The cssroom buzzed with anticipation as students prepared to present their semester-long projects. Evan’s team took their turn, standing confidently at the front of the room.

  Rachel led the introduction, smoothly outlining their chosen company’s challenges, while Cire and Sofia detailed their strategic analysis. Evan handled the concluding remarks, presenting their refined thesis and actionable strategies with crity.

  When they finished, the professor nodded approvingly. “Excellent work. Your analysis was thorough, and the proposed solutions were well-researched and pragmatic. Evan, your closing argument tied everything together effectively. Well done.”

  The css broke into polite appuse. Rachel sent Evan a sidelong gnce, lips curving into a small, unreadable smile, but she said nothing further. Cire beamed, clearly pleased, and Sofia whispered, “Finally, it’s over,” with a relieved sigh.

  Evan only nodded, satisfied that they had delivered a strong presentation without unnecessary distractions.

  With his lessons wrapped up for the day, Evan headed toward the robotics club, his steps light and his mood unusually good. The past few weeks had been packed with coursework, group projects, and adjusting to the ever-present attention he got as a young man in this world, but today felt different.

  With his lessons wrapped up for the day, Evan headed toward the robotics club, his steps light and his mood unusually good. The past two weeks had been packed with coursework, projects, and preparation for the exams. But today, something felt different.

  Maybe it was the sense of accomplishment from the successful presentation. Or perhaps it was the fact that his robotics team had bounced back after yesterday’s setback. Either way, the usual weight of responsibilities didn’t feel quite as heavy.

  Finn looked up first and grinned. "Evan, perfect timing. We’re about to run the new script."

  "Good," Evan said, stepping closer. "Let’s hope it all works out."

  His eyes flicked to Amelia, who was adjusting a sensor with sharp, precise movements. Unlike yesterday, she wasn’t tense or brooding. Her jaw was still set in concentration, but there was no frustration simmering beneath the surface.

  Evan took that as a win.

  He made his way over, leaning against the workbench beside her. "How's it looking?"

  Amelia barely gnced at him, her focus on tightening a loose screw. "Better. Naomi and I rewrote the error-handling sequence st night. If all goes well, it should actually stop instead of trying to bulldoze its way through obstacles."

  Evan chuckled. "That’d be nice. Although, I have to admit, yesterday’s tantrum was quite entertaining."

  She shot him a dry look but smirked. "Yeah, hirious. I really enjoy publicly humiliating myself."

  Evan tilted his head. "I don’t think anyone saw it that way, you know."

  Amelia exhaled, leaning back and finally giving him her full attention. "Yeah, well… I’m over it." She hesitated for a second before adding, "And, uh… thanks."

  Evan raised a brow. "For?"

  "For not making a big deal out of it. Or giving me some ‘failure is a stepping stone to success’ speech." She rolled her eyes. "I was in a bad mood, and you didn’t push."

  Evan grinned. "It happens. Besides, you were kinda scary back then, I couldn’t speak even if I wanted to.”

  The exchange felt easy, natural. Amelia had her pride, and Evan had learnt from experience that sometimes, the best way to support someone wasn’t with words, but by just being there. The fact that she could joke about it now meant she was back in her element.

  "Alright, let’s get this thing moving," Finn announced, pulling everyone’s attention back to the project.

  Evan stuck around for a bit, offering encouragement and occasionally throwing out suggestions where needed. The club was buzzing with energy again, and this time, there was a quiet confidence in the air.

  When he finally decided to take his leave, he gave Amelia a light nudge on the shoulder. "Try not to fight the bot today, alright?"

  She smirked. "No promises."

  Shaking his head with a small ugh, Evan grabbed his bag and made his way out of the b.

  The afternoon sunlight was warm against his skin as he stepped outside. A fresh breeze ruffled his hair, and he found himself taking a deep breath, stretching his arms slightly as he walked toward the parking lot.

  Maybe it was the small victories. Maybe it was the banter.

  Either way, today was shaping up to be a good day.

  ***

  After leaving the robotics b, Evan's thoughts drifted toward Sienna. He wasn’t sure why, but something about today made him want to surprise her. Before he knew it, he found himself heading toward her office building without much of a pn other than to see her.

  He stepped through the front entrance with a confident, almost casual air, giving a nod to the security guard at the desk as he passed by. The building always felt so official, and yet, walking through it with ease reminded Evan just how much he had adjusted to this new world. It was hard not to feel a little important, too, with the way people greeted him.

  He made his way to Sienna’s floor and passed a few employees in the hall, giving them a nod or a smile, just like he’d seen her do before. At her office door, he hesitated for just a second. It wasn’t his usual style to barge in unannounced, but Sienna wouldn’t mind.

