The next day, Aria stood in front of Darius's office, her hands tightly clasped together. She had arrived ten minutes earlier than the time he had set, hoping to ensure he had no reason to find fault with her or revoke their agreement. Taking deep, calming breaths, she knocked on the door.
"Come in."
His voice sounded as composed as ever. With a slight sense of dread, Aria opened the door and stepped inside. There he was, Darius, as handsome as ever, reviewing a stack of papers with a focused expression. Without glancing up from his work, he ordered her to sit down.
"Good morning," Aria greeted, trying to hide her reluctance in her tone. Darius barely responded with a faint, uninterested "mhmm," his voice betraying his exhaustion. It seemed like he had been working non-stop and hadn't given much thought to her arrival. Not bothering to look at her as he picked up a stack of papers and dropped them in front of her with a soft thud.
