The next morning, ire was feeling surprisingly chipper. She stood on the balcony of her penthouse, the morning sun warming her skin, a cup of tea in one hand and a bite of French toast in the other. ire couldn''t remember thest time she had a peaceful breakfast She nced at the view of the city, a smile tugging at her lips. "Not bad," she muttered to herself, taking another sip of tea. "Not bad at all."


    like this. It was rare to have a morning all to herself, without the chaos of meetings and phone calls.


    Her iPad was propped up on the table in front of her, emails open and waiting for her attention. As she scrolled through, her phone vibrated against the table, catching her attention. She picked it up, raising an eyebrow when she saw Alexander''s name shing on the screen. "What does he want?" ire wondered aloud, opening the message.


    The text was brief, just like Alexander. He wanted her to meet with Mr. Mateo Jones at 1 PM sharp, and he''d exin the detailster. ire rolled her eyes. Of course, Alexander expected her to drop everything for this meeting. She typed a quick reply, "Noted," and set the phone back down.


    With this new addition to her day, her ns to spend time with the robotics team were cut short. ire sighed but figured it couldn''t be helped. It''s not like she could ignore Alexander, especially if this meeting was important. She finished her breakfast, gathered her things, and headed inside.


    After slipping her iPad into her bag, she took onest look around her penthouse. "Alright, time to face the day," she said, heading out the door.


    The drive to the office was unusually smooth for a weekday morning. ire appreciated the quiet, using the time to mentally prepare for whatever surprises the day might bring. When she arrived, Sandra, her assistant, stood up from her desk with a determined look on her face.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "Good morning, Peterson," Sandra greeted, following ire towards her office. "The shareholders want to have a meeting with you online. They say it''s urgent."


    ire''s hand paused on the door handle. Urgent meetings with shareholders were never a good sign. Her mind raced, wondering if they''d somehow caught wind of her secret project.


    "Tell them I''m busy," ire said finally, turning to Sandra with a calm but firm expression. "I can''t be disturbed today."


    Sandra nodded, making a note on her tablet as ire entered her office, closing the door behind her.


    Meanwhile, Lisa was having a very different kind of morning. She was walking out of a building, feeling more frustrated than ever. She''d just bombed another job interview, and the sting of embarrassment was still fresh.


    "I can''t believe I''m doing this," Lisa grumbled to herself, standing on the sidewalk. "I should be shopping, not begging for a job."


    The interview had been a disaster. She had stammered through most of it, barely able to answer the questions. It was humiliating, and Lisa was certain she wouldn''t get the job.


    As she stood there, trying to hail a taxi, a sleek ck car caught her eye. It looked suspiciously familiar. Lisa squinted, peering through the window, and her heart skipped a beat. It was Alexander, sitting in the back seat.


    Before she could think, she took a step forward, ready to call out to him. But then she noticed someone else in the car with him—a woman. Lisa''s eyes narrowed as she recognized the woman from the café a few days ago. The one who was always hanging around Alexander.


    "That''s the girl who has a crush on him," Lisa hissed under her breath. The sight of them together made her blood boil. No one had the right to be close to Alexander, especially not some random woman. Lisa clenched her fists, her mind racing with thoughts of how to get rid of this girl. She wouldn''t let anyone take Alexander away from her.


    "I''ll find out who she is," Lisa muttered, watching the car drive away. "And I''ll make sure she stays far away from Alexander."


    ire stood in the robotics room, hands on her hips, a small smile ying on her lips. She was in her element, surrounded by wires, circuit boards, and the low hum of machines. The team was abuzz with activity, and she was impressed by the progress they had made. She nodded approvingly as Stephen, the new guy, exined the adjustments he''d made to the robot''s sensors. "That''s good work, Stephen," ire said, genuinely pleased. "You''ve managed to streamline the code and improve response time." Who knew Matthew''s rmendation would turn out to be a good idea? She thought to herself.


    Stephen beamed at thepliment, and the rest of the team nodded in agreement. One of them piped up, "Stephen''s been a big help. He''s got a knack for figuring things out. We''ve made more progress this week."


    ire nced at her watch,


    surprised at how quickly time had


    flown. It was already 12:30 PM. She''d been having so much fun, she''d lost track of time. "Alright, everyone, keep up the great work," she said, pping her hands. "I''ve got to run, but I''ll check back in soon. Let''s aim to have a full


    demonstration ready by the end of


    the month."


    The team nodded enthusiastically as ire exited the room, heading back to her office to grab her bag. Once inside, she quickly gathered her things and made her way to the reception area. Sandra, her assistant, looked up from her desk and raised an eyebrow. "Heading out, Ms. Petersom?"


    "Yes," ire replied, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "I have a sudden meeting with Alexander. If anyonees looking for me, just tell them I''m out."


    Sandra nodded, jotting down a note. "Will do. Good luck with the meeting."


    ire shed a quick smile before heading down to the lobby. As she stepped out of the building, her driver approached with a worried look on his face. "Ms. Peterson, I''m sorry to inform you, but one of the tires is punctured."


    ire frowned, crossing her arms. "How did that happen?"


    The driver shook his head, looking genuinely baffled. "I don''t know, ma''am. I just noticed it a few minutes ago."


    ire sighed but waved it off. "It''s fine. I''ll just take a taxi. You stay here and get it fixed." She headed back inside and approached the receptionist. "Can you call a taxi for me?"


    "Of course, Ms. ire," the receptionist said, picking up the phone. "It''ll be here in about fifteen minutes."


    ire nodded, checking her watch


    again. She had a little under half an


    hour until her meeting with Alexander. Plenty of time, she thought. She waited, tapping her foot impatiently. When the taxi finally arrived, she nced ather watch again. Fifteen minutes left. If the traffic was light, she''d just make it.


    "Drive fast, please," ire instructed the driver as she settled into the back seat.


    The driver nodded, stepping on the gas, but just as they pulled out of the parking lot, the car gave a violent shudder, and the engine sputtered to a stop. ire lurched forward, her seatbelt the only thing keeping her from face-nting into the front seat. "What now?" she muttered, exasperated. "I''m so sorry, ma''am," the driver said, looking flustered. "I think the engine''s overheated."


    ire groaned, pressing her fingers to her temples. "Can you fix it?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.


    The driver checked under the hood, and a puff of smoke erupted. He coughed and stepped back, shaking his head. "No, ma''am. This car isn''t going anywhere until it''s fixed. You''ll need to find another ride."


    ire stepped out of the taxi,


    frustration bubbling up inside her. She waited on the curb, waving down another taxi. Fifteen minutes passed before one finally pulled


    over. ire jumped in, telling the


    driver to head to the Harris


    averne


    Company and step on it. The driver sped through the streets, and ire watched the clock nervously. She arrived at 1:45 PM, forty-five minuteste. She hurried inside, her heels clicking sharply on the marble floor.


    "Meeting room on the fifth floor," she reminded herself as she stepped into the elevator. The doors slid open, and she made a beeline for the meeting room Alexander had mentioned. Pushing the door open, she was surprised to find only one person inside. The man had his back to her, but he seemed familiar. "I''m so sorry to keep you waiting," ire said, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice. "There were... issues."


    The man turned around, and ire''s eyes widened in recognition. His friendly smile faltered, reced by a deep frown. "You?"