Emily Blair pressed her phone to her ear again. "Is there something you need? You can just say it over the phone."

Just then, without so much as a knock, someone pushed open the office door from the hallway.

Cynthia Rivera's loud voice carried in, "Tristan, are you thirsty? Want me to get you a glass of water?"

Tristan didn't even try to hide his annoyance.

Emily, too, fell silent. The voice sounded familiar.

With her finger idly scratching at the corner of a book page, Emily said, "You should get back to work. Just text me later."

This time, Emily hung up right away; she didn't bother waiting for a response.

When Cynthia walked in, her eyes landed on Tristan glaring at his phone, lips pressed into a hard line, his expression clouded with impatience.

As she approached, Tristan finally looked up, his gaze sharp and a little cold.

Cynthia's heart skipped. She wrung her hands in front of her, whispering, “Did I... did I do something wrong?"

The edge in Tristan's eyes faded quickly. He set his phone aside and circled behind his desk to sit down. "It's nothing."

Cynthia studied his face, inching closer. "Are you in a bad mood?"

Tristan set his pen back in its holder and leaned into his chair. "If you have something to say, just say it."

He clearly didn't want to talk to her.

Cynthia bit her lip. "I just wanted to ask if you wanted some water."

Tristan shot her a flat look. “No, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me get back to your own work."

Cynthia pouted. "I don't have any work right now. I just want to help you."

"Then ask Hilaria if she needs anything. She's your supervisor, not me."

Cynthia's voice grew softer. "But I want you to be my boss. Besides, Hilaria's busy with her own stuff-she barely talks to me."

Tristan replied, "Then that means she doesn't need you at the moment. Go back to your desk and wait for her to assign you something. You'll get the hang of things eventually."

Cynthia gave him a wounded look. "I've been sitting there forever, doing nothing. I'm bored out of my mind."

Tristan, unbothered, unlocked his phone and opened a document. "If you can't stand it, you can always go home."

"No way," Cynthia protested, eyes wide, clearly unwilling. "I'm staying right here."

Tristan jerked his chin toward the door. "Out. I've got work to do."

Cynthia let out a loud huff and marched out, closing the door behind her.

Meanwhile, Emily's days had been packed-not just with the Rivera project, but also with preparations for the annual Vertex Carnival.

Vertex International's games had become wildly popular, and many of their characters had loyal fan followings. To thank their players—and to generate even more buzz-Vertex had started hosting a massive carnival every October for the past two years.

The event was open to the public. Fans could purchase tickets and come dressed as their favorite game characters, while the company also hired professional cosplayers to bring the games to life. The carnival featured themed booths, interactive experiences, and plenty of opportunities for fans to immerse themselves in the Vertex universe.

Every year, the carnival drew huge crowds. Emily took the event seriously; after every carnival, Vertex's games always saw a surge of new players.

It was already Thursday. The weekend carnival was right around the corner, and everything had to be wrapped up. The whole staff was running on adrenaline, scrambling to get the last details in place. Emily herself made time to stop by the venue after work for a final inspection.

She walked the grounds, checking each area. Almost everything was ready. Each game had its own dedicated space, complete with displays of their most iconic characters—every detail strikingly true to the originals. She couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. Everything looked fantastic.