Manipulative Livia

TRISTIN'S POV

"That’s great to hear," I said, nodding in approval. "Let’s keep that momentum going. And thank you both for holding down the fort while I was... away."

Sophie smirked. "It wasn’t easy, but we managed. Just don’t make a habit of disappearing on us."

"I’ll do my best," I replied, the humor in her voice helping to ease the lingering tension.

The rest of the day flew by in a whirlwind of meetings and catch-up sessions. It felt invigorating to dive back into work, to tackle problems and strategize for the future. Sophie and Eva were by my side throughout, their support unwavering.

Later that afternoon, as I was reviewing some reports in my office, Sophie popped her head in, a mischievous grin on her face. "Hey, CEO. Want to grab some lunch? We can talk about the next steps for the product launch."

"Sounds good," I said, standing up and stretching. "I could use a break."

We met up with Eva in the lobby and headed to our favorite lunch spot. As we sat down, I couldn’t help but