( third person’s POV )

By seven in the morning, Ethan was already dressed.

The white long-sleeved shirt he wore had been ironed twice just to make sure there wasn’t a single crease left on it, and the black suit he was wearing was the one he had bought years ago for college presentations and the occasional formal event.

It still fit surprisingly well, though the shoulders felt a little tighter now.

He stood in front of the mirror in his room adjusting the sleeves carefully.

Well... this wasn’t exactly how he imagined his first day at HQ would look.

In his head he had pictured a more expensive suit. Something sleek. Something that screamed success the moment he walked into a room.

But for now?

This would do.

At least until his first paycheck came in.

He fixed his hair one last time, took a deep breath, then stepped out of his room.

His mother was already waiting in the living room.

The moment she saw him, her entire face lit up.

"Wait," she said quickly before he could speak. "I almost forgot."

She reached beside her and picked up a small box.

"Here."

Ethan smiled slightly before opening it.

A tie.

Dark navy blue with thin silver patterns running through it.

"Mum..."

"I know it isn’t much," she said softly, "but it’s your first day at work and I wanted to get you something special."

Ethan stared at the tie for a moment .

"Thanks mum."

"You’re welcome." She walked closer to him and gently took it from his hands.

"Now come here. Let me help you."

Ethan chuckled softly and stepped closer.

Grace carefully folded the collar of his shirt upward and began knotting the tie with practiced fingers.

And while she worked, Ethan watched her face.

The smile she wore wasn’t just happiness.

It was pride.

The kind only a parent could have.

Like every sleepless night and every sacrifice had finally started meaning something.

When she finished, she stepped back slowly to admire him properly.

For a moment she said nothing.

Then her eyes softened.

"You look like your father when he was young."

Ethan’s smile faded just slightly.

His mother stepped closer again and fixed the collar gently.

"Stay safe out there, okay?"

"I will, mum."

Then he smiled softly.

"I love you."

She cupped his cheek briefly.

"I love you too."

Ethan grabbed his keys and headed toward the door.

The moment he opened it—

"Hello you."

Raina stood outside smiling.

Ethan blinked.

"Raina?"

She was wearing a cream-colored coat over black jeans, her hair tied loosely behind her shoulders, and in her hand was a long suit bag.

"What are you doing here?"

Instead of answering, she walked past him into the house.

"Good morning Mrs Crux."

Grace smiled immediately.

"Raina dear, good morning."

Then Raina turned toward Ethan.

"Well," she said casually, lifting the bag slightly, "I came to give you this."

Ethan frowned.

"What is that?"

She raised a brow.

"What does it look like? It’s a suit."

He stared at her.

"Raina—"

"Go on," she interrupted. "Open it."

Ethan slowly unzipped the bag.

And immediately froze.

Inside was a charcoal grey Armani suit.

Not just expensive.

Painfully expensive.

The kind Ethan had only ever seen on mannequins or rich executives walking through downtown Harrington.

His eyes widened.

"Wow."

Grace covered her mouth immediately.

"Oh my God."

Ethan looked back at Raina.

"Raina, this is too much."

"I can’t accept this," he said quickly. "This thing probably costs more than my rent."

" I knew you’d say that"

"Well," she said casually, "what if I told you it isn’t from me?"

Ethan paused.

"...What?"

"It’s from my grandpa."

Silence.

"Katsuro?"

Raina nodded.

Ethan genuinely looked confused.

"Why would he buy me a suit? I thought he hated my guts."

"Well apparently you’re wrong," Raina said, smiling. "Because when I told him you got the promotion... he was actually kinda proud of you."

Ethan stared at her.

Then laughed in disbelief.

"Get the hell out. Seriously?"

"Yep. Seriously."

Grace folded her arms immediately.

"Ethan stop being stubborn and accept the gift."

"Yes Ethan," Raina added dramatically. "You wouldn’t want my grandpa upset with you."

Ethan swallowed.

Honestly?

That was a terrifying thought.

He still wasn’t fully sure whether Katsuro liked him or was simply tolerating him for Raina’s sake.

And considering who Katsuro Arashigumi was...

Ethan definitely preferred the first option.

"Okay," he sighed finally. "I accept."

"Good," Raina said immediately. "Now try it on."

"Yes," Grace agreed excitedly. "Try it on."

Ethan groaned.

"Jesus, alright."

Both women laughed as he headed back into his room.

A few minutes later he stepped out again.

And this time even he had to admit it.

The suit was incredible.

The charcoal grey fabric fit perfectly against his body like it had been tailored specifically for him. Clean lines. Sharp shoulders. Black buttons polished to perfection. The white shirt underneath made the darker tones stand out even more, and paired with the fitted black trousers and dress shoes—

He looked expensive.

"Wow," Grace and Raina said at the exact same time.

Ethan laughed.

"You look handsome," Grace said proudly.

"Really handsome," Raina added.

Ethan rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Okay relax."

Then he remembered something.

He took off the tie Raina’s suit came with and handed his mother the one she bought earlier.

"Here mum," he said softly. "I want you to knot this one instead."

Grace looked genuinely touched.

Without saying anything, she stepped closer and began fixing the tie carefully.

This time though...

Tears slowly gathered in her eyes.

Ethan noticed immediately.

"Mum."

She looked away quickly.

"I’m okay."

