CRACKS AND CODE

FRAGILE BOUNDARIES

The board members shifted, some uncomfortable, others intrigued.

Maxwell's gaze locked on her, unreadable, his jaw tight. For a moment, Kaitu couldn't tell whether he admired her defiance or saw it as another act of rebellion that needed to be crushed.

The silence stretched, the room hanging in balance.
The silence grew thick, pressing down on the room like a storm cloud. All eyes turned to Maxwell, waiting.

He leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepling in front of him. His gaze swept the table, pausing briefly on Ingrid before settling on Kaitu.

"Let's be very clear," Maxwell began, his voice even but edged with command. "Makori Logistics is currently facing one of the most critical security breaches in its history. Our survival depends not on hairstyles, but on competence."

Several directors shifted uncomfortably.

He went on, tone tightening. "Ms. Makinia was brought here because of her skill. Since stepping into this building, she has handled challenges none of you in this room are equipped to manage. To suggest that her dreadlocks somehow undermine professionalism is... shortsighted."

Curtis's arms unfolded, a ghost of a smirk flickering across his face.

Maxwell's eyes flicked to Ingrid, sharp as glass. "Company policy should uphold excellence, not prejudice. Until the day her performance falters, I don't want to hear about this matter again."

Ingrid's lips parted, but whatever protest she had died under the weight of his stare.

Maxwell turned his attention back to the board. "Is that understood?"

A reluctant chorus of murmurs followed: "Yes, Mr. Makori."

Then, finally, his gaze settled on Kaitu. For a brief second, so quick it could have been imagined, something softer flickered in his eyes. But when he spoke, his tone was back to business, clipped and commanding.

"Ms. Makinia stays and so does her hair. Case closed."

With that, he dismissed the meeting, rising from his chair. The decision was final, his authority unshaken.

Kaitu exhaled quietly, the tension loosening in her chest. But she knew better than to feel safe. Because even as Maxwell had defended her publicly, the set of his jaw made her feel like she still to earn his trust back in private.

The scrape of chairs filled the room as the board members reluctantly rose. Ingrid's expression was a storm barely contained.
Maxwell didn't so much as glance at her. His eyes found Kaitu's instead.

"Ms. Makinia," he said, his voice steady but carrying that undercurrent of steel everyone recognized. "Follow me to my office."

It wasn't a request.

Kaitu blinked, caught off guard, but quickly masked it with her usual composure. She gathered her notebook, murmured a polite "Excuse me," and trailed after him as he strode out of the boardroom.

Curtis, still lounging in his chair, let out a low whistle under his breath. "Oops, I can bet that won't be a friendly chat," he muttered, earning a few sideways glances from the directors.

Kaitu walked behind Maxwell down the corridor, her pulse quickening with each step. He hadn't raised his voice in there, hadn't given away anything personal, but the weight of his command had silenced an entire board.

And now, all that weight was turned toward her.

Maxwell shut the office door behind them with a quiet click. The room seemed to shrink around them, charged with something neither of them could ignore.