The plane touches down mid-morning. City lights sprawl beneath us—glass towers catching sunlight, highways threading between buildings.

'A week here. Learning. Working alongside him.'

Alexander's hand finds mine as we stand. Brief. Warm. Then he releases it.

"Remember—"

"Professional. I know." I grab my bag from the overhead. "We're colleagues here."

"Exactly."

But his eyes linger on me. Soft. Possessive.

The company reception is immediate. ...