Chapter 8
Seraphina Monroe arrived at the office before sunrise, as she often did, when the building still felt half-asleep and unclaimed. She preferred it this way.
The building in these early hours felt manageable. Predictable.
Nothing asked anything of her yet.
Seraphina liked arriving before the world could rearrange itself. Before meetings ran long, before opinions cluttered clean plans, before problems multiplied simply because no one noticed them soon enough.
The quiet gave her room to settle into the day on her own terms.
She strolled over to her desk, set her designer bag down, took her coat off, and straightened her leather chair before walking toward the huge floor-to-ceiling window situated right behind her.
Mornings were for intention.
From her window, the city stretched awake in fragments. Lights blinking on in no particular order. Traffic thickening where it pleased. Movement without coordination.
Seraphina watched it all with calm detachment. Chaos didn't unsettle her. She just didn't believe in letting it run unchecked.
She had never understood the idea that structure was restrictive. To her, it was grounding. She liked knowing where things belonged, liked the sense of calm that followed when everything was placed with purpose.
Control wasn't something she reached for out of fear. It was simply how she cared for the things under her watch.
People often mistook that for coldness.
They assumed she wanted control for its own sake, as if she were collecting authority rather than responsibility. But Seraphina had learned early that instability, left unattended, had a way of bruising whatever stood closest to it.
Fragile things didn't need hovering. They needed consistency. Attention. Someone willing to notice the small shifts before they became problems.
She had learned that most damage didn't announce itself loudly. It happened quietly, in overlooked corners, in moments where attention drifted just long enough for something delicate to strain under its own weight.
She moved back to her desk, the familiar weight of the day already settling comfortably into place. The papers were neatly stacked, the office quiet and ready.
Only then did she reach for her coffee and let the morning begin.
Her email pinged three times before she even had a chance to sit down.
Another three before she'd even taken a sip of coffee.
Mondays.
?
Seraphina had been working for a good three hours and was halfway through reviewing floor plans for an upcoming redesign when her phone buzzed.
Seraphina exhaled through her nose, her closest version of a laugh at this hour.
She had gone out for drinks the night before with her two closest friends.
She was a very busy woman, but never to the point of letting work bleed into her most important relationships. That was her one non-negotiable.
Success meant nothing if it hollowed out everything else.
Seraphina's lips twitched.
Her friends had never understood the particulars of her job, but they understood her, which was far more important.
She muted the thread before they could spiral into their usual commentary.
Only after closing the chat did her mind drift-uninvited, but not unwelcome-to last week.
To the quiet girl who ran into her.
Elowyn.
She remembered the startled little gasp, and how feather-light she'd felt after Seraphina caught her, like a small bird more surprised than hurt.
And the bookstore, their first meeting.
The polite voice.
The sleeves tugged between nervous fingers.
The compliment so unexpected and earnest it had thrown Seraphina completely off balance.
You're very tall and smell really good.
Even now, in the stillness of early morning, the memory made her laugh under her breath.
Strange girl.
But something about her had lingered, not dramatically, just with a slight, absent curiosity. Like a name you remember in a room full of forgettable ones.
Elowyn Gray.
Mr. Gray's daughter.
That connection hadn't been hard to make.
Months ago, during one of his routine maintenance calls, Atticus Gray had been assigned to a series of infrastructure checks throughout the building-electrical panels, emergency lighting, HVAC sensors.
Quiet, simple work, but absolutely necessary, especially with renovations underway on Floor Six.
He was competent. Reliable. The kind of man people trusted around delicate systems and half-finished floors.
During one of those checks, while tightening a panel near her office, he'd spoken casually about his kids, a son and a daughter.
The son, whose name Seraphina could not remember, was a successful lawyer who went to a top university, and the daughter-Elowyn.
A unique name that lodged itself into Seraphina's memory without effort.
She apparently loved to read and would occasionally volunteer.
So when the girl at the bookstore introduced herself, that faint recognition had stirred immediately, settling into place.
And even knowing exactly who she was hadn't prepared Seraphina for the girl herself-nervous, flustered, endearingly unsteady behind the counter that morning, dropping things as if gravity had a personal vendetta against her.
Seraphina hadn't expected much if they crossed paths again after that.
Nothing more than polite nods, maybe a shy hello.
But she certainly hadn't expected Elowyn to collide with her at full speed.
Seraphina remembered how apologetic she'd been, how she'd practically folded into herself afterward, sleeves pulled over her hands as if bracing for a scolding. Almost... scared?
