Morning at Sovereign Technologies always followed the same rhythm.
Precise.
Predictable.
Controlled.
Employees arrived early. Coffee machines hummed quietly. Keyboards clicked. Assistants hurried down the hallways with tablets and files.
And every single morning there was one constant.
Sebastian Wolfe was already there.
His office lights always turned on before sunrise. His car was always in the underground garage before most employees even left their apartments.
Sebastian Wolfe was never late.
Which was why the office felt strangely unsettled that morning.
Something was wrong.
At 7:15 AM the glass doors of the executive floor slid open as employees arrived.
At 7:30 AM whispers started.
By 7:45 AM the whispers had grown louder.
The large glass doors to Sebastian's office remained closed.
Dark.
No light.
No movement.
Two junior assistants stood near the coffee machine.
"Is Mr. Wolfe not here yet?"
"I haven't seen him."
"That's impossible."
One of them glanced toward his office.
"He's always here before everyone else."
Another employee leaned over from her desk.
"Maybe he's already in a meeting."
The assistant shook her head.
"His schedule starts at nine."
A pause.
Then someone muttered quietly,
"His car isn't in the garage either."
That comment spread through the floor like electricity.
Employees looked at each other.
Confused.
Nervous.
Sebastian Wolfe being late was like the sun not rising.
It simply didn't happen.
At 7:58 AM the elevator doors slid open.
Lillian Parker stepped out.
She held her tablet against her chest as she walked toward her desk.
Immediately she noticed the tension.
People were whispering.
Glancing toward Sebastian's office.
Then their eyes landed on her.
Several employees looked relieved.
As if she had the answers.
One of the assistants approached carefully.
"Miss Parker…?"
Lillian stopped.
"Yes?"
"Is Mr. Wolfe coming in today?"
Her brows knit together slightly.
"Of course he is."
The assistant hesitated.
"But… he's not here yet."
Lillian blinked.
"What?"
"He's never late," the assistant said quietly.
Lillian looked toward Sebastian's office.
The door was still closed.
Dark.
Her chest tightened slightly.
Her eyes moved to the clock on the wall.
8:00 AM.
Sebastian Wolfe was officially late.
And suddenly a single thought flashed through her mind.
The medication.
Her stomach dropped.
Did he oversleep?
Did he take too much?
Did something happen?
She had been careful.
It was only one tablet.
Still…
Her fingers tightened around the edge of her tablet.
Please don't let this be my fault.
The elevator chimed again.
Everyone instinctively turned toward the sound.
The doors slid open.
And Sebastian Wolfe stepped out.
The entire floor went silent.
Conversations stopped instantly.
Keyboards froze.
Sebastian walked forward with his usual controlled stride.
Black suit.
Dark tie.
Sharp posture.
But something was… different.
His hair wasn't perfectly styled like usual.
Not messy.
Just slightly less precise.
And his expression looked colder than normal.
His eyes swept across the office.
Slow.
Sharp.
He immediately noticed the silence.
Someone near the back whispered quietly,
"He's actually late."
Sebastian heard it.
His gaze flicked toward the sound.
The employee immediately dropped his eyes back to his computer.
The room returned to quiet.
Sebastian continued walking.
He passed Lillian's desk.
Then stopped.
His gaze shifted to her.
They looked at each other for a moment.
Her stomach twisted.
He knew.
He definitely knew.
Sebastian spoke calmly.
"My office."
A pause.
"Now."
Lillian grabbed her tablet and stood.
Behind them the whispering restarted instantly.
"What's going on?"
"Did something happen on the trip?"
"Why does he look irritated?"
The office door closed behind them.
Silence filled the room.
Sebastian removed his coat and placed it neatly over the back of his chair.
Then he turned toward her.
His sharp eyes studied her face.
Then he asked flatly,
"Did you put my medication in my suitcase?"
Direct.
No greeting.
No hesitation.
Lillian froze for a second.
Then nodded.
"Yes."
Sebastian leaned back slightly against his desk.
His arms crossed slowly.
"You ignored a direct instruction."
"I did."
"You also tampered with my belongings."
"I know."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"You're admitting it very easily."
"There's no point lying to you."
A quiet pause filled the office.
Sebastian's gaze remained fixed on her.
Then he said something that made her blink.
"I slept through three alarms."
Her eyes widened slightly.
Three?
"That has never happened before."
His tone wasn't angry.
Just factual.
Almost… irritated.
Lillian hesitated before speaking carefully.
"You needed the sleep."
"That wasn't your decision to make."
"I know."
Sebastian studied her expression.
Looking for something.
Regret.
Fear.
Anything.
But she only looked concerned.
Which irritated him more.
"You deliberately disobeyed me."
"Yes."
"And yet you look relieved."
Lillian hesitated.
Then admitted quietly,
"Because you slept."
Sebastian didn't respond immediately.
Instead he walked back to his chair and sat down.
Opening his laptop.
The conversation was clearly over.
At least for now.
"Schedule," he said shortly.
Lillian immediately switched back into work mode.
"Your first meeting is at nine thirty."
"Move it to ten."
"Already done."
"Investor call?"
"Rescheduled for tomorrow."
Sebastian typed something on his laptop.
Then nodded slightly.
"Good."
They worked quietly for the next hour.
The usual rhythm returned.
Emails.
Contracts.
Documents.
But the air between them felt… different.
Around 10:45 AM Sebastian suddenly leaned back in his chair.
A small movement.
But Lillian noticed it immediately.
His hand briefly moved toward his lower back.
Then stopped.
She remembered the scar.
The long one across his spine.
Sebastian stood up slowly.
He rolled his shoulders slightly as if easing tension.
Then removed his suit jacket.
Lillian knocked lightly on the door frame.
"Mr. Wolfe?"
"Come in."
She stepped inside holding a stack of contracts.
When Sebastian turned slightly to face her, his shirt shifted.
Just enough.
The fabric pulled slightly across his back.
And for a brief second she saw it again.
The scar.
Long.
Pale.
Running along his spine.
Her eyes froze.
Sebastian noticed instantly.
His gaze sharpened.
He pulled his shirt back into place smoothly.
The room went quiet.
Lillian placed the documents on his desk slowly.
But her eyes lingered on him.
Finally she asked quietly,
"Does it still hurt?"
Sebastian paused.
His fingers stopped moving on the keyboard.
For a moment the usual cold expression faded slightly.
Then he answered calmly.
"Some injuries don't disappear."
His voice was distant.
Controlled.
Like he had closed a door in his mind.
Lillian nodded slowly.
"I see."
Sebastian looked back at his laptop.
"The contracts."
The message was clear.
Conversation over.
Lillian immediately began explaining the documents.
"The Dallas agreement requires two additional signatures."
"Send it to legal."
"And the interface proposal needs your approval."
Sebastian skimmed the pages quickly.
"Approved."
They worked for another hour without interruption.
By the time Lillian gathered the last stack of documents, her arms were full.
Sebastian didn't look up from his screen.
"Miss Parker."
She paused at the door.
"Yes?"
"Don't put medication in my belongings again."
Her chest tightened slightly.
"Understood."
A quiet pause followed.
Then Sebastian added without looking up,
"…even if it works."
Lillian blinked.
A small, surprised smile almost appeared on her face.
But she quickly hid it.
"Yes, Mr. Wolfe."
She left the office.
The door closed softly behind her.
Sebastian continued typing.
But after a moment his hands stopped.
His eyes drifted toward the clock on the wall.
Then to the coffee on his desk.
Then back to the screen.
Eight hours of sleep.
He still wasn't sure how he felt about that.
Or about the woman who had forced it on him.