Monday came sooner than I thought, I'm standing in the company's lobby, waiting for the lift to come down.

I hear footsteps approaching. A tall figure stood beside me, and when I turned my head to check who it was, I was surprised to see Mr. Raynard.

"Good morning, sir," I greeted.

"Hm?" He glances at me then goes back to tapping away at his phone, "Morning," he greets back.

I turn my head to look ahead of me, and when the elevator arrives, I step aside to let Mr. Raynard gets inside first.

I used to wonder if I should go inside the elevator when there are other human hybrids inside. If I did, some would just scurry off or would curse at me in hushed voices until I got off.

"Get in? What are you waiting for?" Mr. Raynard asked as he held the doors open.

"Huh? Yeah, sorry," I got in and stood aside, leaving room between us.

We silently rode the elevator, with me getting off first.

The floor was quiet and empty, and since Mr. Raynard came early today. it's just the two of us, or that's what I thought.

An unwanted sight in Mr. Raynard's office brings me to a halt.

Mr. Raynard must have not been paying attention because he bumps into my back, causing me to stumble forward.

"What are you doing? Why are you standing in the way?" Mr. Raynard asked.

I just sighed as I locked eyes with a smirking Vulcan.

"What the fuck is he doing here?!" Mr. Raynard growled once he noticed the Eagle hybrid.

He marches into his office with me hot on his tail.

"You have some nerve showing up here, you don't seem to be too bothered with the Restraining Order, will this isn't the Abyss, one call to the police and they'll lock you up" Mr Raynard warned as he approached Vulcan very aggressively.

Vulcan snorts then grins mischievously, "Haven't you heard?" Vulcan asked, making us frown. He laughs and delivers his next words with no sign of apathy, "There was a fire at the police department, that destroyed half the building, your RO has never been filed," he says as he walks past Mr Raynard and approaches me.

He extends his hand and puts it on my cheek, "what are we gonna do? I guess we can't stay away from each other," he says, his voice sounding hopeless.

Fake hopelessness. That is what it is.

"Are you laughing?" I wasn't asking him. Rather, I was asking myself.

Did he seriously just laugh?

I sighed as I slapped his hand away. It's one thing when it's about me since I can handle it, but what about all the other victims?

I took a few steps back and then took a deep breath in before I decided to ask him.

"Hey Vulcan," I called the Eagle hybrid, "if Valkyrie was raped," I started and he became tense, "would you still laugh if there was evidence against her rapist inside that burning building?" I asked trying to get my point across.

"That's different, Valkyrie wouldn't put herself in that position," he disregards getting annoyed with the topic.

Is this man for real?

I feel an incoming headache, there's no point in talking to an ignorant, and narcissistic scum.

"What brings you here, Vulcan?" I asked instead.

"I have a proposal for you," He says, his tone shifting with the change of topic.

"I'm not interested." Nope, I'd rather burn again than deal with him again.

"I haven't said anything yet," he frowns.

"Mr. Raynard, why isn't the security team here yet?" I asked the annoyed, looking Fox and ignored Vulcan.

"No one is answering!" Mr. Raynard angrily said as he slammed the telephone handset down.

"They're probably preoccupied with the little treat I dropped on them," Vulcan hums, "I'm pretty sure someone is getting fired today," he laughs, then claps his hands, "anyway, Puma wants to work with me?" He asks as he takes a seat and makes himself comfortable.

I really can't help myself when it comes to Vulcan. Usually, I can keep a straight face, but he just makes my insides churn with disgust.

"C'mon, we can be partners, I'm expanding my business territory. And soon, the Abyss will be a newly developed district, owned by yours, truly." He says his goals with so much gleam in his eyes.

"I'm not interested, but maybe Mr. Raynard is," I said as I pointed to the curious-looking Fox with his ears perking up, "I'm gonna leave you two to talk," I said as I began extracting myself from their presence.

I walked out of the office as fast as I could and left Mr. Raynard alone with Vulcan, maybe if they were to talk business, I can avoid Vulcan as much as I can.

I may have started my working day on the wrong foot, but I'm fast when I want to be to catch up with my schedule.

