š Day 37 āĀ K-Fusion Group HQ, Intern Cubicle A-19
Lila's fingers trembled as she typed.
Her monitor was a blur of spreadsheets, flagged emails, and one soul-crushing word: "REVISE."
It was stamped on everything she submitted.
No one said it out loud, but she knew something had shifted. The air was cold. Conversations stopped when she entered a room. Her access to company drives had been silently reduced. Yesterday, she was on track for a potential full-time offer. Today, she couldn't get a coffee break.
Her inbox pinged.
FROM: New Supervisor
SUBJECT: Performance Notice
"Your recent conduct and deliverables do not meet K-Fusion standards. Please attend a 1:1 at 3PM to discuss your trajectory."
Her chest tightened.
"Trajectory."
A pretty word for: We're about to ruin your future.
š 3:00 PM āĀ Supervisor's Office
She sat across from the new managerāMs. Jiāa woman with a steel stare and no time for pity.
"You lack initiative. You miss details. You're not what this firm looks for in long-term talent," Ji said coldly.
Lila blinked. "Iā¦ I don't understand. I was top-ranked three weeks agoā"
Ji cut her off. "You were shielded. That shield is gone now."
"By who?"
The woman gave a slight smile. "That doesn't matter. This is the real you, without protection."
š 7:45 PM āĀ Lila's Apartment
She sat in silence.
Her phone lit up with an Instagram post from an old classmate.
"Crane Dominion buys out K-Fusion Group. New era incoming."
Her blood ran cold.
Ethan.
She whispered his name like a curse. Like a memory that had finally grown fangs.
He was behind this.
Every blocked opportunity.
Every whispered conversation.
Every slowly collapsing wall.
He didn't just win. He was remaking her world from the inside.
She collapsed onto her bed.
Tears didn't come. Just silence.
Because deep downā¦ she knew she earned this.
š Unknown Location āĀ Dominion DeepCore AI Lab
[System Log: Lila Kim Emotional Sync ā 87% Guilt Rating]
Status: Fragmenting
Projected Breakdown: 5 Days
Ethan stood before the screen.
"Don't bury her yet," he said. "Let her realize no one's coming to save her first."
Behind him, the elevator chimed softly. A Dominion exec entered.
"She requested a meeting with you," the exec said.
Ethan didn't turn.
"She'll have to beg harder."