Chapter 174

Ella

My desk was a cluttered mess as I worked. The piles of paperwork never seemed to dwindle as I sifted through various cases, including my newest case with Logan, and my mind kept flicking back to yesterday when Sarah had mentioned partnering up. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

But then, as I moved a pile of papers to the side, it revealed my calendar.

And on the square for today’s date… was a meeting that I was currently missing.

“Oh, shit,” I muttered under my breath, my heart pounding in my chest.

I jumped up from my desk, sending my notebook and laptop crashing to the floor in my haste. Swearing quietly, I bent down to retrieve my things and then dashed out of my office, my heels clicking loudly on the polished office floor.

I could feel the eyes of my coworkers on me as I rushed down the corridor, and I flushed with embarrassment. I had lost track of time, and I was late for a meeting with Mr. Henderson, my boss.

I finally reached the conference room, where the meeting had already begun. Mr. Henderson sat at the head of the long table, his stern gaze fixed on me as I stumbled into the room.

“Miss Morgan,” he said coolly, “you’re late.”

I could feel the heat of my own embarrassment as I stammered out an excuse. “I... I lost track of time, Mr. Henderson. I’m so sorry.”

Mr. Henderson gave a disapproving huff and motioned for me to take a seat. I quickly found an empty chair next to Sarah and dropped into it, causing a bit of a scene as I fumbled to set up my notebook and laptop.

My coworkers stared at me incredulously, and I could practically feel their judgmental gazes on me. I cleared my throat, trying to compose myself, but my face remained flushed with embarrassment.

Somehow, I managed to get my things in order, and the meeting progressed. But as time went on, my mind kept wandering back to the strife with Marina, and before I knew it I was full on zoning out.

“Ella!”

Mr. Henderson’s sharp voice suddenly pulled me out of my reverie. I blinked, my cheeks reddening as I realized that everyone in the room was now staring at me, including my boss.

“Sorry, what was the question?” I mumbled, my voice barely audible.

Mr. Henderson let out an exasperated sigh, his patience clearly wearing thin. “I asked if you had reviewed the financial projections for the upcoming quarter.”

My heart sank as I realized that I had missed an important part of the discussion. I had been so preoccupied with my own thoughts that I hadn’t been paying attention.

“I... I must have missed that part”" I admitted, my face burning with shame.

Mr. Henderson's expression turned even colder, and he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “Miss Morgan, if you’re going to show up late and then not even pay attention, why even bother coming at all?” he asked.

I swallowed hard, feeling like a scolded child. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Henderson. It won’t happen again.”

He waved a dismissive hand and moved on with the meeting, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of embarrassment that washed over me. I kept my head down for the remainder of the discussion, trying to blend into the background.

The meeting finally came to an end, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief wash over me. Mr. Henderson had made it clear that he was less than pleased with my tardiness and lack of attention during the meeting. I knew I had some serious damage control to do.

As I gathered my things and prepared to make a quick exit, Sarah appeared at my side. She had a concerned look on her face as she pulled me aside in the hallway.

“Hey, Ella,” she said softly, “is everything okay?”

I hesitated for a moment, knowing that I couldn’t tell her the full truth about what was going on in my life. But Sarah had become a friend to me, and I felt compelled to tell her something at the very least.

I forced a small smile and replied, “I just... miss my family sometimes, you know? And I have moments when I really hate this city.”

Sarah nodded understandingly. “I get that. It can be tough being away from your loved ones and adjusting to a new place. But you’re not alone, Ella. I’m here for you.”

I appreciated her kind words, and they warmed my heart. Despite the challenges I was facing, I was grateful to have someone like Sarah by my side.

She leaned in a little closer and lowered her voice. “How about we go out after work? It might help take your mind off things.”

I hesitated for a moment, unsure if it was safe to be going anywhere right now. And besides, I knew I might need to work late to keep up with all of these cases. But then, I felt a nudge from Ema.

“You should go,” she said gently. “You need a friend. Someone who isn’t part of this twisted dark side.”

With a sigh of resignation, I nodded. “That sounds nice, Sarah.”

A relieved smile spread across her face. “Great! There’s a sightseeing spot in the city that I love. It’s not too far from here, and it’s a beautiful place to unwind.”

…

Later that evening, as we left the office building and headed toward the sightseeing spot, Sarah turned to me with a smile on her face.

“Coffee?” she asked, nodding her head toward a small cafe built into the ground floor of an old brownstone.

I nodded, grateful for the idea. “Absolutely.”

We headed inside, where the air smelled like fresh coffee beans and sweet pastries. A few minutes later, we were walking out with warm to-go cups in our hands, and I felt just a little bit better already.

“So,” I said, “where are we headed?”

Sarah grinned. “You’ll see.”

Sarah chatted animatedly as we walked, sharing stories about her own experiences in the city and pointing out interesting landmarks along the way. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and I found myself starting to relax in her company.

When we finally arrived at the sightseeing spot, I was taken aback by the breathtaking view. It was at the top of a hill overlooking a park below.

The city stretched out in front of us, its buildings illuminated by the soft glow of the setting sun. It was…

“Beautiful,” I breathed, my eyes scanning the cityscape.

Sarah grinned. “See?” she said. “I told you. This city isn’t all bad all of the time.”

“You’re right,” I replied with a chuckle. “It’s easy to forget sometimes. Maybe I needed this.”

We stood there in silence for a while, just taking in the view. Everything else felt so insignificant; all of the hardship, the strife, the drama. It all felt like nothing now that I was looking at the city stretched out in front of us, at all of the tiny people going about their lives,

“C’mon,” Sarah said, pointing to a bench nearby. “Let’s sit.”

We settled onto the bench, and I sipped my coffee as we sat. Before I knew it, we were chatting about anything and everything; except for the mafia, of course. And right now, that was exactly what I needed.

Before I knew it, we had spent more than an hour sitting there, and the sky had grown dark. But eventually, I started feeling… strange.

Like I was being watched.

The hairs on the back of my neck raised instantly. I glanced around, trying to pinpoint the source of my unease, but I saw nothing out of the ordinary. The people around us were simply enjoying the view, and there was no sign of danger.

“Is everything okay, Ella?” Sarah asked, her voice filled with concern.

I hesitated for a moment, not wanting to alarm her. But then, I decided to trust my instincts.

“It’s getting late,” I said, trying to hide the unease in my voice. “I should probably head home.”

Sarah looked puzzled but nodded. “You’re right. I should head home, too. My cat is probably wondering where I went.”

We stood and began to gather our things. Sarah paused, looking me in the eye. “I had a lot of fun,” she said with a warm smile. “I’m happy to call you my friend, Ella.”

Despite the unease in my chest, I couldn’t help but smile back.

“Me too, Sarah. Me too.”