MY MOON

CHAPTER 26: ALYA

The day had been a whirlwind from the moment I woke up. Meetings, deadlines, and the mounting pressure of the upcoming car release had me running on fumes. I hadn't eaten anything since morning, and as the clock ticked closer to 5 pm, my stomach growled in protest. I was due to meet with Dev soon, but the fatigue and hunger were making it hard to focus.

"Alya?" Casy's voice cut through my thoughts as she knocked on the door.

"Yes?" I turned to see her standing there with a concerned look on her face.

"Take this," she said, handing me a cookie. "Eat, you haven't had anything all day."

"Thanks, Casy. I was so hungry I thought I might die," I said, taking a grateful bite.

She smiled and sat on the edge of my desk. "So, what's the update?"

"Well, all the designs are ready, and we're about to start manufacturing soon," I replied between bites.

"Good, and what about the feedback?"

"It's positive. We conducted a survey, and the colours black, blue, and red were the top choices that people felt best suited our design," I said, feeling a small surge of pride.

"Did you send a draft to Alex's office before finalizing the designs?"

"Yes, I sent it this morning. They want to discuss some changes, so Dev and I are meeting at 6 pm to go over them," I explained.

Casy gave me a sly look. "Meeting and romance, not bad," she teased.

"We broke up, Casy," I said, my tone flat.

"Why? He was such an eye candy," she asked, genuinely surprised.

"Personality differences," I answered, keeping it short. I didn't feel like diving into the details with her.

"Well, in that case, maybe I'll try my luck with him," she said with a wink.

I rolled my eyes and handed her a stack of files. "And yeah, I need your signatures on these approval files. I've edited a few, so please review them."

Casy looked at the files and then at me. "Calm down, Alya. Are you trying to do a month's work in a day?"

"I don't know, Casy. I'm so tense. There is still a lot to do here plus, we have to catch a flight at 8 pm for the Chicago launch party," I said, feeling the weight of the day pressing down on me.

"Everything will be fine. I'm tagging along, right? You'll do great," she said reassuringly.

"I hope so. Alex has high expectations for this design, and I don't want him to question me on my professional abilities," I confessed.

"He won't, babe. He handpicked you for this project," she said confidently.

"Handpicked?" I echoed, curious.

"Actaully-" Casy started to explain.

"Wait," I said stopping her as I was interrupted by a call from Dev.

"Yes, Dev, I'll be there in 15 minutes," I said, getting up and gathering my things.

As I hung up, Casy gave me a playful look. "Ex-boyfriends as current clients? Drama! And I love it," she said in a seductive tone.

I smiled at her and rushed out of the office. The meeting with Dev went on longer than expected, stretching until 7 pm. Surprisingly, it wasn't awkward at all. We managed to discuss the professional matters without any tension, and once everything was settled, we leaned back in our chairs, taking a breather.

"So, how are you?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, a pretty girl broke up with me so you know," he said jokingly.