The elevator doors slid shut behind Lexi and Maya, muffling the murmur of voices still drifting from the boardroom. The moment they were alone, Lexi exhaled like she'd been holding her breath for an hour.
"I think I forgot how lungs work," she muttered, leaning against the mirrored wall.
Maya grinned. "Girl, you didn't just survive. You spoke and the world listened. I mean, Mr. Blackwood actually asked you a question — by name."
Lexi groaned. "Please don't say it like that."
"I will absolutely say it like that. Do you know how many people in this building would sell their left kidney for that kind of attention? I've been here almost a year and the man's never looked directly at me."
Lexi gave her a sideways look. "You make it sound like a horror movie."
"Because it kind of is. You just had a face-to-face with the CEO and lived to tell the tale. That's practically a miracle."
Lexi didn't feel miraculous. Her legs still trembled, her palms were clammy, and her head pounded with everything she didn't say in that boardroom. But there was a strange flutter beneath the anxiety — something that felt dangerously close to pride.
The moment didn't last long.
As they stepped onto their floor, Camille was already waiting near Lexi's desk, arms folded, eyes sharp.
"Miss Thompson," she said. No smile. Just steel. "With me."
Lexi barely had time to drop her bag before following Camille down the hallway toward her office. Maya gave her a quick, wide-eyed thumbs up behind Camille's back, but Lexi's stomach had already begun to twist.
Camille's office was sleek and cold, decorated in neutrals that looked like they cost more than Lexi's monthly rent. She didn't offer Lexi a seat.
"You think you're special now, don't you?" Camille said as the door clicked shut behind them.
Lexi blinked. "Excuse me?"
"That little moment in the boardroom — the theme, the pitch, Mr. Blackwood actually using your name — you think it means something."
Lexi stayed quiet, unsure whether speaking would help or hurt.
Camille walked slowly behind her desk, dragging a manicured finger along its polished edge. "Let me be very clear. A nod from the CEO does not mean you're protected. Or important. You had one idea. That doesn't make you irreplaceable."
"I never said I was," Lexi said carefully.
Camille's lips curved in something too tight to be a smile. "No, but you're thinking it. I can see it all over your face. That new-girl shine? It wears off fast. This is Blackwood. We don't need emotion — we need results."
Lexi's jaw tensed, but she forced her voice to stay level. "I plan to deliver results."
"You'd better," Camille snapped. "Because if this gala goes sideways, I'll make sure everyone knows who dropped the ball. You'll have seventy-two hours to submit a full pitch deck. Visuals. Budget outline. Timeline. Leave the fluff out of it."
Before Lexi could respond, a firm knock interrupted them. The door opened, and Ava stepped in.
"Camille," she said coolly, "Mr. Blackwood's office needs the updated team chart. You sent the wrong version."
Camille's eyes flicked with irritation. "I'll handle it in a moment."
Ava turned to Lexi, expression unreadable. "Miss Thompson, when you're finished here, stop by my office. I want to review your archive access request personally."
Lexi nodded, stunned.
Camille said nothing as Lexi slipped out, but the weight of her glare followed her down the hallway like claws dragging across her back.
---
Ava's office was smaller but warmer. Bookshelves lined the walls. A soft rain-pattern hum filled the space, and for the first time since the meeting, Lexi felt like she could breathe.
"Sit," Ava said, gesturing to the chair across from her.
Lexi sat.
"I wasn't sure about you when you started," Ava said simply. "But you handled yourself well in there. Especially under Camille's scrutiny."
Lexi raised a brow. "Was it that obvious?"
"Camille likes to remind people of the ladder. She's been here a long time. Doesn't mean she enjoys seeing new blood rise faster than expected."
Lexi bit her lip. "I didn't mean to cause trouble."
"You didn't. But you'll need to be smart about how you move forward. Don't let her rattle you. Just focus on the work. Impress the right people."
Lexi nodded slowly. "Thank you. For the archive access."
Ava gave a faint smile. "Don't thank me yet. You still have to prove the theme isn't all sparkle and no structure."
That earned a breathy laugh from Lexi. "Fair enough."
Back at her desk, Maya was waiting with two cups of coffee and a conspiratorial grin.
"You're alive," she whispered, handing one over.
"Barely," Lexi said, sinking into her chair.
"She pulled you into her office like she was about to commit homicide," Maya said. "I was two seconds from marching in there."
Lexi snorted. "Please don't get fired for me."
"I would've made it dramatic. Flipped a chair or something."
Lexi sipped the coffee and let the silence settle for a moment.
It wasn't over. Not even close. The gala was just beginning. The pressure would only rise from here.
But for the first time in a long time, she didn't feel like she was running from chaos.
She was walking into it — prepared.
And she wasn't walking alone.