By the time the other office workers started coming into the office, I was pretty much done with my morning routine, except for Mr. Raynard's morning coffee.

Which I delayed to avoid going inside the office again.

I can hear them talking business, about Vulcan's plans to tear down the old Abyss and build a new one.

Fully equipped with smart and green technology, a futuristic city with a new vision. Blah, blah,  blah.

But let's be honest, the only vision these two understand is money.

If they form a partnership, I may have to run into Vulcan more frequently, but depending on the scale of the project, I'll be out of here before they even finish phase one of their partnership.

But for some reason, I feel bitter. Ever since I left the office and the rush of getting out of there wore down, the only thing I could feel is bitterness.

Why am I so bitter though?

"..." I turn my head and look through Mr. Raynard's glass office at a smirking Vulcan and a serious-looking Mr. Raynard.

A second wave of bitterness hits me.

I wish Mr. Raynard wouldn't accept his proposal.

But I don't have a say in his decisions, it's not like my past with Vulcan is that important to him, we are not family like him and Noir, and we are not friends like him and Batricia.

We are just a boss and a short-term contract employee.

I shake my head to shake the wrongly placed self-entitlement.

After my contract ends, our work together would be done, but a working partnership with Vulcan could last a long time.

Either way, if Mr. Raynard makes a deal with him, he's the one who has to deal with the consequences of having Vulcan in his life.

It's okay, in less than ten weeks, I'll yeet myself out of here, I'm at the point of considering yeeting myself out of this city and country altogether.

Japan sounds nice.

Judging from Mr. Shiba's treatment of me, I think human hybrids would be kinder there.

"Earth to Puma," Vulcan called, "what're  you thinking so hard about?" He asked leaning his arm against my cubicle screen.

"... how can I help you?" I asked switching on my secretary mode. Face stoic and cold, I don't want to cause problems for myself by not getting a better hold of my emotions.

"..." he doesn't say anything at first and just stared at my face, seeing that he wasn't saying anything I looked straight ahead at my screen.

My fingers hovering over the keyboard, I was about to start typing again but he interrupted me by asking, "Do you have plans after work?" He asked looking expectantly, for what? I'm not sure.

"None that includes you," I answered truthfully.

One of his eyes twitches, but he clears his throat and says, "Then we should do something about it, let's have dinner together," he suggests.

"No."

"Drinks?"

I hesitate, "...no." but I didn't hesitate because I was thinking it through, rather the hesitation came with the flood of memories from last Friday night, "if this is all that you'd like to say, I'd like to get back to my work," I said trying to dismiss Vulcan, but I think even if I flipped him the bird, he still won't budge.

His presence is making everyone here whisper. The whispers of the farfetched and made-up scenarios about me and Vulcan are gross.

It started with them wondering who this man sitting with Mr Raynard so early in the morning, to oh Puma must be sleeping with him to get ahead with his bonus.

"C'mon, I can call Valkyrie and we can have fun catching up." Vulcan tried to persuade me again.

I sighed and pushed my chair back to stand up with Mr. Raynard's files in my hand. I knew everyone was looking at us so I got closer to him and said as quietly as I can.

"First, I don't want to see her, or you for that matter. Second, catch up? On what? How insufferable you still are?" I took a step closer, "You're a disingenuous person, Vulcan, I know that you find amusement in my suffering, so I don't feel inclined to entertain your fake gestures for friendship," finally I requested him to, "So, please keep thinking that your precious Puma is dead," I walked past him, "at least, that's what I did." I mumbled.

I go inside Mr. Raynard's office without knocking, I honestly don't want to be here, I don't want to see him, but until Vulcan leaves, I'll stay here.

It is the lesser evil.

"What are you doing?" Mr. Raynard asked, looking up from his phone to check on who came into his office and said nothing.

"Did he leave?" I ask as I fiddled with the files.

I see his eyes move to the right and then slowly it follows Vulcan as he finally decided to leave.

"He just left," Mr Raynard said and as if he pushed a button inside me, my legs almost gave out beneath me, I stumbled to sit on one of the chairs he has positioned before his desk.

