The door clicked shut behind me.

Soft.

But loud enough to feel final.

His office was exactly what I expected.

Minimal. Clean. Controlled.

Just like him.

“Sit.”

I didn’t hesitate.

Hesitation creates doubt.

And doubt gets noticed.

I sat across from him, placing the file on the table calmly.

Inside, my mind was already moving.

Fast. Careful.

He didn’t speak immediately.

Instead, he watched.

People think silence is empty.

It’s not.

It’s pressure.

“Anaya.”

My name sounded different in his voice.

Like it didn’t belong to me.

“Yes, sir?”

“You joined today.”

“Correct.”

“And yet,” he continued, leaning back slightly,

“you seem… very comfortable.”

There it was.

“I try to adapt quickly,” I replied.

Truth.

Just not the full version.

His gaze didn’t shift.

“Or you’ve done this before.”

My pulse paused.

Not increased.

Paused.

“Done what?” I asked, keeping my tone even.

“Walk into a place like you already understand it.”

Danger.

I let out a small breath.

Controlled. Natural.

“Observation is a good skill to have.”

A pause.

Then—

A faint smile.

Not warm.

Not friendly.

Interested.

“That it is.”

He leaned forward this time.

Elbows resting on the desk.

Closer.

More direct.

“So tell me,” he said, voice lower now,

“what have you observed so far?”

Trap.

Anything too detailed = suspicious

Anything too vague = useless

Balance.

“People here are careful,” I said slowly.

“They think before they speak.”

His expression didn’t change.

So I continued.

“But not all of them.”

That got his attention.

“Go on.”

I met his gaze.

“Some people act… too normal.”

Silence.

The kind that listens.

“Like who?” he asked.

There it was.

The moment.

I could say a name.

I could mislead.

I could test.

But I chose something else.

“I’m still observing.”

Safe.

Smart.

Incomplete.

Another pause.

Then his phone buzzed.

Once.

He glanced at it.

And just like that—

Something shifted.

Subtle.

But real.

His attention broke for half a second.

And that was all I needed.

I noticed the screen.

Not clearly.

But enough.

A name.

Ben.

Interesting.

He locked the phone immediately.

Too late.

“You’re dismissed,” he said suddenly.

That fast?

Something had changed.

I stood up calmly.

“Thank you, sir.”

As I turned to leave—

“Anaya.”

I stopped.

“Be careful,” he said again.

Same words.

Different meaning.

“This company doesn’t forgive easily.”

I didn’t turn back.

“I don’t make mistakes,” I replied quietly.

And walked out.

The moment I stepped outside—

I exhaled.

That wasn’t just questioning.

That was evaluation.

And I passed.

For now.

But one thing was clear.

He didn’t trust me.

And after what I just saw—

I wasn’t sure he should trust anyone.

Because the moment I saw ben’s name on his screen…

I realized this wasn’t just an investigation.

It was a game.

And both of them were already playing it.