Alex Wolf stood behind his desk, tension radiating from every line of his tall frame. The late morning light spilled across the black marble surface, catching on the loose cuff of his white shirt and the slight crease in his otherwise immaculate navy suit. His phone, still lit with the last call, lay face up beside a half-empty espresso cup gone cold.
Grant Li entered first, notebook in hand, followed closely by Claire Evans, whose careful composure barely masked the flicker of concern in her pale eyes.
Alex didn't bother looking up immediately; instead, he kept his gaze fixed on the window that overlooked the city below — jaw tight, shoulders rigid. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and controlled, the calm before a breaking storm.
"They called back," he said, each word clipped. "After everything we've put on the table, they've decided to reopen negotiations."
Grant felt his chest tighten. "Which firm?"
"Ridge Technologies. The one we've been fighting with for three damn weeks," Alex snapped, turning to face them fully now. His dark eyes, edged with exhaustion, settled first on Grant, then on Claire. "They want to meet in less than an hour."
Claire kept her expression steady, though her fingers tightened just slightly around her pen. "Do you want me to reschedule your afternoon appointments?" she asked.
"Yes. Clear everything," Alex said sharply. His voice lowered, but the steel remained. "And I need someone with me — but not you — do we have that assistant ready now?"
Grant exchanged a quick glance with Claire. "We're in the middle of interviews," he offered, voice careful. "We have one candidate still waiting."
Alex's mouth pulled into something between annoyance and disbelief. "Waiting?" he repeated, his gaze narrowing. "I don't have the luxury of waiting, Grant. This isn't a routine handover — it's a fierce negotiation. I need extra ears, new ears preferably to listen to what the lawyers can not and someone to tip the scales."
Claire spoke, measured and calm. "If you want, I can accompany you instead — take notes, handle documents—"
Alex shook his head, cutting her off. "No. You're running point on HR in this situation and external counsel prep. I need you here - there is something they are not telling us that we need to figure out and I need you here the moment I find out what it is." His gaze swung back to Grant. "And you've still got compliance breathing down our necks."
Claire nodded - accepting the order.
Grant hesitated, sensing the question Alex wouldn't quite ask outright. "Then… you want us to bring the candidate in? Even if it's short notice?"
Alex exhaled through his nose, frustration still simmering beneath the surface. "If she can stand in that room and keep up, fine. If not, she's out - let this be the ultimate test. I need someone who can read the room and listen after I have left it."
A tense silence stretched between them. Then Claire nodded once. "We'll bring her in."
Alex leaned forward, bracing his palms against the edge of his desk. "Make it fast," he said, voice dropping to something darker. "I don't have time for indecision."
As Grant and Claire turned to leave, Alex let out a breath he'd been holding far too long. Behind the hard set of his jaw and the impatient words lay a mind already racing through strategies, contingencies, and worst-case scenarios.
But a single thought, sharper than he expected, cut through the planning:
Let's see who they have interviewed and what she can really do, he thought as he moved to the bathroom to change his suit.
The glass conference room felt colder now, though the city sun streamed relentlessly through the high windows. Sophie shifted in her chair, hands clasped in her lap, trying to keep them from fidgeting. Her gaze drifted once again to the reflections on the table's polished surface — the faint outline of her own anxious posture, the too-smooth fall of her hair, and the tight line of her mouth.
Before she could spiral too far into worry, the door opened. Grant Li stepped in, his expression a touch more serious than before, and Claire Evans followed, clipboard pressed lightly against her side.
"Sophie," Grant said, voice polite but brisk, "we need to move quickly."
Sophie blinked, caught off guard. "Is something wrong?"
"No," Claire interjected, though her cool tone hinted at urgency. "But there's a situation that requires immediate support."
Grant's gaze settled on Sophie, assessing and direct. "You said earlier you could stay calm under pressure, yes?"
"I—yes, I can," Sophie managed, pulse quickening. Oh god, what kind of pressure?
"Good," Grant said. "Because Mr. Wolf has an unscheduled negotiation within the hour he needs to attend to, and we're short-staffed."
Sophie opened her mouth, closed it, then swallowed. Mr. Wolf? Her stomach dropped slightly — the name sounded familiar, heavy with something she couldn't quite place.
Claire added, "We'll brief you on the way. Your task is to be Mr. Wolf second piece of eyes and ears - you might find it difficult, but it is crucial that you stay sharp through the whole meeting. Do not speak if spoken to, and do not take any bait thrown at you.."
The instructions came like clipped commands, and Sophie felt a wave of heat rise under her collar. "Of course," she said softly, nerves curling tight in her chest.
Grant gestured to the door. "Come with us."
As they walked, Sophie tried to keep up, her heels tapping briskly against the marble. The corridors felt endless — steel, glass, and soft carpet swallowing sound. Around each corner, the Wolf Industries logo gleamed in brushed metal: cold, confident, unmistakably powerful.
Her mind spun. I'm going straight into a meeting? Without prep? And I only have to listen and be extra eyes? But deeper still, something sparked — a stubborn ember of excitement. No time to think, just move.
The day had twisted faster than Sophie could keep pace. After the brief, tense meeting, she found herself summoned to the front lobby once more. The polished marble floor seemed colder now, each step echoing louder in her chest.
She smoothed her blouse with trembling fingers, breathing in steady but shallow. The elevator ride down was slow, the quiet hum wrapping around her like a cocoon. When the lobby doors swung open, Sophie emerged into the sharp light, blinking against the brightness.