The days following that first chaotic morning in Draven's office flowed with a strange mix of routine and curiosity. My tasks were the usual fare—paperwork, coordinating between departments, sending out updates—but one thing never changed: I had yet to meet Draven Carter face-to-face. Most of our communication happened via phone calls or emails, all strictly professional, without any hint of the personal interactions I had expected when I first joined.
What made it stranger was Ven's presence. He seemed to always be around—sometimes at the copier, sometimes chatting with colleagues—but our interactions remained brief and casual, the kind of friendly exchanges I'd come to expect from a co-worker. But there was always a sense of distance, something more than just office etiquette. Despite our camaraderie, it was as if Ven held part of himself back, and I couldn't quite put my finger on why.
One morning, I was deep in the middle of reviewing contracts when my phone buzzed. I glanced down and saw "Draven Carter" flashing on the screen.
"Good morning, Draven," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. Despite our professional relationship, there was something about his calm, commanding voice that always put me a little on edge. "What can I do for you today?"
"Morning, Seren," he said, his tone as smooth as ever. "I need you to prepare some reports for our upcoming client meetings and send over the updated contracts. Shouldn't take too long."
"No problem," I replied, scribbling down notes. "I'll get right on it."
"Perfect. Thanks for staying on top of things."
I hung up, the same lingering thought swirling in my head—how had I been working here for weeks and never met Draven in person? The mystery surrounding him deepened by the day. Every time I asked someone in the office about him, they just smiled and shrugged, telling me he was a "busy man" with lots of high-profile meetings. It was almost like they were used to his ghostly presence.
That afternoon, I saw Ven chatting with a group of employees near the break room. As I walked past, I overheard him laughing, sounding more relaxed than I had ever heard him with me. For a moment, I felt a strange pang of envy—Ven was personable, approachable, everything I wished I could experience with Draven, but he always seemed just out of reach when it came to getting to know him better. Maybe that was how all CEOs were—distant, separate from the day-to-day flow of the office.
It wasn't that Ven didn't engage with me—he did, in small ways. He asked how my projects were going or occasionally sent me funny links during the more boring parts of the day. But despite his friendliness, he always kept a sort of professional boundary that I couldn't seem to cross.
Later that week, I was finishing up some paperwork when I saw Ven at the printer. I contemplated approaching him, maybe suggesting we grab coffee or at least ask if he'd heard anything more about Draven, but something held me back. Instead, I just gave him a quick nod as I passed, and he waved, a subtle smile tugging at his lips.
The following day, as I sat at my desk reviewing the latest batch of documents, I received another email from Draven. He thanked me for the work I'd done on the contracts and attached a new set of tasks. As I read his words, I felt a renewed sense of confusion. I was doing all of this work for Draven, yet he remained an enigma. The longer I worked here, the more disconnected he seemed from the rest of the office, and from me.
The odd thing was that Ven seemed more involved than ever. He was always around, sometimes late into the evening, and always quick to check in with me on small tasks or ask for my thoughts on projects we were working on. He wasn't a manager, but he acted like one in every way that mattered—except, of course, when it came to taking any direct credit for it.
One evening, just before leaving the office, I found myself staring at an email from Draven. I re-read his words, wondering again what it would be like to finally meet the elusive CEO. Why did it feel like everyone knew him but me? And why did Ven, who was so present, feel like he was hiding something behind his friendly smile?
I didn't have the answers yet, but one thing was certain: the mystery of Draven Carter was becoming impossible to ignore. I had a feeling that soon, very soon, I would uncover something that would change everything I thought I knew about this place, about Ven, and especially about the man I had been working for this whole time.