ready tousled hair. He couldn't stop himself from glancing at the door every few seconds, waiting for Elena to come storming back in. But th

huh?" he muttered to himsel

s one thing Marcus understood about corporate life, it was that public demonstrations were all about optics, not

ing move-having the algorithm's lead developer be the first to experience it publicly? Tha

out of place-almost vulnerable. And for some reason, that unsettled him more than he cared to admit. Ele

the smirk from cree

, knowing full well it w

become almost second nature by now. Elena was sharp, meticulous, and-he had to admit-one of the smartest peopl

of his thoughts. The CEO's expression was unreadable as

rised," Jasper comme

ing his arms. "I've worked here long enough to know that

put it. But this isn't just about making a splash. It's about showing the world that our

a mixture of curiosity and skepticism. "And you thin

le. "She's the best person for the job. No o

on the table. "But have you considered the fact that Elena might not

t'll work. Elena represents everything our algorithm is about-precision, logic, and intelligence. W

with him. Forcing Elena into a public demonstration felt... cruel, somehow. And despite their constant bicker

arcus asked, his voice casu

t miss a bea

l and walked out of the boardroom, l

that she was probably fuming at this very moment. Hell, she was probably already back at her desk, dissecting the algorithm again, looking for a way o

, he was curious. Curious to see how Elena would handle being on the receiving end of the algorithm they'd both worked o

attered to hi

a thought striking

rithm matched El

. Their compatibility score was probably in the negatives. Sure, they worked well together-sometimes-but that wa

g around in the back of his mind like

aking his head. Tha

ors. The halls were mostly empty now, the late hour leaving only a few stragglers working through the night. As

Elena was thinking right now. W

oment. It wasn't his problem. He had his own work to do, his own pro

e feeling that maybe, just maybe, this was about to get a

-

ed a panoramic view of the skyline. But despite the expensive furniture and high-tech gadgets scattered around, it had a lived-in quality that made it feel less like a showroom and more

o the couch with a sigh. The leather creaked beneath him as he stretched out, letting

ving force behind it all. She was relentless in her pursuit of perfection, and while it sometimes drove him up the wa

the company

o life with a muted news channel, showing the day's headlines scrolling across the bottom in neat little banners. But Marcus wasn't reall

ivals, definitely. But friends? No. That wasn't how things worked between them. They respected eac

en Jasper made the announcement. Something in the way her usual cool c

stop think

and scrolled through his messages. Maybe a distraction was what he neede

landed on a name he hadn't ex

ted banter or the occasional question about code. Nothing personal,

ed the thread and t

: You

robably scoff at or ignore altogether. But he

reath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Of course she wouldn't

creen lit up wi

hat do y

d. That was m

rc

en't smashed your compute

e before her rep

yet. But it

eeling a little more at ease now. At

reak, I know a place th

he couldn't resist throwing it out there. It was more

response su

ight. Too much

ief and disappointment. He wasn't sure why he'd even offered in the fi

s hair. He had to stop thinking about her. He had his own work to focus on, his own projects to com

that this time, things

-

He wasn't in the mood for the early morning grind, and besides, after la

sn't

tions and the uneasy glances being thrown around. News traveled fast at Lovematch Industri

s from his colleagues. He didn't care much for office politics or g

pcoming demonstration hanging over him. He could sense the tension in the air,

er fingers moving rapidly across the holographic keys. But Marcus knew better. He knew the look of someone trying to

what he was going to say-maybe offer some words of encouragement, maybe tease her again

reach her, someone

r Del

he made a beeline for Elena's desk. Marcus slowed his pace, watching from a distance as Jasper

id-typing. Her face remained impassive, but Marcu

ng on his heel and striding out of the ro

her, ignoring the way his heart th

ietly, stopping jus

nowledge his presence. For a moment, Ma

spoke, her voi

ed the demon

owned. "W

curling into fists on her lap. "I'm s