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The international call came through at two in the afternoon, and Alice could tell from the first sentence that it was going to be a disaster.

“Ms. Winston, this is Henrik Vandermeer from the Amsterdam office.” The executive’s accent was thick with frustration. “I have been trying to reach Mr. Mendes for three hours. The Barcelona contract signing is tomorrow, and we do not have the updated terms.”

Alice pulled up the relevant files with practiced ease, her mind already racing through the problem. The Barcelona deal was a critical, multi-million dollar partnership that had taken eight months to negotiate. “Mr. Mendes is in back-to-back meetings until four, Mr. Vandermeer, but I have the updated terms here.” She scanned the document, her photographic memory catching the key changes. “The liability clause has been revised to include the addendum you requested, and we have agreed to the extended payment schedule.”

“I need those terms in writing before the Barcelona team arrives tonight,” Henrik said, his voice tight with stress. “They are threatening to walk.”

“I will have them to you within the hour.” Alice was already pulling up the template. “I will need Mr. Mendes’s signature, but I can route the document through expedited approval.”

“Can you guarantee that?”

Alice paused. Interrupting Harry would violate the protocols he had outlined, but letting this deal collapse would be worse. “Yes, Mr. Vandermeer. You will have the signed document by three-thirty.”

She ended the call and immediately drafted the updated contract, pulling language from three different sources and integrating them seamlessly. The work that should have taken a legal team hours took her twenty minutes. After she finished, she walked the draft over to the legal department for a quick review. A junior paralegal, Chloe, looked up from her desk.

“Alice, hey. Need a second look at something?”

“If you have a moment,” Alice said, handing her the papers. “It’s for the Barcelona deal. It needs to go out in the next thirty minutes.”

Chloe’s eyes widened as she scanned the pages. “You drafted this yourself? It’s perfect. The language is cleaner than what our senior counsel came up with last week. I’ll get it stamped for you right now. You’re a lifesaver.”

The hard part would be getting Harry’s signature. Alice printed the final document, attached the necessary briefing notes, and walked to the conference room. Through the glass wall, she could see Harry at the head of the table. She knocked once, soft but firm, and waited. His gaze flicked to her, irritation clear in the slight tightening around his eyes. He said something to the room, then rose and stepped into the hallway.

“This had better be critical,” he said, his voice low and sharp.

“The Barcelona deal is collapsing,” Alice handed him the document. “Henrik Vandermeer needs your signature within the hour. I have drafted the updated terms based on the parameters you approved last week.”

Harry took the papers, his eyes scanning the first page with incredible speed. “This includes the liability revision?”

“Page three, section four. I have highlighted the relevant passages.”

He flipped through the document. Alice held her breath, waiting for him to find some flaw. Instead, he pulled a pen from his pocket and signed with a quick, decisive stroke.

“Get it to Vandermeer immediately,” he said, handing the papers back. “And pull the complete file history on this deal. I want to review every negotiation point before tomorrow’s signing.”

“I will have it on your desk by five.”

Harry’s eyes met hers for a brief moment, and she saw something shift in his expression. It was not warmth, but a kind of reassessment, as if he were seeing her clearly for the first time. He glanced down at her hands, then back at her face. “You drafted this yourself?”

“Yes, Mr. Mendes.”

“It is solid work. Are you trained in contract law?”

“No. I just pay attention.” Alice kept her voice neutral, refusing to let the small compliment affect her.

“Return to your desk.” He went back into the conference room. Alice walked back to her station and sent the signed document. By the time Harry’s final meeting ended, she had a comprehensive briefing package waiting on his desk. She was packing up her own materials when he emerged from his office, the Barcelona file in his hand.

“Ms. Winston.” He stopped at her desk. “This is exceptional work. You have saved us significant time and potential loss.”

“Thank you, Mr. Mendes.”

“No.” He paused, and for a moment Alice thought she saw something almost like curiosity in his eyes. “You have been with the company for how long?”

“Two months.”

“Your previous employer?”

“Dalton Consulting.” The lie came easily.

“They were fools to let you go.” Harry nodded slowly, his gaze lingering on her face. “Good night, Ms. Winston.”

She watched him walk to the elevator and felt the cage close another inch tighter. Her exceptional competence, the very skill she relied on to build her escape fund, was making her a vital part of his operations. Indispensable employees did not get to quietly disappear.

As she packed her bag, a sudden, sharp pain lanced through her lower abdomen, making her gasp. She pressed a hand to the spot, her heart pounding with a new and immediate fear. This was not the familiar nausea. This was something else. The complication was no longer just about being too valuable to her boss. Now, it was about a ticking clock tied directly to her own health and the well-being of her child. The stakes had just become terrifyingly higher.