Mia arrives at work earlier than usual. Kevin's office lights are off—the room empty.
She stands in front of the glass panels, staring at the familiar space as if it might suddenly reveal some answers. Her eyes linger on the empty desk, the silence heavy in her chest.
"Mia," a voice calls from behind.
She turns slightly. It's Ben, walking toward her with his usual easy stride.
"You're not late today—that's strange," he teases with a small grin.
Mia doesn't reply. Her face is unreadable, eyes distant.
Ben frowns, the lightness fading from his voice. "You look pale… are you okay?"
He steps closer, raising the back of his hand to her forehead, checking her temperature instinctively. The gesture is gentle, intimate even. When Mia finally looks up, their eyes meet—briefly, but intensely.
"Good morning, Mr. Garcia," a coworker's voice suddenly breaks the moment.
Mia's gaze darts to the side.
Kevin is walking down the hall—but the second he sees them, he stops mid-step. His expression freezes. His eyes lock on Mia and Ben—still standing too close.
Realizing the awkwardness of the scene, Mia quickly takes a step back."Good morning, sir," she says, voice low, making space for him to pass.
Kevin doesn't respond. Without a word, he walks past them, enters his office, and closes the door behind him with a soft but final thud.
Mia stands frozen, confused, the weight of his silence pressing on her.
"Mia," Ben says again gently, trying to reach her.
But she doesn't respond. Without a word, she turns and walks away, heading to her desk.
Ben watches her go, concern etched into his face. Then his eyes shift to Kevin's closed office door, narrowing slightly. Hands in his pockets, he exhales slowly.
He doesn't know exactly what happened between them—but he's sure of one thing.
Something definitely did.
_________________________________________________
"Mr. Mercado, can you come to my office? We need to review the design for the summer campaign," Kevin says as he approaches Ben's desk, his tone firm and clipped.
Both Ben and Mia look up from their monitors.
Ben raises an eyebrow, glancing at Mia before responding."Sure, sir. Should Mia come too? She's the one in charge of this campaign."
Kevin's eyes flick to Mia briefly."You're the graphic designer. You're the one who should come."The words land heavy. Cold. Dismissive.
"But Mia worked hard for this campaign," Ben adds, his voice laced with quiet insistence.
Kevin doesn't reply. Instead, he turns and heads toward his office.
Mia's heart sinks a little. She meets Kevin's glance for just a second before he turns away.
Ben watches the brief exchange, the tension so obvious it's almost uncomfortable.
He leans toward Mia."That was… kind of rude. Did you mess something up again?" he asks in a half-whisper, trying to lighten the mood."Well, anyway, I'll be right back."
He stands, grabbing his tablet, and follows Kevin into the office.
Mia can't take it anymore.
Yes, she was wrong to vanish without a word. She knows that now. She should've talked to Kevin back then, explained what she saw at the beach instead of jumping to conclusions and disappearing.
But is this how he chooses to deal with it? Ignoring her completely, acting cold, and now undermining her role at work?
She had been heartbroken, too. Anyone would've misunderstood what she saw. And it didn't help that Kevin was the one who didn't want to make their relationship official in the first place.
It all made sense back then—or at least it felt like it did.
But now? Now he's punishing her by pretending she doesn't exist. Pretending her work doesn't matter.
Her chest tightens. That's the final straw.
Mia pushes her chair back and slams both palms onto her desk. Everyone around her jumps slightly at the sound. She doesn't care.
She marches toward Kevin's office with determined steps, anger simmering under her skin. Without hesitation, she flings the door open and slams it shut behind her.
"Mia!" Ben calls after her, startled, but she's already inside.
Kevin looks up from his desk, startled but curious. His brows draw together as she stands there, fuming.
"Do you need anything?" he asks cautiously.
She doesn't answer right away—just stares at him, trying to collect the right words through her pounding heartbeat.
"YOU WERE THE ONE WHO DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE IT OFFICIAL!" Mia shouts, her voice cracking with emotion as she faces Kevin head-on.
Ben stands frozen for a moment, shocked, then steps forward, trying to calm the tension."Mia, calm down. People might hear you outside—"
"I don't care," she snaps, cutting him off without even glancing his way.
Ben hesitates, then asks, "Are you sure you want people gossiping about this?"
Mia doesn't answer right away. Her fists clench at her sides, her chest rising and falling. Then, with a trembling voice, she repeats,"I don't care."
Her eyes lock with Kevin's."I was hurt too," she begins, voice quieter now but still sharp."And now you're acting like you were the only one who was broken?"
Kevin says nothing. Arms crossed, his gaze is steady, unreadable—but the tension in his jaw betrays him.
"I know I was wrong to jump to conclusions," she continues."I should've talked to you. I should've asked. But at the time, everything made sense in my head. All the pieces seemed to fit—your hesitation to make everything official… and then seeing you and Daisy... it felt like confirmation."
She pauses, tears sliding silently down her cheeks—not from sadness this time, but frustration.
"Mia…" Ben says gently, stepping closer, unsure whether to intervene or stay back.
Mia ignores him."I asked you what we were, Kevin. And you couldn't give me an answer. Then the very next day, I saw you with Daisy—laughing, hugging. What was I supposed to think?"
Her voice trembles as she adds,"So I made a decision and walked away."
Kevin's arms slowly drop from his chest. He leans forward slightly, his face softening, about to speak.
But Mia doesn't wait.
She turns and storms out of the office, leaving the door open behind her.
Ben stands there in silence, looking at Kevin and the open door, processing everything he's just heard—and wondering why he had even been in the room for all of it.
Then, without another word, he turns and follows Mia out, casting one last glance at Kevin before disappearing into the hallway.