Arine in the office

As we reached home, the sky was already darkening, casting long shadows across the room as we stepped inside.After the long ride, all we could think about was a good rest. Realizing I had work tomorrow, I knew I’d need every ounce of energy I could get.We ordered takeout, enjoying a quick but tasty dinner, then headed straight to bed, both eager to catch up on some much-needed rest.

The next morning, disaster struck: I’d overslept. I bolted out of bed, my heart racing as I realized how late it was. I threw on clothes in a frenzy, skipping breakfast and hoping Sally wouldn’t notice. But, of course, she caught me just as I was grabbing my bag.

“Mila, you can’t just run out without breakfast!” she scolded, her hands on her hips and a disapproving look on her face.

“I don’t have time, Sally! I’ll grab something later,” I protested, already half out the door.

“Skipping meals isn’t the answer!” she called after me, but I was too rushed to argue, practically sprinting outside.

As if my morning couldn’t get worse, every cab I tried to hail was unavailable. I frantically tapped on my phone, trying to order a ride, but each attempt failed. Standing on the curb, frustration and panic simmered as I scanned the street for any sign of help.

Just then, a sleek black car pulled up beside me, the driver honking to get my attention. I turned and saw Arin behind the wheel, his usual calm expression in place.

“Need a lift?” he asked, a knowing smile spreading across his face.

I felt an immediate wave of relief and nodded. “Yes, please. Thank you, Arin. You’re a lifesaver.”

He waited as I hopped into the passenger seat, and soon we were gliding through traffic toward my office. After the stress of the morning, it felt like the universe had finally thrown me a lifeline.

As we pulled up outside the office building, I turned to thank him, but noticed he was also stepping out of the car.

“Wait… are you coming in too?” I asked, surprised.

He shrugged, giving me a casual smile. “I have a business meeting with the president here,” he said, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.

“Oh,” I replied, feeling a mix of curiosity and surprise as I watched him.

As soon as I reached the office, I hurried straight to my room, eager to make up for lost time. The familiar hum of the workplace greeted me, and I quickly set up my desk—powering up my PC, arranging my notepad, and sipping on the coffee my assistant had kindly left on the table.

My inbox was overflowing with emails, mostly inquiries from clients eager to discuss new design projects. I dived in, reviewing the requests, filtering out the most promising ones. After a thorough evaluation, I selected three projects to focus on:

A luxurious penthouse redesign: The client wanted a modern, sleek interior with a touch of old-world charm—marble countertops, intricate chandeliers, and neutral tones.

A café rebranding project: The café sought vibrant yet cozy interiors, blending rustic wooden elements with bold pops of color to attract younger audiences.

A fashion boutique layout revamp: This involved creating a minimalistic yet elegant space with interactive digital displays to enhance the customer experience.

Excitement bubbled up as I began brainstorming for each project, collecting inspiration from past works, mood boards, and trending design ideas.

Once the initial outlines were complete, I turned to the pending tasks for my long-standing clients. These didn’t require much effort—basic adjustments to samples and sending over updated contracts. My assistant helped streamline the process, ensuring all files and details were neatly organized before sending them out.

Just as I was wrapping up and feeling satisfied with the progress, my phone buzzed. It was a call from the president's personal assistant.

“Miss Mila, the president has requested your presence in his office,” she said, her tone polite yet formal.

A flicker of curiosity crossed my mind. What could this be about? Taking a deep breath, I stood up and headed toward the president’s office, ready to find out.