CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE – A POLITE DECLINE

Nia shook her hand, forcing a polite smile. "Nice to meet you, Rachel. I'm Nia, the receptionist." Rachel's gaze flicked to the trashcan. "Those flowers looked lovely. Special occasion?" "No," Nia replied curtly. "Just a misunderstanding." "Oh?" Rachel's eyebrows rose. "Must be quite the admirer to send such an elaborate bouquet for no reason." Nia's smile tightened. "I really should get to work. It was nice meeting you, Rachel." As Rachel sauntered away, Nia couldn't shake the feeling that this introduction was far from innocent. She settled into her chair, determined to focus on her tasks and put the morning's events behind her. However, Rachel seemed to have other plans. Throughout the day, she found increasingly creative reasons to linger near Nia's desk, each time steering the conversation back to the discarded flowers and their mysterious sender. Mid-morning, Rachel approached with a stack of papers. "Hey Nia, where should I drop these off for filing?" Nia gestured to a n