Heartstrings and Secrets

The next morning, I woke up a little later than I had planned. My alarm had failed to go off, and after rushing through breakfast. I quickly grabbed my purse and gave Treala a kiss, knowing Teagen would take good care of her for the day. I was still a little frazzled, but I had to keep moving. Today was going to be another busy day at the office.

By the time I arrived at the office, I was already fifteen minutes late. I walked into the sleek, glass-walled building, my heart racing. As I stepped into the elevator, I caught my reflection in the mirrored walls. My bun was a little messier than usual, and I felt the familiar knot of anxiety tighten in my stomach.

When I finally made my way up to the floor, I saw Mr. Silva’s office door ajar. He was standing by his desk, his back to me.

I knocked lightly on the doorframe.

"Ah, you’re late," he said, his voice calm, but there was a hint of amusement in his tone. He turned to face me, his usual smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.

"I thought we were working on being punctual, Ms Seraphine."

I took a deep breath, walking into the office, trying to hide my nerves. "I’m sorry, Mr. Silva. I misjudged the time this morning. It won’t happen again."

He raised an eyebrow, but the smirk stayed.

"I’ll let you off this time. But here’s the deal: in five minutes, you’ll be presenting a project to the board. They’re waiting for you."

I froze. "What?"

"Boardroom, ten minutes. I expect you to be prepared." He turned back to his desk, dismissing me with a flick of his hand.

My heart skipped a beat. I had barely had time to settle in, let alone prepare for a presentation. But there was no time to argue. I quickly grabbed the materials I’d been working on and dashed toward the conference room.

As I entered, I saw the team already gathered around the long, polished table. Their eyes shifted toward me as I stood at the front, trying to steady my shaking hands. Mr. Silva, sitting at the head of the table, gave me a subtle nod of approval, though his gaze remained sharp and focused on me.

I cleared my throat and began.

"Good morning, everyone. I’ll be presenting the proposal for our new advertising campaign targeting a
younger demographic. This project focuses on using social media influencers to boost our brand’s visibility among millennials."

I could feel Mr. Silva’s eyes never left me, intense and calculating. It was almost like he was studying my every move, waiting for me to slip. But I refused to let his gaze rattle me. I focused on the team, explaining the core concept of the campaign, the target audience, and the estimated return on investment.

As I moved through the slides, answering questions and addressing concerns from the board, I could tell that I had their full attention. Despite the nerves, I found my rhythm. The questions were challenging, but I handled them with clarity, referencing the research I’d done and explaining the data behind our strategy.

After I finished, there was a brief silence. Then, one by one, the board members started to applaud. I was taken aback, not expecting such a warm reception. Mr. Silva, sitting at the end of the table, watched me with a slight, approving smile.

I nodded politely and made my way to the door, the sound of applause still ringing in my ears.

As I packed up my things, I heard his voice behind me, smooth and teasing.

"Well done, Ms Seraphine. I didn’t expect you to pull that off so smoothly. Consider that a success."

I turned around, surprised by his words, though the smirk still lingered on his face. "Thank you, Mr. Silva. I appreciate the feedback."

He leaned back against his desk, his gaze assessing. "Just remember, punctuality goes a long way. I expect the same effort every time you walk in here."

I swallowed hard, nodding. "Understood."

Before I could turn to leave, his eyes flicked to my bun, a familiar glint of mischief in them.

"And about that bun of yours… still too neat for my liking. You’re working here now, not attending a board meeting at your high school."

I couldn’t help but smile a little at his teasing. "I’ll make sure it’s messier next time," I said, trying to sound casual, though my cheeks heated slightly.

He gave a small chuckle, clearly pleased with my response. "Good. See you later, Ms Seraphine."

As I made my way out of the room, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. My first big test at the company had gone better than expected, despite the shaky start.

Needing a break after all the tension, I decided to step out for a moment. I made my way downstairs to the café, trying to shake off the nerves. As I stood in line for coffee, a few staff members from the meeting came up to me, offering compliments.

"That was an impressive presentation," One of them said with a smile. "You really handled those questions well."

"Yeah, I couldn’t believe how calm you were," another added. "You’re a natural."

I smiled, feeling the weight of the compliments ease some of the tension I’d been holding in. "Thanks, I really appreciate that."

As I sipped my coffee, I found myself chatting with a few more people. The atmosphere was relaxed, and I could already feel myself starting to fit in more, making connections with colleagues who seemed genuinely nice.

When I returned to my desk, I couldn’t help but reflect on the day. It had started off rocky, but by the end of it, I felt more confident in my role at the company. Mr. Silva may have been hard on me, but I was starting to realize that he pushed people because he expected the best. And that was something I could work with.

As I sat down to dive back into my work, a small smile crept onto my face. I was more than ready for whatever came next.