From their very first meeting, Seraphina had sensed something different about her, not bad or off-putting, just simply... different.
She'd met shy people before, introverts even.
But Elowyn wasn't simply shy or introverted.
It seemed deeper than that. From the constant fidgeting and scrunching of her nose, to the way her eyes kept shifting, and the slight rocking motion she made while preparing her coffee that morning two weeks ago.
She had watched her quietly while waiting in line, noticing how hard basic communication seemed for her.
Seraphina smoothed her hand over the papers on her desk, a small, unconscious reset, and turned back to her screen.
Floor Six's renovation was officially underway.
The contractor had already confirmed materials and timelines.
Electrical and safety checks were being handled separately by facilities, which meant Atticus would be on-site more frequently over the next few weeks, ensuring the building's systems stayed stable while construction disrupted everything else.
Seraphina had even told the man that his daughter was welcome anytime.
She didn't have a clue as to why she'd offered such a thing. It wasn't like the girl was a child-though she did seem quite young. Maybe eighteen?
But most eighteen-year-olds were usually busy at university, and if they weren't attending one, they certainly wouldn't want to spend their free time joining their father at work. If anything, teenagers these days hardly wanted anything to do with their parents at that age.
And the girl seemed... comfortable.
Like she enjoyed watching her father work.
Maybe that's what made Seraphina extend the offer. Anyone with eyes could see the strong bond between the father and daughter.
Seraphina gently sighed. She did not have space in her schedule today for idle curiosity.
And yet, the smallest corner of her mind insisted on replaying how wide Elowyn's eyes had gone when Seraphina caught her, and how soft her "sorry" had been.
Seraphina took another sip of coffee and let her focus narrow again.
Whatever had briefly tugged at her thoughts belonged firmly in the past.
She had work to do.
And people, she reminded herself, always found their own footing eventually.
?
Physical activity was Elowyn's worst enemy.
The gym?
Elowyn could proudly state that not once in her entire twenty years of life had she ever willingly stepped into such a vile place.
The only times she had ever been on the premises were when she'd accompany her brother or William on one of their workouts, though she obviously never joined in.
She'd simply sit there, play sudoku on her tablet, or continue watching one of her shows.
Occasionally she'd order a smoothie from the gym's snack bar-the only item on the menu that didn't taste like grass or oats-then she'd go back to her spot, pull out one of her own snacks she brought from home, and start munching.
So right now, volunteering at the animal shelter, this was her workout.
She was usually inside, caring for the kittens or puppies, bottle-feeding them and playing with them. It always calmed her, kept her at peace, but when hardly anyone showed up to volunteer, she'd go out with the adult and senior dogs, especially the ones who had been there for a while.
Adopters always came in wanting a young animal, and unfortunately, the majority of people had this mindset.
Nobody seemed to want a senior dog, and it absolutely broke her heart when people came to the shelter and wouldn't even spare some of her furry friends a single glance.
Cats? For some reason, in this part of town, they always got adopted right away. The kittens found homes the fastest, but even the adult and senior cats only stayed in the shelter for a few weeks before someone came and made them part of their family.
Elowyn thought maybe it was because most people had office jobs in the city, and cats were more independent than dogs. They had their litter boxes inside and were far more comfortable lounging around.
Almost all dogs were very different. They needed the outdoors and physical exercise.
Both of which Elowyn was not very fond of.
She didn't exactly hate the outdoors. She just had a very complicated relationship with it.
If it was too cold?
She'd get sick.
Too hot?
She'd get sick.
Raining?
She'd be one step away from funeral arrangements.
It could be perfect weather with a nice breeze, and she'd still be at risk.
She absolutely loved going on small walks or simply sitting in her backyard reading, but always avoided being outside for more than an hour at a time.
Elowyn glanced down to her right, where Cooper was anxiously waiting for her to throw the ball.
Cooper was a border collie mix, which meant he needed excessive physical exercise.
She had been running around with him for a while until she got too tired. The dog still wanted to play though, so she grabbed a tennis ball for him to fetch.
Throwing the ball as far as she could, she turned around to lightly toss another ball for Walter, the French bulldog.
Elowyn also had the privilege of naming most of the incoming animals, a job she took pride in.
She'd very seriously circle around the animal, slowly examining everything about its features. Then she'd crouch down, cup their cute faces in her small hands, and tell them their new name.
