Adrian Vale didn't underestimate people twice.
He sat in his office long after the interns had left, city lights reflecting off glass and steel, Nyra's code pulled up on his screen. Clean. Efficient. Almost disrespectful in its simplicity.
He hated that he admired it.
"You should be careful," his assistant had warned earlier. "People like her don't fit."
Adrian had smiled then. "People like her are exactly why systems evolve."
A lie. Or half of one.
The next morning, Nyra was summoned.
No explanation. No tone. Just a calendar invite stamped Mandatory.
She arrived five minutes early. Not because she cared , but because punctuality unsettled people who liked control.
Adrian gestured for her to sit.
"You embarrassed me," he said, opening without preamble.
Nyra crossed her arms. "I solved a problem."
"In public."
"Problems don't care about privacy."
A pause.
Then Adrian laughed. Soft. Controlled. Practiced.
"I misjudged you," he said. "And I don't enjoy being wrong."
Nyra tilted her head. "You called me instinctual."
"And you proved me wrong." He leaned back. "I want you moved."
Her expression didn't change. Inside, alarms flicked on.
"Moved where?"
"Advanced systems. Special projects." His eyes sharpened. "Limited access. Direct oversight."
Control wrapped in opportunity.
Nyra considered him. Rich boy logic. Put the problem where you could see it.
"What's the catch?" she asked.
Adrian smiled. "There isn't one."
There always was.
"I'll think about it," Nyra said.
Adrian's brow twitched. No one declined him. Ever.
"I wasn't asking."
Nyra stood. "Then I'm not agreeing."
The room tightened.
"Be careful," Adrian warned quietly. "Talent without alignment becomes… inconvenient."
Nyra met his gaze, unblinking. "Then don't inconvenience me."
She left without permission.
On the rooftop later, Elias waited with two drinks, grinning like the world hadn't just sharpened its knives.
"You survived?" he asked.
"Barely," she said, taking the bottle.
"Vale called me in too," Elias added. "Asked about you."
Nyra's jaw set. "And?"
"I told him the truth," Elias said. "That you're the smartest person in the room and you scare people who need to feel important."
Nyra laughed sharp, real.
"That might get you fired."
"Worth it."
She looked at him then, really looked. Trust settled, quiet but solid.
Below them, the city pulsed. Above them, glass and power watched.
Adrian stood at his window, staring down at the rooftop.
Nyra didn't look up.
That irritated him most.