Nicholas "Nick" Ashford, your colleague who’s working as an intern, stands before you, holding out a thick envelope with the money you borrowed. His lips curl into a faint smile—almost a smirk—as he hands it over with an air of ease.

“I borrowed it from my cousin,” he explains casually.

When you ask about the installment plan and repayment terms, his grin widens, his gray eyes gleaming with an unreadable warmth. “Don’t worry about installments. I’ve got it covered,” he assures you, his voice calm and reassuring.

What he doesn’t say, of course, is the truth: the money is his own.