ire barely had time to catch her breath. The buzz of the event hummed around her like an annoying mosquito she couldn''t swat away. She was pretending to admire a fancy disy of jewelry-though in truth, she was more focused on counting down the minutes until she could leave-when she felt a tap on her shoulder.


    Startled, she spun around, nearly colliding with the familiar face of Mr. Novak''s assistant.


    "Oh! Hello," ire said, stering on her polite smile. It wasn''t a particrly enthusiastic smile, but hey, it was professional. The assistant, a young man with slightly crooked sses and a nervous energy, grinned back.


    "Good evening, Ms. Peterson. How are you?" he asked, his voice a little too cheerful.


    "I''m doing fine, thank you," ire replied, keeping her tone neutral but friendly. "And you?"


    "Oh, I''m good, just running around like crazy tonight. You know how these events go!" He chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. Then he straightened up, as if remembering something important. "Uh, Mr. Novak wanted to see you. He asked me toe and get you."


    ire nodded, her curiosity piqued. "Lead the way."


    The assistant led her down a sleek, modern staircase to the first floor of the event venue. It was avish space-shiny marble floors, walls lined with abstract art, and waiters floating around with trays of champagne. At the far end of the room, she spotted Mr. Novak, a tall, confident man in his mid-fifties, deep in conversation with someone who looked just as important.


    As they approached, Novak nced up and spotted ire. His face lit up, and he immediately excused himself from his guest, making his way toward her with the enthusiasm of someone greeting an old friend. "ire!" he boomed, extending a hand. "I''m so d you could make it tonight."


    ire shook his hand firmly, her polite smile still in ce. "Of course, Mr. Novak. It''s part of the job." "Nonsense," Novak said, waving herment away like an annoying fly. "It''s more than that. I''ve been looking forward to thanking you in person. The work you and your team at Metacortex did? Phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal."


    "Thank you," ire said, feeling a small swell of pride despite herself. "We''re d we could meet your expectations."


    "Expectations? You exceeded them!" Novak eximed, his boomingugh echoing through the room. "I''m more than satisfied with the software. It''s streamlined everything we do.''


    ire tilted her head, her curiosity getting the better of her. "That''s great to hear. But I have to ask, does the recent... scandal around Metacortex affect how you see thepany?"


    Novak let out a heartyugh, the kind that made heads turn. He waved his hand dismissively. "Scandals? Bah! They''re just noise. People love drama, don''t they? As far as I''m concerned, as long as Metacortex keeps up the good work, I don''t care what the tabloids say. Results are what matter."


    ire nodded, filing his response away. She wasn''t sure if she admired his pragmatism or found it slightly reckless. "Well, I''m d to hear that. We''remitted to delivering results.


    "And that''s why I trust you," Novak said with a wink.


    The evening dragged on in a whirl of small talk, fancy hors d''oeuvres, and just enough fakeughter to make ire''s cheeks hurt. She checked her watch for what felt like the hundredth time when Novak''s voice boomed through the room again.


    "Ladies and gentlemen! It''s time to officially open the store!"


    The crowd pped politely, and Novak beckoned ire to join him at the ribbon-cutting station. A massive red ribbon stretched across the entrance to his shiny new pop-up store, glimmering under the lights. "ire, I''d be honored if you''d cut the ribbon with me," Novak said, handing her an oversized pair of scissors that could''ve been a prop in a si.


    ire smiled her "camera smile" as the photographers swarmed like hungry bees. She stood beside Novak, scissors poised and snipped the ribbon with practiced grace. Cameras clicked furiously, capturing every second. Novak beamed and pped her on the back, almost knocking the scissors out of her hands.


    As the store opened to cheers and apuse, ire quietly stepped back, her smile fading the second she was out of the photographers'' view. She found herself retreating to a quiet corner, sipping a ss of sparkling water she didn''t even want.


    The truth was, she was bored out of her mind. outside, but in reality, they were all the same headache from trying to stay polite for hours. "Why did I even agree to this?" she muttered under her breath. She nced at her watch again, calcting how much longer she''d have to endure. Then a thought crossed her mind, lighting up her mood instantly.


    Fancy events like this always looked morous from the awkward small talk, endless schmoozing, and a persistent


    What if I just... left?


    The idea was tempting. No one would notice if she slipped out quietly, right? Novak was busy basking in the glory of his new store, and the rest of the crowd didn''t even know her name. It wasn''t like she was obligated to stay until the bitter end.


    ire grinned mischievously to herself. Decision made. She grabbed her coat from the rack near the entrance, blending into the background like a pro. Before she knew it, she was out the door and into the crisp night air.


    Outside, London was alive with its


    usual energy. The streets buzzed with activity-cars honking, peopleughing and the asional street performer adding to the chaos ire pulled her coat tighter around herself and took a deep breath, savoring the fresh air.


    “Much better,” she said to no one in particr.


    Her stomach growled, and she realized she hadn''t eaten much. Those tiny appetizers didn''t count as food. She spotted ate-night food truck parked across the street, the smell of grilled cheese and fries wafting over to her. Withou


    hesitation, she crossed the street and got in line.


    A few minutester, she was sitting on a bench, a gooey grilled cheese sandwich in hand. It wasn''t morous, but it was exactly what she needed. She let out a satisfied sigh, her boredom from earlierpletely forgotten.


    Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she reluctantly pulled it out, half-expecting some work-rted notification. Instead, it was a text from Adrian.


    Adrian: Surviving the party? Or have you run off yet?


    ire chuckled, quickly typing back.


    ire: Guess.


    The reply came almost instantly.


    Adrian: You ran, didn''t you?


    ire: Yup. Currently eating a grilled cheese on a park bench. Fancy, huh?


    Adrian: Very ssy. Wish I could apany you there.


    A smile crept up her face and she couldn''t help grinning ear to ear responding to Adrian''s text. ire: I''m fine here don''t worry about me. Just focus on yourself and work. We''ll see each other soon. ire sighed as she ced her phone inside her clutch and walked along the park. However, despite the calm sound in the park, her mind keeps drifting to the thought of Matthew who is lying on the hospital bed unconscious.


    Just thinking about that makes ire''s blood boil. She still feels anger and sadness at the thought of someone hurting the person she loved and cared about. She can only hope that she can find that person.