  When he pushed the door open, he found her at her desk, her focus on the ptop in front of her, sleek hair pulled back into a professional bun. She didn’t even look up immediately, but the moment her eyes nded on him, a smirk tugged at the corners of her lips.

  “Well, well,” she teased, her voice light with amusement. “Someone’s been thinking about me.”

  Evan grinned and leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms. “Thought I’d stop by and surprise you. I didn’t realize you’d be busy.”

  “Oh, I’m always busy,” Sienna replied, eyes narrowing in mock seriousness. “But it’s nice to see you, anyway. Close the door behind you.”

  He pushed off the doorframe and stepped inside, gently closing the door behind him, locking them into the little bubble of her office.

  Before he could say anything else, she stood up and walked toward him. Her heels clicked on the floor as she closed the distance between them, her hands settling on his chest in that familiar possessive way.

  “You like interrupting my work, don’t you?” Her voice was low and seductive, the words carrying a hint of teasing as she tilted her head to meet his gaze.

  Evan chuckled, his fingers brushing the side of her face. “You make it so tempting.”

  Sienna didn’t waste any more time. She pulled him down for a kiss, her lips soft and demanding, but it didn’t take long for Evan to deepen it. His hands slipped to her waist, tugging her closer. He could feel the heat of her body through the thin fabric of her blouse, and the temptation to move things further was strong.

  But as he slid his hand up her back, Sienna gently pushed against his chest, her lips trailing from his mouth to his jaw, and then to his ear.

  “I’d love to, Evan,” she murmured, “but I have a meeting in twenty minutes, and I can’t afford to be te.”

  Evan groaned in frustration, but he stepped back, his hands still resting at her waist. She looked up at him with an apologetic, almost pyful smile.

  “Well, work comes first,” he said with a shrug, trying to hide the disappointment.

  Sienna ughed, brushing a hand through his hair before moving back to her desk. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere,” she added. “Besides, I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time ter.”

  With a heavy sigh, Evan reluctantly stepped back, watching as Sienna straightened her papers and straightened her posture. “Can you help me tidy up? I’ll grab my bag,” she said, her tone shifting to something a little more professional.

  Evan did as she asked, picking up a few stray folders and pcing them on her desk while she grabbed her things. Once everything was in order, she turned back to him with a sly smile.

  “Here,” she said, handing him a sleek bck card. “This is my ID. You can use it to get around.”

  Evan raised an eyebrow, taking the card from her. “What, are you sending me on a secret mission?”

  Sienna winked. “You never know.”

  He pocketed the card, his curiosity piqued. “So, what can I do with this, exactly?”

  “You can check out the company. Take a look around, talk to a few people. Just get a feel for things. If anyone asks, tell them that you are interning under me. You are going to be interning here, after all.”

  “Sounds like a pn,” Evan said, smirking. “Guess I’ll see what this pce has to offer.”

  He turned to leave but then paused, gncing back at her. “I’ll let you get to your meeting.”

  Sienna nodded with a smile. “See you ter, Evan.”

  The door clicked shut behind him as he made his way through the quiet hallways. The company’s sleek, modern design felt impressive, but Evan was more interested in the people. He was going to be working here soon, and while he knew it would mean interacting with some of the higher-ups, it couldn’t hurt to get a sense of the culture.

  Evan made his way through the building, scanning the offices and open spaces, and eventually spotted a few employees who looked like they weren’t in the middle of something urgent. One of them, a woman in her te twenties, gave him a friendly smile as he approached.

  “Hi there,” Evan greeted her. “I’m an intern under the President. I’m just… getting a feel for the company.”

  She raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised, but her smile didn’t falter. “Ah, yes! Welcome to the company. I haven’t seen you around before, are you starting today?”

  “Yes. I’m just seeing how things work around here,” Evan said, gncing around. “Do you mind if I ask what you do?”

  Evan thought for a moment, his curiosity piqued by the mention of finance. “I’m just trying to get a general feel for how everything works here. How’s the atmosphere around the office? Seems like a big pce.”

  She nodded, looking around briefly as if to consider her words. “Well, everyone’s really friendly here, so don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything. It’s a great pce to learn and grow. You’ll definitely pick up a lot just by talking to people.” She paused, giving him an encouraging smile. “And if you’re ever interested, I could show you a bit of the finance side—get a glimpse of how things come together behind the scenes.”

  Evan grinned, nodding. “That sounds pretty interesting, actually. I might take you up on that ter.”

  Evan smiled back, nodding as he felt more comfortable in the environment. With a few more introductions under his belt, he started to get a clearer picture of the company’s inner workings. It wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. After all, he had Sienna in his corner, and he had a feeling he’d be learning from the best.

  LunarEcho