Chapter 5 — An Ordinary Mistake

The afternoon passed more quietly than Iris had expected.

Emma spent nearly an hour introducing the five new designers to the team.

There was Noah, a senior illustrator who always had a pencil tucked behind his ear.

Lena, a UI designer who somehow managed to drink three cups of coffee before noon.

Marcus, who loved making terrible jokes.

And Sophie, the youngest on the team despite being two years older than Iris.

Everyone was... normal.

No one stared at her.

No one asked uncomfortable questions.

No one treated her differently.

The realization eased something inside her.

...

"Iris."

Emma smiled from across the room.

"Come here for a second."

Iris quickly stood.

"Yes?"

Emma handed her a thin blue folder.

"I have a tiny task for you."

She looked relieved.

"Tiny sounds nice."

Emma laughed.

"It is."

"I just need these revised logo concepts delivered to the Executive Floor."

Iris blinked.

"...Executive Floor?"

"Yes."

"They're for Mr. Hayes."

"He's one of the executive directors."

"Oh..."

She nodded slowly.

"I can do that."

Emma smiled encouragingly.

"The receptionist outside the executive offices will point you in the right direction."

"It's simple."

Simple.

She liked simple.

She carefully tucked the folder against her chest.

"I'll be back soon."

...

Five minutes later...

She was standing in front of the elevator.

Again.

She still wasn't completely used to them.

When the doors opened, she stepped inside alone.

The ride upward felt much quieter than before.

The numbers climbed steadily.

Twenty-five.

Twenty-six.

Twenty-seven.

The executive floor.

The doors slid open with a soft chime.

Silence.

Unlike the creative department filled with music and laughter...

This floor barely made a sound.

Even footsteps seemed quieter.

The carpet softened every movement.

Employees walked calmly, speaking in low voices.

Iris instinctively lowered hers too.

She approached the reception desk.

A well-dressed receptionist smiled.

"May I help you?"

"H-Hi..."

"I'm from the design department."

"I have documents for Mr. Hayes."

"Of course."

The receptionist pointed toward a hallway.

"Second office on the left."

"Thank you."

Iris bowed her head slightly before walking away.

She counted each door carefully.

One...

Two...

"This one."

She knocked gently.

"Come in."

A middle-aged man looked up from behind his desk.

"You must be from Design."

She smiled politely.

"Yes."

"Emma sent these."

"Excellent."

He accepted the folder. And gave her other approved folders.

"Please thank her for me."

"I will."

"Have a good afternoon."

"You too."

Mission accomplished.

Easy.

She couldn't help smiling to herself as she stepped back into the hallway.

"I did it."

Her confidence grew just a little.

Maybe work wasn't as terrifying as she'd imagined.

As she turned the corner—

Someone else stepped out from the opposite corridor at the exact same moment.

Thud.

The impact wasn't hard.

Just enough to surprise them both.

"Oh!"

The folder she was carrying slipped from her hands.

Sheets of paper scattered across the polished floor like white snow.

"I-I'm so sorry!"

She immediately knelt down, scrambling to collect them.

"I'm really, really sorry."

The man crouched without a word and began gathering the papers with her.

His hands were large.

Steady.

He stacked each page neatly before handing them back.

"Thank you..."

Iris accepted them gratefully, still too flustered to properly look at him.

"I wasn't paying attention."

"My fault."

She hurriedly straightened the pages.

"I hope I didn't make you late."

"No."

"Oh..."

"That's good."

A few awkward seconds passed.

Then...

"You dropped one."

She blinked.

"...I did?"

He pointed toward a single sheet that had drifted several feet away.

"Oh!"

She rushed after it.

The moment she bent down to pick it up...

Her ID badge slipped from her cardigan and landed on the floor.

She sighed.

"...Seriously?"

She picked up the badge.

Then the paper.

Then accidentally dropped her pen.

"...Not again."

For the first time...

The stranger let out the faintest breath that almost sounded like amusement.

Almost.

Iris looked up instinctively.

She finally saw his face.

Tall.

Broad shoulders.

Dark hair.

Sharp features.

Calm gray eyes that revealed almost nothing.

He looked...

Intimidating.

Yet strangely composed.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out again.

"I promise I'm not usually this... this..."

She searched for the right word.

"...Chaotic."

His gaze remained on her for a second.

Then another.

Finally, he spoke.

"It happens."

His voice was deep.

Calm.

Unexpectedly gentle.

She relaxed a little.

"Thank you for helping me."

He gave a small nod.

Without another word, he continued down the hallway.

Iris watched him leave for only a second before remembering she still had work to do.

She hurried toward the elevators.

The moment the doors closed behind her, she let out a long sigh.

"...Well..."

"That could've been worse."

She had no idea who he'd been.

Just another employee, she assumed.

Meanwhile...

The hallway remained silent.

Ethan Carter approached from the opposite direction carrying a stack of reports.

He stopped beside the tall man.

"Sir?"

Alexander's eyes were still fixed on the elevator that had just descended.

"Who was she?"

Ethan glanced toward the display.

"I'm not sure."

"I've never seen her before."

Alexander looked down at the visitor badge that had briefly caught his attention moments earlier.

Not a visitor.

A new employee.

He turned away.

"Find out which department."

Ethan blinked.

That was...

An unusual request.

"Of course, sir."

Alexander continued walking toward his office.

His expression hadn't changed.

But for the first time that day...

His thoughts lingered on the clumsy young woman who had apologized four times in less than two minutes.

He didn't know her name.

Not yet.

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