Friday evening.
The office lights were dimming one by one, sensors clicking off with the movement of the sun. Outside, the canal shimmered in soft orange, and the hum of bicycle tires had thinned to a whisper.
Liam Vos sat alone at his desk.
Not because he had to.
Because he wanted to.
The HR verdict had come in that morning — formal reprimand filed, probationary period extended, a note in his record. But no termination.
They were letting him stay.
Not as a favorite.
Not as a leader.
Not as the guy everyone admired.
Just... as Liam.
The man who lied.
The man who admitted it.
The man who stayed to clean up the mess.
He closed his laptop.
Stood slowly.
Looked around.
The office felt different now. Not smaller — just real. The illusion was gone.
He wasn't the shining one anymore.
And it was... okay.
On the way out, he passed Anika near the printer.
She was organizing files for next week's review.
Efficient, focused — the way she always was.
He stopped.
"Thanks," he said.
She looked up. "For what?"
"For watching when no one else did."
She gave him a long look.
"Don't make me do it again."
He smiled, nodded, and left her to her work.
Downstairs, the street was quiet.
No spotlight.
No audience.
No mask.
Just the night air, and the sound of his own footsteps.
Liam didn't know if he'd climb back into anyone's good graces.
Didn't know if he'd ever shine again.
But for the first time in a long time, he felt something better than admired.
He felt honest.