that was exactly what made her impossible to ignore.
A small smile tugged at his lips before he could stop it.
She came with *her* car.
He straightened almost immediately, schooling his expression back into professionalism just as staff greeted him.
"Salam alaykum, sir."
"Walaykum salam," he replied absently, eyes still following Nuha as she disappeared down the corridor.
Nuha unlocked her office door and stepped inside.
The room felt… familiar. Comforting.
She paused, looking at her chair.
"I missed you," she muttered under her breath, amused at herself.
She set her bag down, smoothed her abaya, and hadn't even logged into her system when a knock came.
"Come in."
Two colleagues stepped in almost at once.
"Nuha!" one of them exclaimed. "You're back!"
She smiled warmly. "As you can see."
"You have no idea," the other said dramatically. "Yesterday was chaos."
Nuha tilted her head. "That bad?"
"You weren't here for one day and everything fell apart," he groaned. "Mistakes everywhere. Files rushed. Meetings delayed."
Another colleague peeked in from the doorway. "Honestly, it was traumatic."
Nuha laughed softly. "Traumatic is a strong word."
"I'm serious," the first one insisted. "Your absence was very noticeable."
She met their gazes, calm and reassuring. "Well, I'm back now. No need to worry."
Just like that.
No pride. No exaggeration.
They all relaxed immediately.
"Good," one of them said. "Because we can't do this without you."
Nuha smiled, a little embarrassed. "You'll survive. But thank you."
As they left, she finally sat down, exhaling quietly.
Then she noticed the file on her desk.
She picked it up, skimmed through the contents, and stood.
Straight to Rayyan's office.
Rayyan was at his desk, reviewing documents when he heard the knock.
"Come in."
The door opened.
Nuha stepped in.
He looked up.
And forgot the document in his hand.
She stood there, composed, confident, eyes steady. There was something about her presence today that felt… settled. Like she had found her balance.
"Salam alaykum, sir," she said.
"Walaykum salam," Rayyan replied, his voice softer than intended.
She walked closer, placing the file neatly on his desk. "This was flagged urgent. I reviewed it briefly, but I thought you should see it first."
He nodded, finally breaking eye contact. "Thank you."
A pause.
"How was your day off?" he asked, tone neutral.....but his eyes flicked briefly toward the window, where her car was visible from a certain angle.
"It was restful," she replied honestly. "Much needed."
"I'm glad," he said.
Another pause.
He glanced up again. "You seem… refreshed."
Nuha smiled faintly. "I feel clearer."
"That's good," he said. "It shows."
She hesitated for a fraction of a second. "The team said yesterday was… intense."
Rayyan exhaled. "That's one way to put it."
She raised an eyebrow playfully. "Noted."
He almost smiled.
Almost.
"Anything else you need from me today?" she asked.
"No," he replied, then added, "Take it easy. Fridays are lighter."
She nodded. "I will."
She turned to leave, then paused.
"Yes?" Rayyan asked.
"Thank you," she said simply.
"For…?"
"For yesterday. For the space."
He held her gaze. "You earned it."
She left the office, heart steady, steps light.
Rayyan leaned back in his chair once the door closed.
The office felt quieter without her.
And for the first time, he realized...
Her presence didn't just organize his schedule.
It grounded his world.