Walter's name had been easy to choose. The small bulldog was a cute little old man with black fur, a few white hairs around his mouth, and big, slightly droopy eyes. The name was a perfect fit.
Elowyn continued throwing the ball for both dogs for a bit longer before she had to take Walter inside because he got tired.
She walked Cooper to a gated enclosure where another worker was playing with another dog so he could play outside a bit more, made sure he had clean water, then gently picked the French bulldog up-since he refused to walk anymore after his daily exercise-and headed inside to put him back in his kennel.
Another worker had come into his area to mop the floor and clean up a bit, so when Elowyn came back, all she had to do was put clean, fresh water in his bowl.
But of course, she snuck in an extra treat for the little guy like she always did.
After putting the water down, fluffing his blankets, and making sure his bed was clear of toys, she leaned down, kissed his head goodbye for the day, and gave him his snack.
?
Elowyn continued on with her tasks for the day, the final one being to help bathe the dogs scheduled for a bath this week.
When she got to the grooming area, Noah was already there bathing a dog.
Noah had shown up about a year ago as an assistant to the doctor, as he was currently in college studying to become a veterinarian himself.
He would often be in the back with the doctor helping with checkups and vaccinations, but whenever he was done with that, he'd help out with anything else that needed to be done.
And right now, it seemed to be bathing the dogs.
Noah had always been like this-quietly attentive in a way that never felt invasive. He remembered the things Elowyn forgot she mentioned. Her favorite dogs and cats. Which leashes tangled easiest. The fact that she hated the loud dryer in the grooming room.
When he handed her towels or treats, he did it automatically, already anticipating what she'd need before she asked. Not because she couldn't do it herself, but because he liked being useful to her.
He never commented on how tired she looked afterward. Or how she pressed her hands together when she was overwhelmed. Those felt like things you noticed quietly, not things you named.
And when she laughed, even softly, he found himself smiling before he realized it.
Elowyn approached the tall man with a smile, already used to his presence. She felt comfortable around him after a whole year of working together and getting to know one another.
"Why are you doing my job?"
Noah flinched, only just noticing that the girl was there.
"I'm just helping," he stated.
"There's a difference between helping and completely taking over, you know."
He chuckled.
The girl always seemed to make him laugh with her blunt comments.
And Elowyn was genuinely confused.
Did she say something funny?
She was just stating the facts. Not that his help bothered her, especially when she was tasked with bathing dogs, most of which were almost double her own weight.
"You were busy, and I know you're absolutely exhausted after all that running around outside, especially after all those falls, so I just decided to take a task off your list," Noah gently explained.
Elowyn laughed, slightly embarrassed.
"Were you watching me?"
"That big window right there gifted me a perfect view of all your little tumbles," he gestured with his chin.
The girl glanced up, realizing that the man had seen all her embarrassing trip-ups.
In her defense, her legs and arms simply did not cooperate with her in terms of coordination. Falling, bumping into things, and constantly dropping everything was nothing new to her.
"Well, the grass is slippery," she said defensively.
"It hasn't rained yet."
He was right. While the sky was a bit gloomy and showed all the signs that rain was approaching, not a single drop had fallen yet.
Elowyn sighed and decided to give up on trying to defend her clumsiness.
"So how many still need a bath?" she asked.
"Just Peanut. Actually, if you don't mind, can you go get her? I'm already done with this little fella here," Noah said, lifting a small chihuahua mix out of the tub.
Elowyn smiled at the sight of the small dog, walking over to pet him for a bit, then turned to go fetch Peanut.
Once she stopped in front of the right kennel, she stood face-to-face-almost literally-with Peanut.
A giant Great Dane.
Elowyn named her Peanut not only because of the irony of how huge she was in stature, but because her personality was that of a lap dog. Elowyn always had to be careful when sitting down around her, because the dog would walk straight up to her and throw herself into her lap.
And every time that happened, Elowyn would almost suffocate.
"Hello again, my love," the girl said to the dog in a sing-song tone.
Peanut's tail began wagging so hard Elowyn feared that if she got hit by it, she'd end up with bruises.
Elowyn had let Peanut outside earlier in the day for a few hours so she could socialize with the other dogs and get her playtime in.
Hooking the dog up to a leash, she began leading her to the grooming room.
Upon arrival, Elowyn noticed Noah had already gotten a fresh towel and treats for the Great Dane.
"There she is!" Noah said as he saw Elowyn and Peanut approaching.
