The clock crept toward noon, and the soft buzz of computers dulled under the lazy hum of hunger.
Papers were stacked, pens dropped into mugs, and chairs rolled back one by one.
Bella stretched her arms high above her head. "Lunch?" she announced to no one in particular, already reaching for her purse.
Luca stood too, rolling his sleeves up. "Yeah, let's go before Georgia decides she's got another file for us to 'just quickly review.'"
"Wait—" Bella spun to him with a grin. "You're buying mine, remember?"
Luca froze mid-step. "Oh, come on, you're really holding me to that?"
Her grin widened. "You promised, and I'm a woman of accountability."
Across the room, Wei Chen chuckled quietly as he packed up his laptop. "Man, you should've learned by now—don't make deals with Bella on an empty stomach."
Camila glanced between them, curious. "Why's Luca buying her lunch?"
Bella and Luca exchanged a glance. Then Bella said, "Oh, just a friendly debt. He owes me from earlier."
