English Version: Sands & Sparrow

36

"Miss Sinclair..." Diana's voice was gentle, a tentative attempt to breach the silence that had enveloped the office.

"Miss Sinclair?" she tried again, a note of concern threading through her tone.

"Miss Sinclair, are you alright?" The question came more insistently this time, as Diana observed Margo staring into the void, her gaze fixed on the computer screen but clearly seeing beyond it.

Without diverting her gaze, Margo finally responded, her voice steady but distant, "Prepare the contracts, Diana. I'll sign them today." She leaned back in her chair, cradling a mug of steaming coffee between her hands, the warmth seemingly failing to reach her eyes.

"It will be done, Miss Sinclair. I'll attend to it immediately," Diana assured her, ready to leave but pausing as Margo spoke again.

"Oh? Diana, may I ask you something?" The sudden shift in Margo's tone, from dismissive to inquisitively vulnerable, made Diana stop in her tracks. Margo set down her pen, her posture relaxing slightly, signaling a rare moment of openness.

"What is it, Miss Sinclair?" Diana asked, her curiosity piqued as she lingered by the door, sensing the importance of the moment.

"How do normal people apologize?" The question hung in the air, uncharacteristic of Margo, who usually exuded control and decisiveness. Now, she appeared almost lost, her arms crossed not in defiance but in a self-protective gesture as she leaned into the back of her chair.

Diana's brow furrowed, not just in wonder but in a soft empathy for the powerful woman before her. "It's easier to ask for forgiveness as long as you're sincere," she replied, her voice laced with warmth. "Genuineness in your words and actions... that's what truly matters."

"That's it? Is that all you can say?" Margo pressed, her eyebrow arching, a mix of skepticism and hope coloring her tone.

"Yes, Miss Sinclair," Diana affirmed, her smile gentle and encouraging. "Sincerity speaks volumes, far louder than any grand gesture."

"I'll go ahead now, Miss Sinclair," Diana added after a brief pause, offering Margo a moment to digest the advice, her departure slow and thoughtful.

Margo responded with a wry smile, a silent acknowledgment of Diana's words. As the door closed softly behind Diana, Margo sat alone with her thoughts.

++++

"Miss Sinclair...reporters are waiting in the lobby. Would you prefer to use the back exit? I can inform security," Diana offered, her voice tinged with concern.

"It's fine, Diana; I'll meet them in the lobby," Margo responded, her voice imbued with determination.

"Please proceed with your tasks at your convenience," Margo instructed, dismissing the staff who had been accompanying her through the corridor. She advanced toward the elevator bank, noting that two elevators were temporarily out of service, a minor inconvenience soon to be remedied by the Maintenance Department. As she waited alone, the elevator dinged its arrival. Inside, employees instantly recognized their formidable CEO. They began to shuffle out, deferentially making way, but Margo halted them with a serene command, "Don't get off." Her authority undisputed, she stepped inside.

As Margo entered inside the elevator, the crowd spontaneously parted, reminiscent of Moses parting the Red Sea, a path clearing before her. Among the faces, one turned notably pale at the sight of the CEO—Aveline. Margo navigated through the crowd, positioning herself deliberately at the rear, mere steps behind Aveline. The group of people, though dense, instinctively kept a respectful distance from Margo. Aveline, attempting to mask her discomfort, stiffened, but an inadvertent push from a bystander as the elevator began its descent forced her directly against Margo, their proximity unexpectedly intimate.