Maya Luke Johnson adjusted the cuffs of her crisp white blazer as she held her phone to her ear.
"Mom, I told you, I'm fine," she said, forcing calm into her voice she didn't feel. The city lights shimmered below her office like tiny reminders of everything she couldn't control.
"Sweetheart, I worry about you," her mother replied, voice soft but insistent. "You work too much. You need to eat… sleep… live a little."
Maya smiled faintly, though the ache in her chest tightened. "I'm a CEO, Mom. 'Living a little' isn't really part of the job description."
Her mother hesitated. "Maya… just don't forget who you are. And… be careful. Some things from the past…"
Maya's fingers tightened around the phone. Certain shadows from her life—memories, people, experiences—were better left unnamed.
"I know, Mom," she said softly. "I'll be careful."
She ended the call and set the phone down, staring out at the city below. Alone in the glow of her office, the quiet was both comforting and suffocating. Power and control filled every corner of her life—but there were corners even she couldn't reach, shadows she couldn't erase.
The elevator ride down felt longer than usual, her mind wandering over the agenda for the upcoming meeting. Investors. Contracts. Numbers. Decisions. Everything demanded precision, focus, control. Yet, under the polished exterior, a small part of her still felt restless, a tension she couldn't shake.
The conference room doors opened, and she stepped inside, her presence commanding without effort. The room fell silent for a heartbeat, then the chatter resumed, subdued under her gaze.
"Good morning, everyone," Maya began, her voice steady, calm, and authoritative. "Let's review the quarterly reports and discuss the upcoming mergers. I want clear, actionable strategies by the end of this session."
Her phone buzzed briefly on the polished table. A message from an unfamiliar number flashed across the screen. She ignored it. Unknowns were dangerous, and she had learned long ago that curiosity could be costly.
As the session wound down, Maya gathered the reports, her white blazer spotless, her composure flawless. The world saw her as untouchable, a CEO in full command. But beneath the surface, a quiet tension simmered—a reminder that no empire could protect her from every shadow.
She didn't know it yet, but somewhere in the city, another CEO walked among the skyscrapers, carrying secrets darker than any boardroom could contain. A man who wore control like armor, whose life was built on deception, and whose path was destined to cross hers.
For now, though, Maya focused on the present: the meeting, the reports, the empire she had built. Shadows could wait.