Katherine walked with a purposeful stride, back straight and head high, but the tight smile tugging at her lips betrayed the unease swirling beneath the surface.
"Good morning, Miss Anderson!" the security guard at the front desk greeted cheerfully.
Katherine nodded, forcing a polite smile. "Morning, Jerry."
Her usual warmth felt missing, replaced by something hollow. As she stepped into the elevator, she offered brief greetings to other employees she passed, a curt nod here, a slight smile there, all robotic gestures masking the thoughts that had haunted her since this morning.
The doors slid open with a chime, revealing the executive floor. It was quiet this early, as usual, with only the faint hum of the central air system and distant clatter of a printer somewhere down the hall. The office felt colder today. Maybe it was the absence of the man whose presence usually seemed to radiate from every corner of this floor.
Felix wasn't here.