"Hi, pretty girl," he murmured while scratching Peanut's head, then guided her to the tub.
Bathing Peanut was easy. She was a gentle giant who would just sit there and let herself be pampered, which was a huge plus for Elowyn, because there was no way she would be able to do this if the one-hundred-and-forty-pound dog wasn't cooperative.
After taking Peanut back to her kennel-and giving her an extra treat of course-Elowyn bid her goodbyes to Noah and ordered an Uber, ready to go home after a long day at the shelter.
By the time the Uber arrived, Elowyn's limbs felt pleasantly heavy, the kind of exhaustion that came from doing something that mattered.
?
Shower.
That was the only thing on Elowyn's mind once she arrived home, barely missing the rain.
She took her time, just standing there in the hot water that her father and brother always said were surprised didn't give her third-degree burns.
They would dramatically state that it felt like a sauna if they walked into the restroom as soon as she was done with her shower.
She was probably in there for almost an hour before her stomach started growling, reminding her that she hadn't eaten since breakfast.
Quickly drying herself and putting on her pajamas, she happily walked to the kitchen, humming a song that had been stuck in her head for days.
Elowyn stood in front of the refrigerator for five minutes, walked to the pantry and stared for another five, then returned to the refrigerator, opening it again as if something new would appear.
She was out of dino nuggets and macaroni, both of which were almost always her daily meal.
Calm down, there's plenty of other food, she quietly reminded herself as she pressed her hands together.
Then she spotted it.
Oven-roasted turkey breast.
Besides her nuggets and macaroni, Elowyn loved a very simple turkey breast sandwich with Muenster cheese.
That's it. Nothing more, nothing less.
And the turkey breast had to be oven-roasted, not smoked. She absolutely despised anything with a smoky flavor.
She opened a drawer and spotted the cheese. Almost crying tears of joy, Elowyn was just happy she wouldn't have to settle for a bowl of cereal when she was so hungry.
She devoured that sandwich in less than three minutes.
While cleaning up and putting everything back in its place, Elowyn got a message.
Her Amazon package had been delivered.
Immediately dropping everything in her hands and excitedly running toward the door, she peeked through the front window, waiting for the delivery man to leave so she could retrieve the new puzzle she'd bought.
She was quickly disappointed to see that it was still raining outside, so she weighed her options.
Option one: Wait for the rain to stop, then go get her precious puzzle.
The problem with this option was that it was a freaking puzzle. It would be destroyed, and her twenty-five bucks would have gone down the drain.
Option two: Run as fast as she could to the front gate while trying not to trip and potentially end up sick for weeks.
Elowyn thought back to the twenty-five dollars she'd spent and pondered. She didn't get paid much.
She actually wasn't even supposed to be getting paid at all, since she did volunteer work, but Miss Loretta said that Elowyn was still working, even if it was just the occasional two days at the bookstore.
And since Miss Loretta had a bad back, she couldn't bend down to organize books on the bottom shelves anymore.
Elowyn was a big help, the elderly woman had said, and so even if it wasn't much, she began paying Elowyn what she could.
And the girl used that money wisely.
She always felt ashamed that she was a twenty-year-old woman who didn't contribute financially while living with her father, which might have been okay in her eyes if she was studying at university or something, but she wasn't even doing that.
So when she started earning her small checks, she attempted to give it all to Atticus for rent, so to speak.
She was immediately turned down.
So she used the money in a way that would take some of the financial weight off her dad's shoulders.
She started buying her own toiletries-face wash, shampoo, conditioner, etc.-and with the leftover money, if she had any, she would again try to give it to her father, but the stubborn man wouldn't budge.
And toiletries weren't something that needed to be purchased weekly. Her shampoo and conditioner alone lasted her at least two months.
So with her father's encouragement, she started buying things she enjoyed, things that kept her calm, like more yarn, a puzzle, some LEGO sets, or books.
And right now, one of those precious purchases was outside, probably getting ruined.
Option two it was.
Elowyn threw on a hoodie to make sure her hair wouldn't get wet, put on her slides, and bolted out the front door, nearly tripping on the very first step.
When she made it back inside, the box was ripped open right away.
Her two-thousand-piece puzzle was perfectly fine, and hopefully she would be too.
"You know what?" Elowyn said to no one at all since she was home alone.
"I'm not going to get sick."
"Premature my ass," she scoffed. "That was twenty years ago."
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