Book 2 Chapter 17

Sunlight spilled softly into the bedroom, slipping through the curtains in warm streaks across the floor. Yalda stood in front of the dresser with her towel still wrapped around her hair, staring at her reflection. The faint dark circles under her eyes were less intense than they’d been days ago, but they were still there, and they were still as disheartening, still as embarrassing.

She dabbed the concealer under her eyes, blending it gently until the shadows softened. Her face looked more awake, more refreshed, not perfect, but alive and a bit more vibrant. She added a sweep of blush, just enough to give her pale cheeks some color, and brushed a soft nude lipstick over her lips.

When she finally stepped back, she hardly recognized the woman in the mirror. She looked....present. Not healed, not fully confident, but no longer lost, she looked a bit of who she used to be; competent and confident.

She exhaled slowly.

'You can do this, Yalda.'

She walked into the closet and chose one of the outfits they’d bought the night before; a soft cream blouse tucked into tailored black trousers. It was a simple, elegant, and comfortable outfit.

Once dressed, she slipped on a pair of heels, gathered her hair into a tight bun, and left the room.

Downstairs, Loki was sprawled on the cool tiles, his tail thumped lazily on seeing her, he looked like he'd had too much to eat and he was too lazy to get up. Yalda knelt beside him and ran her hand gently over his head.

“Hey, I’ll be back later,” she whispered, scratching his chin. “Be good, okay?”

Loki blinked at her, as though he understood perfectly, and nudged his nose against her palm.

Ioannis entered the room a moment later, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt. He paused when he saw her dressed already, he'd probably expected to wait for a couple of minutes. His eyes warmed instantly and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

“You look beautiful,” he said.

Yalda felt a flutter in her chest, something about the way he spoke, about his compliment, something about the way he looked at her with such love and honestly made her heart do that all the time. “Thank you.”

He offered his hand. “Ready?”

She nodded and slipped her hand into his. They stepped outside together, the air was fresh and crisp and the car was already waiting.

“I’m glad you’re doing this,” Ioannis said as he opened the door for her. “Not just because you’re going back to something you love, but because I get to see you even at the office.”

Yalda chuckled. She climbed into the seat, fastening her seatbelt. “I thought you’d prefer focusing without distractions.”

“You’re not a distraction,” he replied, sliding in beside her. “Or at least you're a welcomed distraction.”

The way he said it with such sincerely made her heart soften. She didn’t know how to respond, so she looked ahead at the passing scenery, letting the quiet contentment settle between them.

The drive to the office was peaceful. The city was beginning to wake up, streets were slowly filling with people, cafés were opening their doors. Yalda watched the familiar skyline come into view, a small wave of nostalgia washing over her. She had spent years working, building routines, waking early, and finding comfort in the predictable rhythm of office life.

Returning didn’t feel like stepping back, it felt like reclaiming a part of herself.

As they entered the regal building, Ioannis once again placed his hand on the small of her back to anchor her. Yalda could feel the curious stares again but she kept her gaze head like she'd always done back in New York.

“Just stay close to Helen today,” he said. “She’ll guide you on what to do. And if anything feels overwhelming… come to me immediately.”

Yalda nodded. “I will.”

They took the elevator up together. Helen was already waiting for them near the reception desk. She looked poised as ever; straight posture, sharp glasses, a sleek bun, and a tailored dark-gray skirt suit. Her expression didn’t shift much when she saw Yalda, though a small, polite smile tugged at her lips.

“Good morning, sir,” Helen greeted Ioannis, then turned to Yalda with a nod. “Good morning.”

“Morning,” Yalda replied, offering a warm smile. She wanted them to put what had happened yesterday behind them, after all, they'd be hanging out a lot and it would be nice if they got along.

“Helen, she will be assisting you today. She's quite competent so you can assign tasks to her while you tend to others yourself.”

Helen nodded. “Of course, sir.” but Yalda saw the look in her eyes, she didn't want her here.

Before leaving, Ioannis leaned down slightly toward Yalda. “If you need anything, my door is open.” he said and she nodded. He gave her back a gentle pat before he walked off toward his office, the door closed behind him with a soft click.

Left alone with Helen, the atmosphere shifted slightly, not tense, but formal, distant, and a little cold.

Helen motioned for her to follow as she began walking. “We’ll start with simple tasks today,” she said as they proceeded down the hallway. “Sorting a few files, entering some basic data into the system, updating a few records for the Cyprus branch. Small things.”

These were definitely things Yalda could do, in fact, they were the least of what she could do. But she was starting out small and it was fine that Helen would want to test her abilities first before assigning bigger tasks to her.

“Okay,” Yalda replied. She paused, then added gently, “Helen… I just want to say I’m glad we’re working together. Nice to meet you.”

Helen glanced at her briefly, her expression remained unreadable. “Right."

Yalda waited, hoping for something else, a sign of warmth, maybe, or even a short acknowledgment. But Helen’s gaze returned to the documents in her hands. Yalda had to exhale to get it off her chest quickly, there was no need to overthink it. Maybe Helen wasn't the chatty type.

“I’ll show you where everything is,” Helen continued briskly. “This way.”

They walked into a smaller office area beside the main work floor. Rows of shelves lined the walls, filled with neatly labeled binders. A computer sat on the desk, already turned on.

Helen placed the stack of files in front of Yalda.

“These need to be transferred into digital form. The instructions are on the first page. When you’re done, sort the physical copies alphabetically and place them in that cabinet.” she ordered.

Yalda inhaled quietly. “Got it.”

It would take an hour or two but she was grateful for the distraction.

Helen offered a brief nod, then turned and walked away without another word, her heels clicked sharply against the floor as she disappeared around the corner.

Yalda blew out a breath when she was sure she was gone. She had expected some awkwardness since helen was protective of her job and all, but she didn’t expect to feel quite so dismissed and.... shut out. As if Helen had drawn a line and quietly decided Yalda would stay on the other side of it.

But Yalda didn’t let it sink into her stomach or wrap around her day like a cloud. Not today, not when she was finally beginning to rebuild herself. She rolled her shoulders back, sat down, and opened the first file.

The papers were old financial record; receipts, invoices, signed agreements. She typed carefully, checking everything twice before moving to the next page. The process was repetitive, but grounding. Numbers and names, neat rows of information, familiar structure. It wasn’t mentally demanding, but it gave her something her body had craved for months; a sense of productivity and contribution.

She worked quietly, the soft hum of office activity drifted in from outside; phones ringing, printers humming, distant conversations. It felt normal.

Once in a while, she glanced toward the glass wall separating her from the hallway and she'd find people staring at her, watching her curiously, and she'd lower her gaze and return to the task at hand.

Throughout the morning, Helen returned only twice; once to drop off more documents, and once to give a quick instruction about saving files in a specific folder. Both times, her tone was clipped, her interactions were brief. She didn’t seem interested in conversation or small talk, and Yalda didn’t push it.

For now, she was content with doing her tasks right.

By early afternoon, she had finished digitizing the first batch of files. She stood and stretched, feeling her muscles loosen. She gathered the physical copies, sorted them alphabetically, and placed them neatly into the labeled cabinet.

When she sat back down at the desk, she let out a slow exhale.

Her first day wasn’t warm or welcoming, but it wasn’t bad either. It was manageable. It was quiet and productive, and that was enough.