A week later, everything looked perfect.

Val and I were… us again.

The tension that used to hover between every word had melted away, replaced by something softer, something I'd almost forgotten the shape of. She'd started calling me during her lunch breaks again, sometimes just to show me the chaos of her desk or to complain about the new junior analyst who wouldn't stop calling her ma'am because if made her look old. I'd tease her for sounding like her dad, and she'd roll her eyes, even though I could tell she was smiling.

And the mornings… God, the mornings were back.

She'd wake me up the way she always did, voice low against my ear, tracing lazy circles on my chest with her fingers. Sometimes she'd whisper my name until I groaned and pulled her close, and she'd laugh into my skin. Other mornings, she'd wake me up by simply staring until I opened my eyes, her hair a halo of dark brown, light against the pillow, that amused look in her eyes that always said, you're lucky I love you.

When she had to leave early for work, she'd make up for it later. I won't say how, but… let's just say, she made her point.

Even Aline had noticed the shift.

She started humming again around the house, something between a love song and pure relief.

Trent had called earlier in the week, too, joking, "Glad you didn't die, man. I was this close to writing your eulogy."

I snorted. "How the hell did Marina even find out we made up?"

"She texted you?"

"Yeah," I said, pulling up the message on my phone. It was short and classic Marina — Glad you didn't ruin the one good thing in your life.

Trent laughed on the other end of the call, the kind that came with a grin you could hear. "Because I told her, obviously."

"It was supposed to be between me and you, bud."

"Uh-huh," he said, not even pretending to sound sorry. "And how do you think I had the perfect advice when you called me freaking out? You think that wisdom came out of nowhere?"

I sighed, half-smiling. "You two are impossible."

"Come on," Trent said. "You'd have done the same thing. Besides, the only reason you didn't ask Marina for help in the first place is because she was probably already on Celestia's side."

He wasn't wrong.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Yeah, probably."

We both laughed, the kind that made everything that had happened feel smaller, lighter, like the world was slowly clicking back into place again.

So yeah. Life was smooth again. For the first time in a long time, I didn't feel like I was waiting for something to go wrong.

Today, it was a Thursday.

I was at my desk, finishing the last batch of review notes for a quarterly report when Derrick poked his head around the corner of my cubicle.

"Hey, bro," he said, half-grinning. "Boss man wants you upstairs. Division Head's office."

I blinked, leaning back in my chair. "Richard Hale?"

"Yup. The one and only. Looked pretty serious too. Like, serious serious."

I raised an eyebrow, saving the file I was working on before closing my laptop. "And you're not gonna tell me what this is about?"

Derrick shrugged, tapping his coffee mug. "I don't have a death wish. But if I had to guess…" He pointed his mug at me like it was a gun. "Meridian."

Gray & Milton was one of sixteen firms shortlisted, but Hale had been very clear: the next few weeks would decide who stayed standing.

I straightened my tie, gave Derrick a look that said wish me luck, and made my way upstairs.

---

Richard Hale's office sat at the end of the executive corridor, wide glass walls, a sweeping view of the city, and a reputation for swallowing people whole if they weren't prepared.

He was standing by the window when I walked in, sleeves rolled up, that precise calm that made everyone in the company instinctively straighten their backs.

"Kai," he said, turning. "Come in."

I stepped inside. "Sir."

He gestured toward the conference table near his desk. "Have a seat. We're just finalizing the team."

We?

That's when I noticed them, four other people already there. Two I knew, one I didn't. And then… Tasha.

Our eyes met, and for a split second, she gave that familiar half-smile, the one that used to mean small world, huh?

I blinked, suppressing a quiet laugh.

Guess I'd been wrong about not seeing her again.

"Now that everyone's here," Hale said, lowering himself into a chair at the head of the table, "let's talk about the Meridian."

He didn't waste time. Hale never did.

"This isn't just another government project. This is a ten-year initiative that could redefine every name attached to it. The contract scope alone is enough to change our division's valuation overnight. You've all seen the pre-proposal details?"

We nodded.

