Logan stepped forward, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
"Of course you will." Then, with a smirk on his lips... "But if anyone dares to stress you out... just send their na. One scandalous ’leak’ and I’ll tank their reputation before lunch."
Jean gave him the faintest smile. "That’s illegal."
"That’s marriage."
She rolled her eyes, but the warmth lingered as she grabbed her bag.
"Don’t forget to eat lunch," he added, handing her a container she didn’t even realize he’d packed.
She blinked down at it.
"You cooked?"
"Technically, no. I bribed my mother for leftovers."
Jean chuckled... a soft, rare sound. "You’re ridiculous."
"And you’re beautiful. Go be terrifying, Jean Adams."
She kissed him on the cheek, then turned for the elevator.
Back to work.
Back to being her.
__________________________
The revolving doors of Divine Beauty HQ whooshed open as Jean stepped in, flanked by two executive assistants and the distant clicking of Hannah trailing behind with a folder nearly as thick as her own arm.
Every pair of eyes turned to Jean as she entered.
So with admiration. So with fear. So with the quiet whisper of gossip.
But no one dared speak when she passed.
The sound of her heels echoed down the hall like a form of power.
She entered the executive floor, nodding to her team, and opened the door to her glass walled office... the one Emma used to prep before every major pitch. The desk was pristine. Too pristine.
Emma’s coffee mug still sat on the credenza behind it, untouched since the day she fell into silence.
Jean stood there for a second longer than necessary.
Then shook it off.
"Hannah, summary of this morning’s calls," she said, pulling off her blazer and hanging it with crisp precision.
Hannah, clearly flustered, fumbled her notes but caught herself just in ti. "Uh, yes! Mr. Zhou’s team confird samples were received and they’re asking for a revised quote. Also... the Korean influencers’ campaign reports ca in. There’s a dip in engagent after last week’s drama..."
Jean cut her off gently.
"We expected that. Refra the copy to lean into our ’human first’ branding. Make the crisis part of our voice. It’s not a scandal... it’s the transparency of our relationship."
Hannah blinked. "That’s... genius."
Jean didn’t respond. Just moved toward her desk, pulled up her chair, and powered on her laptop.
Her eyes lingered a second too long on the corner of the screen... where Emma’s slack profile was still set to "away."
A soft knock.
One of her executives stepped in. "The legal team’s here to go over the NYPD’s recent request. They want access to our internal server logs from last month."
Jean sighed. "Of course they do. Give two minutes."
The door closed.
She exhaled quietly and leaned back, looking out over the skyline.
The city was still moving. So she had to, too.
Her phone buzzed.
A ssage from Logan.
"Thinking of you. Don’t let them wear you out."
Jean smirked faintly.
And typed back.
"They’ll try. But they’ll fail."
Then she stood, rolled her shoulders, and adjusted her collar like she was stepping onto a battlefield because she was.
And Emma would expect no less.
The conference room was filled with the usual suspects... suited lawyers, HR representatives, two IT heads, and a NYPD liaison in plain clothes with a governnt issued laptop bag sitting on the table like a loaded gun.
Jean walked in without flinching.
"Ms. Adams," said the lead officer, rising halfway out of his chair.
"Sit," she replied curtly, setting her phone face down on the glossy surface. "Let’s make this quick."
The legal advisor to her left leaned in slightly. "They’re asking for last month’s logs. All emails, chat ssages, and appointnt records."
Jean arched her brow.
"And the grounds for this intrusion?"
The officer cleared his throat. "The Dominic case. There were business links overlapping with forr Adams Corp contractors."
Jean didn’t even blink.
"Get to the part where you suspect , Officer."
A pause.
No one laughed.
She glanced at her legal counsel. "Give them the non client specific server logs. Redact anything related to R&D and sealed contracts. If they push, we escalate to court."
Her voice was calm. Her jaw locked.
The officer looked mildly frustrated but gave a curt nod.
When they left, Jean stayed seated for a beat longer, pressing her thumb and forefinger to the bridge of her nose.
Emma would’ve cracked a joke right about now... sothing about sending legal copies on scented stationery just to annoy the NYPD.
Instead, there was silence.
_______________________
Later, as the sun began to lean into the west, Jean stood at the break room window, her blazer folded over a chair and a fresh cup of chamomile tea in hand.
Hannah entered quietly, holding a printed deck of campaign designs, her pastel pens tucked into her ssy bun.
She stopped in the doorway.
"You okay?"
Jean turned, not with her usual boss-glare, but sothing gentler.
"Is it that obvious?"
Hannah shrugged sheepishly. "I may or may not have overheard so of the legal etings. And by overheard I an I was standing behind the water dispenser holding my breath."
Jean smirked... barely and took a sip of tea.
"If you’re going to spy, at least bring popcorn."
Hannah giggled, then stepped closer, holding out the deck. "I... also revised the copy for the influencer campaign. I tried to lean into the ’transparency angle’ you ntioned earlier."
Jean flipped through the first few pages.
Then stopped.
Read one tagline twice.
Her brow lifted, impressed. "You wrote this?"
Hannah bit her lip and nodded.
Jean looked at her... blinked at her and for the first ti since Emma’s absence, she saw soone trying to fill a little piece of that impossible gap.
Not perfectly. Not even close. But earnestly.
"Emma would’ve liked this," Jean said softly.
Hannah’s eyes widened a little. "You think?"
Jean nodded, then turned the page. "She also would’ve told you to stop drinking three Red Bulls before noon. You shake when you hand things."
Hannah laughed through her nose. "Noted."
A quiet pause followed, the kind that didn’t need to be filled.
Then Jean looked at her, voice steadier.
"You’re getting there. Slowly. Don’t try to beco Emma. Just... be soone I can trust."
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