I take my time to breathe properly, it felt like I was suffocating.

"..." breathe in, "..." breathe out.

"Are you alright?" Asked Mr. Raynard as he sat on the coffee table before me.

"...fine," I answered before I stood up, "sorry that I barged in, it didn't seem like he'd leave" I walk around the chair and put the files on his desk, "you have two meetings today, one at three with the marketing department, and one at five, it's an out of office meeting with the marketing head of the fashion company you just acquired," I said as I walked around his office watering the plants. When done, I turn around to face him but I avoid meeting his eyes, "do you need anything else, sir?"

"Coffee," he says and I nod my head, before leaving his office and heading to the pantry.

I make his coffee how he likes it and serve it to him, he takes a sip and frowns, "Hmm... it tastes different," he comments.

Of course, it does, I used different beans on mine. I didn't indulge his comment though, instead, I ask, "Do you need anything else?" 

"Yes, please have a seat," he says as he places his cup down.

"You must have picked up on my conversation with Vulcan," he begins and I don't say anything to confirm or deny that, "I hope you don't take this personally, but I'm very keen on this project happening, and since you have the most knowledge on the Abyss, I'd like you to be in charge of it,..." he pauses, waiting for me to interject.

"..." I didn't interject verbally, but I did so mentally.

First, I'm going to take this personally.

Second, it's not like I expected much, but some loyalty would be great.

"So uh, what do you say?" He awkwardly massages the back of his neck.

"Since I'm on a short-term contract, I don't think this would be a wise idea." I didn't lie, but let's keep it professional rather than personal.

He chuckles, "Don't worry about that, once your contract ends we will offer you a full-time job, you've shown that you're more than competent," Mr Raynard reassures, and for the first time, he smiles at me.

I can't feel the genuineness behind the smile, after all, I still feel icky about how quickly he flipped his behavior.

"With all due respect, I have no plans to renew any contracts with Fox Holdings," what I said must have been shocking because his smile fell off of his face, "and for that, I think you should assign the project to someone else, I can assist them until the end of my contract." After that, it's their problem to take care of.

He clears his throat, "Alright then, who do you recommend to lead this project?" He asked.

"Mr. Crawford," I answered, choosing the craw human hybrid.

"Why?" The Fox asked again.

"He's the most competent out of all of them, and if he were to go to the Abyss, he's the most likely to know how to get himself out of trouble."

I know that Mr. Crawford doesn't seem too fond of me, and has been rude to me, daily, but that doesn't mean I don't recognize his project-working skills.

Hopefully, he'll be a pain in Vulcan's ass too.

"Is that all sir?" C'mon, I want to get out of here.

"Yes, thank you, please call Crawford into my office."

"Okay," I stood up to leave and was about to open the door, but what Mr. Raynard said next made me chuckle.

"And Puma, if someone is giving you a hard time here, make sure to notify HR," his suggestion makes me shake my head while I couldn't help the churches that escaped my mouth.

"I know Mr Raynard, I know," I said before closing the door.

I'm pretty sure If I'd tell Noir anything, he'll try to fix it, so telling him about me not renewing my contract will probably get him to see if someone is bullying me, or he'd try to get me to change my mind.

Honestly, Noir's too sweet for this, but I don't want him to do anything about it.

Mr. Raynard's already doing the most. I roll my eyes. Don't make a deal with Vulcan and expect me to stay.

"Mr. Crawford," I called the Craw human hybrid, "Mr. Raynard would like to see you in his office."

He stands up and leaves, but I happen to glance at his computer screen and at the marketing proposal for the fashion company he helped acquire, Ugh, for the love of Luna, not her too.

I walk away from his desk, not wanting to seem like I was snooping around but damn it, I wish I didn't see it, now my mood is even worse.

Instead of going to my desk, I head to the men's washrooms.

This is the worst, two in one day.

I wash my face, trying to freshen up, but I only end up making myself look like a wet bird.

I keep rereading the sentence in my head.

"Dyveke, the new face of FeLine, and first fashion ambassador to represent the brand."

I guess she's making her move now.

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