🖤
Cassy told herself she was imagining it. The change. The shift in Caleb Garcia. But she couldn't ignore it anymore. Because he was looking at her differently now. Not as an employee. Not as a secretary. But as something he didn't understand.
—
"Move the meeting to 4 p.m."
Cassy looked up from her tablet. "That conflicts with your investor call."
"I said move it." His voice was firm. But not sharp like before. Just… controlled.
Cassy hesitated for half a second. Then nodded. "Understood."
But as she turned to leave— "Cassy."
She stopped. Her name again. Not cold this time. Not distant. Just… there. "Yes, sir?" she asked softly.
Caleb didn't look up from his desk. "…Don't overwork yourself today."
That made her blink. It wasn't an order. It wasn't a command. It was something else. Something unfamiliar from him. Concern.
Cassy's grip on her tablet tightened slightly. "I'll try," she said gently.
A pause. Then— "That's not an answer," he muttered. But his voice lacked its usual edge.
Cassy smiled faintly. "I won't overwork myself today."
Silence. Then a small nod from him. "Good."
—
But "good" didn't feel like approval. It felt like relief. And that confused her more than she wanted to admit.
—
Later that afternoon, Cassy was in the storage room organizing files when the lights flickered. Then went out. She froze. "…Great," she whispered.
The room was suddenly dim, only faint light slipping through the small window. She reached for her phone. No signal. Of course.
She exhaled slowly. "It's fine," she told herself. "Just five minutes." But five minutes passed. Then ten.
—
Outside, Caleb noticed something was wrong immediately. Cassy's desk was empty. Her tablet still there. But she wasn't. His expression tightened slightly.
"Where is she?" he asked sharply.
Adrian looked up. "She went to the storage room earlier." That was all he needed.
—
Caleb walked fast. Too fast. Until he reached the storage room door. Locked. "Cassy," he called firmly.
No response. His jaw tightened. "Cassy." Still nothing.
That silence— It did something to him. Something he didn't like.
—
Inside, Cassy finally heard it. "Mr. Garcia?" she called quickly.
"I'm here," his voice came instantly.
Relief hit her before she could stop it. "I think the door got stuck—"
A loud click. The lock shifted. The door opened. And there he was. Standing in the doorway. Breathing slightly heavier than usual.
Eyes locked on her immediately. Cassy blinked. "How did you—"
He didn't answer. Instead, he stepped inside. Close. Too close again. "You should have called someone," he said lowly.
"I tried. No signal," she replied softly.
Silence. The air felt tight. Smaller.
He glanced at her quickly—checking. Like he needed to confirm she was okay.
That realization hit Cassy quietly. "…I'm fine," she said gently.
Caleb didn't respond immediately. Then— "You're always 'fine'," he muttered.
Cassy smiled faintly. "Because I am."
That made him look at her longer. Too long. The kind of look that didn't feel professional anymore. Didn't feel safe either. Just… intense.
—
He finally stepped back. "Let's go," he said.
Cassy nodded. But as she passed him— Their shoulders brushed. Barely. But enough. Enough for both of them to pause for a fraction of a second. Neither spoke. But something changed anyway.
—
Back in the hallway, Cassy exhaled quietly. "Thank you," she said softly.
Caleb didn't look at her. "…Don't get stuck again," he replied.
Cassy smiled. "I'll try not to."
A pause. Then, almost too quiet to hear— "Good."
—
But as she walked away, Caleb didn't move. Because for the first time… The thought of her not being there had scared him more than anything else in years.
And that was a problem he didn't know how to fix.