Arnold sat at his desk, staring at the flickering screen of hisputer.


    The office was quiet, save for the asional shuffle of papers and the soft bums of air conditioning. His fingers drummed absentmindedly on the edge of his mug as he reflected on what had happened a week ago.


    Nora had walked into his office, her face flushed with frustration.


    She had been struggling with her workload, feeling overwhelmed, and Arnold, in a moment of impatience, had suggested that maybe she should just quat if she couldn''t handle the pressure.


    At the time, it seemed like the right thing to say.


    It was supposed to be a push, a way of motivating her.


    But now, with the silence in the office, he couldn''t help but wonder if he''d pushed too far,


    He hadn''t heard from Nora since then.


    A week had


    d passed, and while Arnold had assumed she would return to work by now, there had been no sign of her.


    He''d almost convinced himself that it was just a temporary tantrum, a re up of emotions that would settle in due time.


    But deep down, he wasn''t entirely sure.


    The thought that she might note back gnawed at him.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t want her to leave-it was more that he hadn''t really expected her to go.


    Arnold sighed, pushing away from his desk, and stood up.


    He nced at the clock-it was mid-afternooil


    The office felt emptier than usual without Nora''s presence, but he had work to do.


    He grabbed a cup from the shelf. filled it with warm water, and poured a small amount of moonwort rea into it.


    As the earthy scent filled the air, he took a sip, his thoughts lingering on Nora.


    "Maybe


    (just taking her time," he thought. "She''s probably dealing with things on her own. She''ll be back."


    I Meanwhile, in Studio Starline, the atmosphere was differenti


    Nora was there, working diligently at her desk,pletely immersed in her tasks.


    A week away had given her the space she needed to think things through, and now she was back, not only ready to work but eager to prove herself.


    She had taken on arge project, one that had originally been handled by Drew.


    It was aplicated piece of work that usually took him nearly a week toplete


    But Nora, in her quet determination, haad managed to finish it in record time.


    As she clicked "send" and forwarded thepleted work to her colleague Maks, she leaned back in her chair, her eyes closing for a moment as she


    tced


    he had given at her all. There was in way to know how her roworkers would react, but


    Mais opened the his be ow furrowing as he skimmed through the


    When he reached thest page, his eyes widened,s jaw dropping slightly.


    at she was confident.


    11:


    Alter left. Alp


    "You you got it all done?" he stammered, disbelief in his voice,


    Nora smiled, leaning over her desk. Do you see any changes that need to be made?" she asked calmly. Maks blinked, quickly scrolling through the file again.


    He had expected something rushed, something iplete, perhaps a mistake here or there,


    Instead, what he saw was a polished professional piece of work-better than what Drew usually turned in. It was fast, but it was wless


    He raised his eyebrows, looking at Nora with renewed respect.


    I didn''t think you could do it. This is great. No changes needed."


    Nora''s face softened into a small smile. I''m d it works for you."


    Soon word spread through the office.


    Colleagues who had previously been skeptical of Nora''s abilities began to notice her work.


    Some approached her hesitantly, unsure of how to start a conversation, but all of them seemed genuinely impressed by what she had achieved.


    "Hey, Nora," one of them called out. "Can you give me some tips on how you managed to finish that project so fast? I''ve been stuck on something simr for days.


    Nora looked up, meeting the person''s gaze


    "Of course! It''s all about time management and staying focused. If you''d like, I can show you some of the techniques I use."


    As the day wore DO. Nora''s coworkers began to gravitate toward her.


    She wasn''t the kind of person to boast about her skills or demand attention, but it was clear that her actions spoke louder than words.


    Her dedication, her calm confidence, and her willingness to help others were making asting impression.


    By the end of the day. Nora''s phone buzzed.


    It was a text from Leo, a senior colleague.


    "Dinner?" the message read. "It''s a small celebration for your first day here. I''ve got a car waiting for you."