A New Morning In Manhattan

At 6:30 AM, Emily's phone alarm blared. She groaned, reaching for her phone, squinting at the screen with half-open eyes. After a few seconds, she finally sat up in her small bed in her tiny Brooklyn apartment.

Coffee. That's what she needed.

She walked to her little kitchen, brewed some instant coffee, and opened the window. The Manhattan morning air was still cool, with the distant sounds of car horns and sirens echoing through the streets. A new day, a new challenge at Calloway Holdings.

Sipping her coffee, Emily checked her phone. A message from Lucas popped up:

Lucas: "Yo, first day survived. Ready for round two?"

Emily: "Barely. You picking me up?"

Lucas: "Please, this is Manhattan. The subway is faster. See you at the lobby."

Emily smiled and got ready. A white blouse, black blazer, and tailored pants—simple yet professional. After fixing her hair, she grabbed her bag and hurried out the door.

---

07:30 AM – NYC SUBWAY

At the subway station, Emily squeezed in with the morning rush of office workers. A man in an expensive suit was typing away on his laptop, while an elderly woman flipped through the New York Times. The contrast of city life was stark.

Lucas was already waiting at the platform, dressed in a hoodie and jeans.

"You look like you've been working here for five years," Lucas teased.

"And you look like you just rolled out of bed," Emily shot back with a grin.

They boarded the packed train. Manhattan was getting closer, and Emily felt her adrenaline rising.

Day two at Calloway Holdings. What would happen next ?

SECOND MEETING WITH THE DESIGN TEAM

08:30 AM – UI/UX WORKSPACE, CALLOWAY HOLDINGS

Emily sat at her new desk, opened her MacBook, and started checking her work emails. Honestly, she was still adjusting to the office environment. The workspace was open, filled with large monitors, colorful sticky notes, and whiteboards covered in wireframe sketches.

The UI/UX team here looked extremely busy. No one was wasting time, and Emily could hear people seriously discussing design details.

Before she could fully get into her rhythm, a woman with short hair and an oversized sweater approached her.

"Emily, right?"

Emily quickly nodded.

"Ana, lead designer here." Ana extended her hand. "Welcome to the chaos."

Emily smiled and shook her hand. "Thanks. Hopefully, I won't make it even more chaotic."

Ana chuckled. "We'll see about that."

From the next desk, a guy wearing glasses and a Nike hoodie turned around. "You're the new one, huh? Ready for this?"

Emily glanced at his name tag: Jared – Senior UI Designer.

"Ready or not, I have no choice but to dive in," Emily replied casually.

Jared smirked. "Nice. You're gonna like Ana, but you're also gonna hate her. She's a hardcore perfectionist."

Ana scoffed. "I prefer the term 'detail-oriented.'"

---

08:45 AM – UI/UX MEETING

Emily followed Ana and Jared into the meeting room. The rest of the UI/UX team was already there—Sam, the motion designer, looking relaxed in a Metallica t-shirt, Lisa, the UX researcher, busy scribbling notes, and a few others.

On the large screen, a wireframe for a real estate app being developed by Calloway Holdings was displayed. Ana began explaining, pointing to different design elements.

"We're refining the experience for high-end property listings. Ethan wants something smoother, cleaner, and hassle-free."

Emily analyzed the design. It looked sleek, but she could already see areas that needed improvement.

Lisa added, "User feedback says they're struggling to navigate from the main page to property details. We need to make it more intuitive."

Jared leaned back in his chair. "Basically, Ethan Calloway doesn't like it when users have to think twice before clicking something."

Ana turned to Emily. "Any thoughts?"

Emily scooted her chair closer to the screen, studying the design for a moment before speaking.

"Honestly, I think we can streamline the flow even more. Maybe add gesture controls or shortcuts to simplify navigation? Right now, it takes too many taps to get to the listing details."

Several people nodded in agreement. Lisa jotted down notes. Ana gave a small smile. "That's actually a solid idea."

Jared glanced at Emily. "You know, most new hires stay quiet in their first meeting. You're different."

Emily smirked. "I can't stay quiet when there's room for improvement."

Ana laughed. "Well, in that case, you'll fit right in."

As the discussion continued, the meeting room door suddenly opened. The room fell silent instantly.

Ethan Calloway walked in.

A tailored suit, sharp expression—his presence dominated the space within seconds.

Ana immediately stood up. "Mr. Calloway."

Ethan didn't acknowledge her. His eyes were fixed on the presentation screen. "Progress?"

Ana quickly summarized the updates. Ethan listened with an unreadable expression before turning his gaze toward Emily.

"You're new."

Emily straightened her posture. "Yes, sir."

"Any contribution?"

Ana explained Emily's idea about gesture controls and shortcut navigation. Ethan observed her with piercing eyes.

Then, for the first time since he walked in, he nodded. "I like that. Implement it."

Without another word, he turned and left the room.

The moment the door closed, everyone let out a breath.

Jared turned to Emily. "Congratulations. You just got Ethan's approval on your second day."

Ana smiled. "That's rare. Good job, Emily."

Emily's heart was still racing, but she hid it behind a small smile.

Maybe today wasn't as bad as she thought.

VIDEO CALL FROM SIENNA

09:30 AM – CEO OFFICE, CALLOWAY HOLDINGS

After the UI/UX meeting, Ethan returned to his office. He sat in his black leather chair, took off his suit jacket, and loosened his tie. His mahogany desk was cluttered with documents and an iPad still displaying stock data. Today was quite packed, but his mind remained sharp.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated on the desk. Sienna.

An incoming video call via FaceTime.

Ethan stared at the screen for a moment before finally swiping the green button.

Sienna's face, the Victoria's Secret supermodel, instantly filled the screen. Her long blonde hair was still messy, as if she had just woken up. She wore a white silk robe, exposing her elegant shoulders.

SIENNA: "Morning, handsome."

Ethan smirked. "Morning? It's almost noon."

Sienna let out a small yawn, stretching lazily on Ethan's bed—his penthouse. "I'm still exhausted. You kept me up all night."

Ethan chuckled. "You're welcome."

Sienna sighed playfully. "I'm bored here. Why are you always so busy? When are we having lunch together?"

Ethan glanced at his schedule briefly, then looked back at the screen. "I have back-to-back meetings, babe. I can't step out for long."

Sienna pouted, putting on a teasing expression. "Seriously? Come on… I miss you."

She knew exactly how to make any man give in.

Ethan leaned back in his chair, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Dinner tonight. Pick the place, I'll pick you up."

Sienna smiled in satisfaction. "Deal. But I want somewhere fancy. I want us to celebrate something tonight."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Celebrate what?"

Sienna batted her lashes flirtatiously. "Our amazing night, obviously."

Ethan let out a small laugh. "Fine. Wear something that makes everyone stare at you."

Sienna bit her lip, then brought her phone closer to her face. "Do you like what I'm wearing now?" She slightly pulled down her robe, revealing more of her shoulder.

Ethan shook his head with a smirk. "You always know how to distract me, huh?"

Sienna chuckled softly. "Of course, baby. See you tonight?"

Ethan held her gaze for a moment before replying, "See you tonight."

The call ended. Ethan placed his phone back on the desk and exhaled.

Sienna was stunning, but she was also the type that always needed to be kept in check.

His eyes shifted back to the stack of documents. Straightening his posture, he switched back into CEO mode.

Tonight, he could relax. But for now, business came first.