Ashley sat behind her desk, her perfectly polished nails tapping against the ceramic rim of her white coffee cup. The office was quiet except for the hum of her laptop and the late-evening buzz of the city outside. A faint scent of espresso and printer paper hung in the air. Then came the soft knock. One—pause—two. Ashley didn’t have to look up; she already knew that rhythm. Jade. When Jade stepped in, her expression carried that mix of guilt and charm that had become her trademark. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, eyes darting between Ashley and the fake plant in the corner as if it could save her. “Ashley, I can explain,” she said, clutching a folder she probably hadn’t read. Ashley didn’t look up right away. “You deleted the client presentation. Again.” Jade winced, biting her lower lip. “Technically, I didn’t delete it. I just… moved it to the wrong directory.” Ashley leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs, slow and deliberate. “You ‘moved’ a $50,000 proposal into the recycle bin.” Jade laughed softly, nervously, that light melodic laugh that somehow made people forgive her before she even asked. She tilted her head, smiling just enough to test the boundary. “You said you liked initiative.” Ashley’s eyes flicked up sharply. “This isn’t initiative. This is chaos.” Silence hung between them. Jade took a few steps closer, her heels echoing softly across the office floor. “You’re right,” she said quietly. “I really messed up.” Ashley was prepared to lecture her, fire her even. But then Jade leaned forward, resting her hands on the edge of the desk. Her perfume—soft, floral, distracting—filled the space. “I don’t want to disappoint you,” Jade said, voice dropping just slightly. Ashley swallowed. This was dangerous. HR-nightmare dangerous. And yet, she didn’t move away. “Jade,” she warned, but it sounded weaker than intended. Jade smiled—a...
20th Jan 2026
Rating: 3.67
Ashley sat behind her desk, her perfectly polished nails tapping against the ceramic rim of her white coffee cup. The office was quiet except for the hum of her laptop and the late-evening buzz of the city outside. A faint scent of espresso and printer paper hung in the air. Then came the soft knock. One—pause—two. Ashley didn’t have to look up; she already knew that rhythm. Jade. When Jade stepped in, her expression carried that mix of guilt and charm that had become her trademark. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, eyes darting between Ashley and the fake plant in the corner as if it could save her. “Ashley, I can explain,” she said, clutching a folder she probably hadn’t read. Ashley didn’t look up right away. “You deleted the client presentation. Again.” Jade winced, biting her lower lip. “Technically, I didn’t delete it. I just… moved it to the wrong directory.” Ashley leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs, slow and deliberate. “You ‘moved’ a $50,000 proposal into the recycle bin.” Jade laughed softly, nervously, that light melodic laugh that somehow made people forgive her before she even asked. She tilted her head, smiling just enough to test the boundary. “You said you liked initiative.” Ashley’s eyes flicked up sharply. “This isn’t initiative. This is chaos.” Silence hung between them. Jade took a few steps closer, her heels echoing softly across the office floor. “You’re right,” she said quietly. “I really messed up.” Ashley was prepared to lecture her, fire her even. But then Jade leaned forward, resting her hands on the edge of the desk. Her perfume—soft, floral, distracting—filled the space. “I don’t want to disappoint you,” Jade said, voice dropping just slightly. Ashley swallowed. This was dangerous. HR-nightmare dangerous. And yet, she didn’t move away. “Jade,” she warned, but it sounded weaker than intended. Jade smiled—a...
20th Jan 2026
Rating: 3.67
