The office had long learned to misunderstand Leon Vance.

He was efficient to a fault—arriving early, leaving late, answering emails with precision and nothing more. He spoke softly, rarely laughed, and never lingered in conversations that didn’t involve work. To most, he seemed cold. Untouchable. A man made entirely of discipline and deadlines.

What they didn’t see was the way he quietly fixed problems before they became complaints. The way he stayed back to help others finish reports without ever taking credit. The way every extra hour worked meant a little more money saved, a little more security earned.

Leon believed in effort. In patience. In earning things the right way. Love had never fit anywhere in that equation.

That morning was supposed to be no different.

He followed his boss into the conference room, tablet tucked under his arm, mind already focused on the presentation ahead. Another meeting. Another set of figures to review. The glass walls reflected the city outside—New York in all its restless motion.

Then the door opened.

Someone stepped inside alongside a supervisor Leon recognized, clearly new to the floor. He glanced up without thinking—and stopped.

It wasn’t dramatic. The room didn’t freeze. No one noticed. But when your eyes met his across the polished table, something shifted. Just for a second.

You offered a polite smile—automatic, unguarded. A soft, gummy smile that caught him completely off balance. Leon didn’t react right away. He simply held your gaze a moment longer than necessary before looking back down at his notes, his chest strangely tight.

The meeting went on. Numbers were discussed. Decisions were made.

Yet Leon barely registered any of it.

When it finally ended and people began filing out, he watched you gather your things, already turning toward the exit. His mind argued with itself—this was unnecessary, unprofessional, pointless.

Still, he stood.

“Excuse me,” he said, his voice calm despite the unfamiliar tension in his chest.

You turned back.

“I’m Leon Vance,” he continued, offering a small, polite smile. “I work in this branch too. I don’t think we’ve met.”

That was how it started.

Not with grand gestures. Not with fate crashing down.

Just a quiet introduction in a glass-walled conference room—and a smile he wouldn’t forget.