"Good. Then you know it's not about who bids highest, it's about who presents the most sustainable, integrated redevelopment plan. Which means…" He looked at me. "Finance needs to be airtight, Kai. No gray areas. No what-ifs."

"Yes, sir," I said.

He nodded once. "Good. Because you're running point for all financial projections, risk assessments, and model integrations. Every number we submit runs through you first."

That hit like both a compliment and a weight on my shoulders.

Hale turned his gaze to the rest of the room. "Project management, engineering, contracts, estimations, finance — each of you represents the top of your division. I handpicked this team for a reason. If we bring this home, it's not just Gray & Milton that wins, every name in this room will carry that victory."

He paused, then said, almost offhandedly, "And let's just say… the company doesn't forget who delivers."

That got my attention.

A subtle promise. Not an offer, not a guarantee, but enough.

Tasha leaned forward, pen tapping lightly against her notepad. "Any word on the competition's lineup yet?"

He paused, letting the room settle before continuing.

"RT Industries," he began, "they've got the innovation edge — sharp proposals, fast turnaround, and a few ex-GovTech consultants in their corner. Dwayne Construction — reliable, old money, and they know how to play politics. Weldane Mechanics — easily top three in the country when it comes to infrastructure. And of course…" He gave a small sigh. "Moreau Dynamics."

The name alone pulled the air tighter.

Of course.

He didn't look at me when he said it, but he didn't have to. Everyone in that room knew who I was married to.

Tasha's eyes flicked toward me briefly before returning to her notes. She didn't say anything, but I could feel the unspoken question in the air: You okay with that?

"Moreau's got the legacy," Hale continued. "But we've got flexibility. Agility. We can move faster than they can even think."

He looked at me again. "That's where you come in, Tanaka. If you can build a model that not only matches but proves we can deliver with leaner margins and higher long-term ROI, we'll have their board leaning our way before they even step into the final round."

I nodded. "Understood, sir. I'll get the numbers airtight."

"Good."

He leaned back, expression unreadable. "Pre-proposal conference is tomorrow morning, nine sharp. Dress sharp, bring clarity, and don't let anyone underestimate us. We're not going in to play."

The meeting stretched another hourdiscussing the presentation sequence, comparative bids, and sector alignments. At one point, Tasha made a smart suggestion about structural phasing to minimize cost bleed, and I had to admit, it was brilliant. She hadn't lost her touch.

By the time Hale dismissed us, the weight of what was coming had settled in full.

As we filtered out of the room, Tasha fell into step beside me.

"So," she said lightly, "guess we're teammates again."

I smiled. "Guess so."

"It's funny," she said, glancing forward, "every time I think I'm done crossing paths with you, the universe throws another project our way."

"Maybe the universe just wants good numbers," I said.

She laughed softly. "Maybe. Or maybe it's trying to annoy me."

That earned a grin. "You'll survive."

Her eyes flicked to mine, amused, then softened. "You always did know how to make this job interesting, you know that?"

I shrugged. "That's what they pay me for."

We walked in silence for a moment before she added, "You're gonna do great on this one. I can feel it."

"Thanks," I said quietly. "We'll all need to."

When we reached the elevators, she gave a small wave before heading in the opposite direction.

---

Back at my desk, the office had quieted. Most people had already left, the hum of the floor replaced by the low, steady sound of the AC.

I sat for a moment, staring at the city lights through the window.

Moreau Dynamics.

It was strange how just hearing that name could still do something to me. Maybe it wasn't even about the company itself, it was about what it represented. Her world. Her family. The part of her life I was never really welcome in.

And now, I was walking straight into it.

A part of me wondered what Val would say when this all really began — when meetings turned into headlines, and headlines turned into contracts.

She already knew, of course, but knowing and choosing a side weren't always the same thing.

And I wasn't sure which side she'd stand on when the Meridian finally started moving.

I leaned back, running a hand through my hair, exhaling slowly.

Tomorrow was the start of something big. Maybe the biggest thing I'd ever done.

And yet, somewhere deep down, I couldn't shake the thought...

Peace never lasts long in my world.

---

To be continued...

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