ALEXIO'S POV 

As I finished my response, the CEO finally turned her chair to face me. And that's when my world came crashing down. My eyes widened in shock, my mouth hanging open in stunned silence. I felt like I had been punched in the gut, my breath knocked out of me.

My documents, which I had been holding in my hand, slipped from my grasp and fell to the floor with a soft rustle. I didn't even notice, my eyes fixed on the CEO's face.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still. I was frozen in shock, unable to move or speak. And then, slowly, my brain began...