Chapter 3 – The Ice Cracks

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Elara’s POV – Monday Morning Chaos

Elara Monroe had long since accepted that Mondays were designed solely to test her patience. Today was no exception. Coffee cup in one hand, laptop bag slung over her shoulder, and a precarious stack of folders clutched against her chest, she navigated the hallway like a circus performer.

“Not today, printer gods. Not today,” she muttered as a rogue cart nearly tripped her. One misstep and she would be face-first in the break room carpet.

The elevator doors slid open. Not Adrian. Not yet. Just a swarm of interns and their caffeinated chaos. She squeezed past them, muttering apologies. Somehow, she made it in without spilling a drop of coffee. Small victories.

Her phone buzzed. A text from Chloe: “Phase One operational. Brace yourself for chaos.”

Elara groaned. “If by chaos you mean my friends and their caffeine-fueled schemes, then yes. I’m bracing.”

At her desk, a printer jammed. She muttered under her breath, muttering sarcastic commentary about how the office seemed to hate her personally. “Really, Monday? Again?”

Chloe and Maya appeared just in time to make things… worse.

“Elara! You survived the elevator swarm?” Chloe asked, sliding a chocolate bar across the desk. “Impressive. Truly impressive.”

Maya grinned. “And now, we begin Operation ‘Make Ice-Mountain Notice You.’ Step one: morale boost.”

Elara raised an eyebrow. “Step one: morale boost. Step two: mild humiliation?”

Chloe laughed. “Step two: strategic positioning. Step three: chaos.”

Elara groaned and grabbed the chocolate. Sometimes, it was easier to surrender.

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Adrian’s POV – Observation Begins

Adrian Hale did not notice her in the “human” sense. He noticed efficiency—or lack thereof. He noticed patterns, movements, habits.

He passed by her desk briefly, eyes scanning the morning’s minor disasters. A printer jam. A spilled pen. A coffee cup teetering on the edge of a table. Most employees would have panicked. She didn’t.

Not that he cared about her coffee. He cared about patterns. And for some inexplicable reason, her chaos-handling pattern drew his attention.

Why is she methodical in her chaos? he muttered silently. Annoying.

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Elara’s POV – The “Accidental Encounter”

Lunch brought temporary relief. She found a quiet corner in the cafeteria and unpacked her salad—only to have a water bottle topple over directly into it.

“Seriously?!” she yelped.

A hand appeared in her peripheral vision, scooping up the toppled bottle. Adrian Hale. She blinked. “Oh… uh… thanks, boss.”

He nodded curtly. “Careful next time.”

Nothing more. No sparks. No romantic butterflies. Just… efficiency.

But Adrian noticed. He noticed the way her hands moved, how she sighed but didn’t complain, the way she quietly reorganized her lunch without creating more mess.

Why am I watching her organize a salad? he asked himself. Unacceptable.

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Chloe & Maya – Mastermind Mode

Meanwhile, Chloe and Maya were hiding at the end of the cafeteria, grinning like mad scientists.

“Phase Two: accidental proximity,” Chloe whispered. “Dropped reports, spilled coffee, elevator mishaps. He notices her. Slowly. Perfectly.”

Maya smirked. “And she doesn’t even notice him. Brilliant. Keep it subtle.”

Elara was blissfully unaware of their scheming, concentrating on salvaging a soggy salad.

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Afternoon Project Chaos – Half Elara POV, Half Adrian POV

By mid-afternoon, the office descended into its usual chaos. A last-minute client report appeared on Elara’s desk, marked urgent, of course. She grabbed it with one hand while holding a stack of folders in the other.

“Perfect,” she muttered. “Just what I needed to survive the apocalypse.”

Adrian walked past her desk—again. She tried not to notice. She succeeded… mostly.

She’s efficient. Frustratingly efficient, Adrian thought, watching her juggle tasks without losing composure. Why do I care how she handles three folders and a coffee cup?

He shook his head. Focus. Ignore.

She didn’t notice him, naturally. She never did. That was the problem.

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The Reports Incident – First Small Spark (Adrian POV)

Elara dropped a stack of reports in the hallway. Papers scattered like confetti.

He bent down to help her pick them up. “Here. These,” he said, handing her the neatly stacked sheets.

“Thanks, boss,” she muttered, barely glancing up. She didn’t notice that he lingered a fraction too long, watching the way her fingers fumbled slightly and then steadied perfectly.

Why am I noticing that? he thought. Annoying.

Her focus, her determination, her small, human flaws—they were… distracting. He would not admit it.

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Elevator Mishap – Elara POV

Later, she accidentally pressed the wrong elevator button, sending her to a floor where Adrian was already waiting. They were stuck for a few seconds before the doors closed.

“Oh. Uh… hi,” she said awkwardly.

“Hello,” he replied tersely.

Nothing more. Conversation over. She didn’t notice how his eyes lingered a fraction longer than necessary. She didn’t notice the subtle shift in his posture, the slight relaxation of his usual rigid demeanor.

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Closing Thoughts – Dual POV

Elara POV:

Survived another day. Barely. Nothing changed. Same chaos, same boss. Same disaster-prone coworkers. Same me, somehow managing not to die.

Adrian POV:

Why am I keeping mental notes on her coffee-handling technique? This is… disturbing. Irritating. Distracting. Unacceptable.

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