TANGLED WITH MR BLACKWOOD

Friday, 11:32 AM | Blackwood Signature Events – 38th Floor

The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime.

Ethan Blackwood stepped out alone.

No entourage. No trace of the luxury brunch he'd left just minutes earlier. Only the smooth, focused stride of a man already thinking five steps ahead.

His presence was its own kind of noise — not loud, but undeniable.

Gray followed several paces behind. Silent. Sharp. Shadow in a suit.

Neither spoke.

They didn't need to.

18th Floor – Camille's Office | Same Time

Camille sat behind her desk, posture crisp, legs crossed like punctuation. The blinds were tilted halfway shut, casting narrow stripes across the desk's polished surface.

The door creaked open — without a knock.

Vanessa stepped inside like she owned the carpet.

"Camille," she said lightly, walking in with a smirk. "Got a minute?"

Camille didn't look up. "Make it quick."

Vanessa closed the door halfway and leaned in, practically buzzing with excitement.

"You're not going to believe what just happened," she said, eyes gleaming.

Camille kept typing.

"Mr. Blackwood showed up," Vanessa continued, dropping the words like they were scandal.

Camille's fingers paused for only a breath.

"He came to her event. The brunch. Walked straight through like it was his own wedding. No assistant, no press, just him — and her."

Camille raised a brow.

"Lexi?"

Vanessa scoffed. "Who else? She probably cried her way through the week and somehow he felt sorry enough to show up and hold her hand."

She chuckled, leaning in further. "She's cute, yeah. Pretty in that messy kind of way. And now she's being seen. Not for her talent. Just for… being noticed."

The last word hung in the air like smoke.

Camille finally looked up.

Her lips curled into a faint, unreadable smile. "Interesting."

Vanessa mistook it for agreement. She always did.

What she didn't see — what neither of them saw — was the tall, quiet figure that had stopped just outside the glass pane.

Gray said nothing.

But he saw everything.

38th Floor – CEO's Office | 11:41 AM

The skyline stretched wide across Ethan Blackwood's windows — pale blue colliding with steel gray.

He hadn't said a word since returning from the rooftop.

Just silence.

Strategic.

Gray stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back. "Sir."

Ethan didn't turn, but his posture shifted slightly — attentive.

"Vanessa was in Camille's office," Gray reported. "Discussing Miss Thompson. Loudly. Disrespectfully. Camille didn't stop it."

No shock registered on Ethan's face.

Only the subtle narrowing of his eyes. Not from surprise.

From calculation.

A pause stretched between them, then snapped:

"Have Miranda clear Conference Room B. Floor 18. Five minutes."

Gray nodded once. "Yes, sir."

Then he turned and vanished back down the hall — as if he'd never been there.

12:03 PM | Conference Room B – Floor 18

The announcement dropped like thunder in a clear sky.

"Team leads. Conference Room B. Immediately."

Miranda's voice left no room for interpretation.

The room stirred. Whispers bloomed. People exchanged glances, half-curious, half-nervous.

Camille rose smoothly, brushing her skirt as she stood. Vanessa scrambled to catch up, the color slowly draining from her face.

Ava was already halfway there, her expression unreadable.

They stepped into the glass-walled conference room, one by one. No paperwork. No laptops. Just themselves.

The tension arrived before Ethan did.

Then the door opened.

And in he walked.

No folder. No assistant. No smile.

Just purpose.

He didn't sit. Didn't ask for updates. Didn't explain.

He simply scanned the room — pausing on each face like he was marking them.

His voice was soft. But it sliced clean.

> "If you have time to gossip…"

"…you're not doing enough work."

Silence fell like glass shattering.

He let it settle — that one sentence — and then turned to leave.

No further explanation.

No second chance.

Behind him, Gray stood for half a second more at the glass — unreadable, unbothered — before following.

A storm that arrived without warning.

And left a vacuum in its wake.

---

Same Time | Halcyon Rooftop – Event Venue

Lexi stood near the edge of the rooftop, her arms folded loosely across her chest as she looked out over the skyline.

The brunch was over. The chatter, the silver trays, the buzz — all gone.

Now, just the clean-up crew and a few lingering staff moved around in quiet rhythm.

She hadn't taken off her shoes yet. Her feet ached, but she barely noticed.

Her headset hung loosely at her side. Her hair was still pinned up, slightly frayed from hours of movement.

And yet, she felt… calm.

Not triumphant.

Not proud.

Just still.

She didn't know her name had been brought up in someone else's office — like it was up for debate.

She didn't know she'd just been protected by a man known for never interfering.

She didn't know what had shifted, not really.

All she knew was: she had walked through chaos.

And come out on the other side.

---

12:28 PM | Floor 18 – Open Workspace

The tension didn't disappear when the meeting ended.

It spread.

Ava returned first, walking past desks and hushed whispers like they didn't exist. Her heels were soft against the tile, her expression carved from calm steel.

She didn't say a word.

Didn't glance at Vanessa.

Didn't acknowledge Maya.

Didn't even glance toward Lexi's empty desk.

She walked straight to her office and closed the door.

Click.

That sound echoed louder than the meeting itself.

Vanessa sat frozen.

Camille retreated to her office, blinds lowered further now.

No one spoke.

And yet… something had been spoken.

Loud and clear.