He gently wiped one tear away with his thumb.

"Hey." His voice softened. "No crying. Remember what the doctor said."

She laughed weakly.

"I know." Then she smiled at him again. "I’m just happy."

Ethan hugged her carefully.

Then turned toward Raina.

"Thank you," he said sincerely. "Really. For everything."

Raina looked at him for a second before smiling lightly.

"Woah. It’s not like you’re dying or anything."

But Ethan noticed the slight shine in her eyes too.

He smiled softly.

Then leaned down and kissed her.

"I’ll have a great first day," he said quietly.

"You better."

A few minutes later Ethan finally stepped outside.

And both women stood at the doorway waving as he left.

Parallex HQ was nothing like Ethan expected.

The building alone looked intimidating.

Unlike the small branch office he used to work in, HQ occupied the upper five floors of an enormous glass tower in downtown Harrington. The exterior reflected the morning sunlight like polished silver, and employees moved in and out of the lobby carrying coffee cups, laptops, folders, conversations.

The entire place screamed money.

Ethan adjusted his sleeves slightly as he walked inside.

The lobby was massive.

Marble floors.

Tall glass walls.

Modern furniture placed carefully around waiting areas.

A digital display near the reception cycled through company achievements and upcoming projects while soft instrumental music played faintly overhead.

Even the air smelled different.

Clean.

Expensive somehow.

"Mr Crux?"

Ethan turned.

A man in a fitted navy suit stood beside him holding a tablet.

"Yes?"

"Please follow me."

Ethan nodded quickly.

The man led him toward the elevator and pressed the button for the fifth floor.

The ride upward was silent.

Ethan could see his reflection faintly in the polished elevator walls.

God.

He was really here.

Ding!

The elevator doors opened.

And immediately Ethan could tell this floor operated differently from the branch office.

The energy alone was different.

Employees moved quickly between workstations carrying files and tablets. Phones rang somewhere in the distance. Conversations overlapped softly across the floor. Large monitors displayed ongoing design campaigns while glass meeting rooms lined sections of the office.

Everything looked sharper.

Faster.

More serious.

The man walked Ethan toward a large office near the far side of the floor. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

The plaque outside read:

TALENT ACQUISITION MANAGER

"You can go in," the man said before leaving.

Ethan adjusted his tie once more before knocking.

"Come in."

He opened the door.

A man in his late forties sat behind a polished desk staring at a laptop screen. The moment he saw Ethan, he closed it immediately.

"Mr Crux," he said, standing.

Ethan nodded politely.

"Yes sir."

"Please," the man gestured toward the chair opposite him. "Have a seat."

Ethan sat carefully.

"My name is John Grainger," the man said warmly. "We spoke on the phone yesterday."

"Oh yes sir, I remember."

"Good." John folded his hands together. "First, I’d like to personally apologize on behalf of Parallex Design Company regarding the mishandling of your promotion review."

Ethan stayed quiet.

"The evaluation process conducted by your branch office contained several inconsistencies," John continued professionally. "Once HQ reviewed your file independently, it became very clear that your qualifications exceeded the position you originally applied for."

Exceeded.

Ethan tried very hard not to smile too visibly.

"The staff responsible for the oversight are already being dealt with internally," John added smoothly. "And measures are being put in place to ensure something like this doesn’t happen again."

Corporate bullshit.

But expensive corporate bullshit.

And honestly?

Ethan would take it.

"Secondly," John continued, smiling now, "welcome to HQ officially."

"Thank you sir."

"You’ll be serving as Senior Creative Director under the commercial branding division." He slid a folder across the desk. "Everything regarding your compensation package, benefits, company access credentials, and project responsibilities is inside."

Ethan opened the folder briefly and nearly choked internally at the salary number.

Jesus Christ.

John continued speaking while Ethan recovered mentally.

"You’ll oversee multiple project teams directly, coordinate with marketing leads, and report to executive management during campaign reviews." He smiled slightly. "It’s a demanding position, but based on your performance history, we believe you’ll excel here."

Ethan straightened immediately.

"I’ll do my best sir."

"I’m sure you will." John stood and extended his hand. "And if you need anything at all, my door is always open."

Ethan stood quickly and shook it.

"Thank you, sir."

A few minutes later another employee escorted Ethan through the office again before finally stopping outside a corner office surrounded by glass walls.

"This is yours."

Ethan blinked.

"...Mine?"

The employee smiled.

"Welcome to HQ."

Then left.

Ethan slowly opened the door and stepped inside.

The office was huge.

Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city below. Cars moved like tiny dots beneath him while morning sunlight spilled across the polished wooden floor. A sleek desk sat near the center of the room with dual monitors already installed, and shelves lined the walls beside framed design awards from previous campaigns.

There was even a small lounge area near the window.

A coffee machine too.

God.

The branch office suddenly felt like a storage closet in comparison.

Ethan slowly walked further inside.

The room smelled faintly of wood and expensive air freshener. Someone had placed artificial white lilies near the window beside neatly arranged files.

Everything looked untouched.

New.

Waiting for him.

He finally sat down behind the desk.

The leather chair sank slightly beneath him.

And for the first time since all of this started...

Ethan allowed himself to breathe.

Then slowly leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling.

Senior Creative Director.

HQ.

His own office.

His own team.

"I can work with this "...