Chapter 177
Olivia
I stifled a yawn, staring at my computer screen while stretching my arms above my head. My back cracked in three distinct places as I twisted side to side. After hours of tweaking, our concept boards were polished to perfection.
“And we’re officially finished, I announced, saving the file one last time.
Dylan pumped his fist in the air. “Thank god. I was starting to forget what sunlight looks like.”
Ava closed her laptop with a dramatic thud. “If I had to adjust that logo placement one more time, I might have thrown myself out the window.”
“Top floor,” Marcus reminded her, gathering his sketches. “You’d definitely die. And then who would make our presentations look pretty?”
“Someone less talented and twice as expensive,” Ava replied, flashing a tired grin.
I checked the time on my phone, 9:37 PM. We’d been at it for nearly fourteen hours straight.
The team began gathering their belongings, moving with the slow, dazed movements of people who’d been staring at screens for too long.
“Anyone want to grab a drink?” Brandon suggested halfheartedly.
A chorus of groans answered him.****
“My bed is calling,” Ava declared. “And it’s saying very dirty things about how good it’ll feel to collapse into it.”
“TMI, Ava,” Marcus laughed, slinging his messenger bag over his shoulder.
said their goodbyes and filed out of the conference room until
and help clean
Dylan. You’ve done enough.” I waved him off. “I’ll
his face. “Thanks, Mrs.
a moment to breathe. The quiet felt good after
my chair and pulled out my
Team just left.
reply came
Still at the
About to head
get you. Don’t
I’m fine to drive. I
insist. Wait for
parking garage, perfectly capable of getting me home.
See
lobby, waving goodnight to the security guard
again, Mrs. Carter?”
settling into one of the plush
you work
laughed. “Technically, yes. But I volunteered for this
with a refreshing chill that was far cooler than I had anticipated. I stood alone at the curb, taking a moment to breathe in the crispness of the evening, my senses heightened by the
gentle rustle of leaves from a nearby tree accompanied the distant hum of traffic, each car’s headlights slicing through the darkness in
phone buzzed with a text from
tomorrow?
stepping in, and Alexander showing up unexpectedly with his revelation about
do the day after tomorrow
Her response came quickly.
and fancy. Maybe that rooftop bar you’ve been
text me
did things end with Alexander last night? You two
smiled at her not-so-subtle fishing for
tell you everything the day
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!