𝙏𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙨

9

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚕𝚘𝚢𝚊𝚕 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗

----

Authors POV

Joseph marched into his cabin, feeling the weight of the day pressing down on him. He slumped into his chair, letting out a heavy sigh as he leaned his head back. Her presence was an unwelcome intrusion, though he couldn't deny a flicker of something akin to longing buried beneath layers of resentment and regret.

As he wrestled with his thoughts, the silence was shattered by a familiar voice.

"I see you're lost in someone's thoughts," James remarked, interrupting Joseph's moment of introspection.

Joseph brushed off the comment, focusing instead on James's purpose for being there. "What do you want?" he asked curtly, his tone betraying his irritation.

James wasted no time in getting to the point. "I came to inform you about the newcomer. I bet you've probably heard about that."

Joseph nodded tersely. "I have. What do you want me to do about it?"

James rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Do you know how to socialize? Can't you even welcome her? Come on, you're the person in charge."

With that, James left, leaving Joseph alone with his thoughts once more. He couldn't muster the energy to face her, but he knew he couldn't delay any longer. Fate seemed determined to force their paths to cross, whether he liked it or not.

The sound of the cabin door opening drew Joseph's attention, and he braced himself for her presence. His heart twisted at the sight of her, a surge of unease washing over him as she spoke.

"May I come in?"

She stood before him, hair neatly tucked behind her ear, eyes shimmering with a mix of excitement and nervousness. Despite her polite demeanor, Joseph couldn't shake the memories of their shared past that lingered between them like a shadow.

He realized he had been staring when she spoke again, her voice breaking through his reverie.

"May I come in, sir?"

Joseph snapped back to the present, gesturing for her to enter.

"Good morning, I am Brianna Rodriguez on duty," she introduced herself with a hint of formality.

Joseph forced a smile, feeling the irony of the situation weigh heavily on him. Determined to put the past behind him, he greeted her in kind.

"Welcome, Ms. Rodriguez. Please, have a seat."

As she settled into the chair across from him, Joseph couldn't help but notice the determination in her eyes. Despite the tension that hung in the air between them, he found himself hopeful for the future.

"It's nice meeting you. We all are looking forward to working together as a team with you," he said, sincerity lacing his words.

Brianna returned his smile with a slight one of her own. "Thank you, sir. I'll do my best."

Thanks for reading ❤️