Bonds

Chapter 67

-Maya’s POV-

The cacophony of construction filled the air – hammering, sawing, drill whines echoing through the uast putted space. Amidst the chaos, I

stood frozen, a lone island of calm in a sea of activity.

People scurried around me like busy ants–construction workers in hard hats, electricians wrestling with wires, a team of painters meticulously applying a coat of crisp white to the exposed brick wall. I barely registered their presence, my mind lost in a whirlwind of thoughts.

“Amaya?” Ms. Edwards‘ sharp voice cut through my fog. She stood beside me, her clipboard clutched in one hand, the other resting on her hip. “Come on, earth to Amaya. Let’s see what you think of this.”

I blinked, forcing myself back to reality. This was it. The moment of truth. After weeks of planning, mood boards, late nights spent poring over blueprints and fabric swatches, the redesign was finally taking shape. A nervous flutter rose in my stomach.

“Right, sorry,” I mumbled, forcing a smile. “Sure, what is it?”

She gestured towards the center of the room, where a team of workers were assembling a massive structure. It looked like a giant metal frame, but the details were still shrouded in scaffolding and tarpaulin.

“That.” She announced with a flourish, “is the centerpiece of our open floor plan – the collaboration hub.”

“Collaboration hub?” I repeated, peering at the skeletal structure. “Explain?”

Her smile widened. “Ah, yes! The heart of this new design. It’s a multi–level platform, essentially. We’ll have different sections dedicated to different types of collaboration – brainstorming zones, breakout areas for smaller meetings, even a quiet zone with soundproofed pods for

focused work.”

My eyebrows shot up. “That’s actually a great idea,” I admitted. “I remember suggesting dedicated quiet zones during the initial meeting with

Mr. Thorne.”

A hint of amusement flickered in her eyes. “Indeed you did,” she conceded. “And a great idea it was. Mr. Thome was quite impressed with

your suggestion, you know.”

flushed a faint pink.

He specifically mentioned it during our last call. He even said something about appreciating the

and focused work

on how much he liked my idea. Back then we each did our own

reverie, “let’s take a closer look at the different levels. Up here, on the top platform, we’ll have

taking shape. I could picture it – a clean,

me towards another section of the frame, “we have the

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Chapter 67

a ping pong table for some

unexpected, but I liked the idea. A

creativity.

have the quiet zone. Soundproofed pods, comfortable ergonomic chairs, perfect for those times when someone needs to

soundproofing materials, ventilation systems. It wasn’t just

level of detail and thought that had gone

come together this well without your input. You have a

cough cut through our conversation, and I turned to see a young man

to

screen.

H

“Of course, Michael. Let’s see…” She pulled out a roll of blueprints and began studying them with a practiced eye. “The projector

needs to run…”

minutes, discussing wire placement and outlet configurations. I took the opportunity to

spacious, with floor–to–ceiling windows bathing the interior in natural light. Demolished cubicle walls had been replaced with sleek glass partitions, allowing for visual connection while maintaining a

stainless steel appliances gleamed under the harsh lights, and a row of sleek bar stools sat

was starting to feel real, this vision we’d meticulously crafted on paper, I could almost picture the employees bustling around, collaborating in

spaces.

I thought back to a time when this was what I wanted to do for him. Alex had always been impersonal when it came to work and

I forced myself to refocus. There was still a lot to be done. We needed to finalize furniture selections, choose color palettes for the different

on cue, Ms. Edwards reappeared beside me, the blueprints now neatly rolled up and tucked under her arm. “So, Amaya,” she began, her voice brimming with enthusiasm, “what do you think about

gracing my lips. “Honestly, Ms. Edwards, I’m impressed. It’s