Everything on my desk was exactly where I’d placed it—laptop centred, papers aligned, picture frame to one side, notepad and pen opposite, coffee waiting. Order. Control. Proof I had my act together.
“I’m sorry I didn’t come back after lunch yesterday,” I said, keeping my tone light but sincere. “I started thinking about the airline and made a few calls. Did some research. This is what I’ve got so far.”
She scanned my notes while sipping her coffee, then opened her laptop and showed me hers.
They were nearly identical.
“We both have the same information,” I said, smiling, relief flooding through me. “Good thing we’re on the same page.” I leaned forward slightly. “I set up meetings with Will and Elizabeth at noon, then Priya at two. We can tackle those today and start the presentation tomorrow. Does that work for you?”
She stood abruptly. “Whatever you say,Boss.”
The word landed like a slap.
She walked toward the door, and I frowned, rubbing my chin as confusion twisted into something heavier.Boss?Her entire demeanour—stiff, distant—was nothing like the woman I’d worked with just days ago.
“Is everything all right?” I asked. “I can reschedule if?—”
“The meetings are fine,” she snapped, turning back, eyes sharp. “You don’t need to check with me anymore. You’re the boss. Whatever you say will be carved in stone. It’s only a matter of time before I’m out of here.”
And then she was gone.
“What the hell happened?”I demanded as I reached the staff bathroom.
I had sprinted the entire way down the hall, and now the chaos hit me all at once—police voices overlapping, radios crackling, paramedics moving with clipped urgency as they pushed past each other in the narrow space.
For a second, I just stood there, trying to make sense of it. The air felt too tight, thick with adrenaline and something dark.
I had gone looking for Nyah, hoping to clear up whatever misunderstanding she had in her head. Instead, I’d walked straight into a nightmare.
A man lay slumped in the corner, unconscious and bleeding.
My gaze snapped between him and Nyah, shock rooting me in place as I tried to make sense of what I was seeing.
“He’s my ex-husband,” Linda said through sobs. “He came here asking me for money.” Her shoulders shook as she cried harder. “Ms. Nyah saved me.”
I stared at the man again, disbelief settling heavily in my chest. The damage wasn’t minor. Whatever had happened here, Nyah hadn’t hesitated.
“Do you wish to press charges against him, ma’am?” one of the officers asked gently.
Nyah stepped forward then, placing her hands firmly on Linda’s shoulders. Her voice was calm. “Don’t be scared. I’m with you. I’m a witness to what he did to you. He’ll be put away, and you won’t ever have to deal with him again.”
“He’ll come for my children,” Linda cried. “He?—”
“He won’t,” Nyah said without hesitation. “We’ll get a good lawyer, and we’ll make sure he’s put away for a long time. I promise.”
Linda nodded, clinging to her words like a lifeline.
The police took over after that. Paramedics moved in to treat the unconscious man while another officer escorted Linda aside to take her statement.
I finally started toward Nyah, intent on making sure she was okay, when a paramedic reached her first.
“Miss, are you all right?” he asked. “Do you need medical attention?”
“Just some bandages for a cut, please,” Nyah replied. “I can take care of it myself.”
That was when I saw it.
Blood seeped from beneath her blouse, staining the fabric at her stomach.
