669: A HARD PUNCH WOULDN'T BE A BAD IDEA

LUKE'S POV I sat at my desk, staring at the stack of paperwork in front of me. My thoughts drifted to the tension between Elsa and me since I had refused her advances. A knock on the door snapped me back to reality, and Elsa entered, her face stony and cold. "Someone's here to see you," she said curtly. I nodded, trying to keep my tone professional. "Send them in, please." She turned and left without another word, shooting me a glare that spoke volumes about her lingering resentment. I sighed, rubbing my temples as Steve entered the office, greeting me with his usual cheerful demeanor. You see, in these past few days, we had been friends in some kind of way—just taking and all that—so it's pretty cool. "Hey, Luke! How's it going?" "I've had better days," I admitted, gesturing for him to take a seat. "What brings you here today?" Steve sat down, his expression turning serious. "I wanted to discuss some business matters, but first, I need to talk to you about Ariel." At the menti