Chapter 2 — The Balancing Act

Alessia

The morning sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Alexander Airlines Headquarters felt sharper today, almost accusatory. Alessia stared at her computer screen, re-reading the same email for the third time as her fingers hovered uncertainly over the keyboard. She had barely been in the role for twenty-four hours, and already the pressure of juggling Reece Alexander’s expectations, endless meeting requests, and the unfamiliar corporate jargon was beginning to weigh on her.

Across the open-plan office, the quiet hum of activity seemed far from soothing. Phones rang, keyboards clattered, and conversations in low, clipped tones filled the air. Alessia longed for something to anchor her—a checklist, a moment to breathe—but the demands were relentless.

The chime of her office phone jolted her out of her thoughts. She snatched up the receiver, fumbling slightly. “Alessia Cora speaking,” she said, her voice tinged with nervous brightness.

“Miss Cora,” came Reece’s unmistakably cool tone. “My calendar shows overlapping meetings this afternoon. Clear the one at two o’clock and ensure the participants are rescheduled within the week. I need the time blocked off.”

Alessia scrambled for her notebook, her leather tote teetering precariously on the edge of her desk. She flipped it open, her pen clicking anxiously. “Yes, sir,” she replied, her voice steadier than she felt. “Two o’clock. I’ll take care of it.”

The line went dead, leaving her with no time to second-guess her response. She glanced at the calendar on her screen, her hazel eyes narrowing at the overlapping slots. After a few minutes of clicking, she realized the meeting in question involved four different departments—a logistical Rubik’s Cube to rearrange. She exhaled slowly, squaring her shoulders. “I’ve got this,” she muttered under her breath.

Her fingers flew across the keyboard, drafting a carefully worded email to each attendee, proposing alternative times and attaching the updated schedule. The replies came back one by one—some immediate, others requiring follow-up. She confirmed new slots, updated the calendar, and crossed the task off her list, a small swell of relief lightening the knot in her chest. It wasn’t perfect, but she had managed.

The hum of voices around her pulled her attention, and Alessia realized she wasn’t alone. A conversation at the nearby workstation grew louder, Daniel Harper’s unmistakable, mocking tone cutting through the ambient noise.

“Another new face in the firing line,” he said to a colleague. “Let’s see how long she lasts.”

Alessia’s grip tightened on her mouse. She resisted the urge to turn around, forcing herself to focus on her screen instead. Her fingers stilled, though, as the words worked their way under her skin. Brianna’s advice from the night before replayed in her mind: “Keep your head high, Alessia. These people don’t know who they’re dealing with yet.” Still, Daniel’s comment left a bitter taste in her mouth. She made a mental note to watch her steps around him—he had the air of someone who thrived in others’ missteps.

Mid-morning brought little reprieve. Her desk was buried under files and sticky notes. Alessia juggled scheduling adjustments, department updates for Reece, and her textbook peeking out from her tote—a cruel reminder of the essay she still hadn’t started for her night class. She glanced at the time on her monitor and winced. If she didn’t eat now, she’d lose the chance altogether.

Grabbing her tote and a granola bar from her drawer, Alessia made her way to the break room. The space was sleek but impersonal: white counters, stainless steel appliances, and a few scattered tables. She sank into a chair by the window with her textbook, unwrapping the granola bar as she tried to focus on her reading.

The sterile scent of cleaning supplies mixed with the faint aroma of burnt coffee as her eyes scanned the page. But her thoughts kept drifting. Every time she blinked, Reece’s sharp blue eyes seemed to flash in her mind, cool and assessing. He didn’t need to raise his voice to make her feel the weight of his expectations. Her performance mattered here—probably more than it ever had anywhere else—and she couldn’t shake the fear of failing.

Her phone buzzed against the table, vibrating with a merciless urgency. She grabbed it, expecting another email from Reece, but instead saw Anthony’s name flashing on the screen. Alessia hesitated for a moment before answering.

“Hey,” she said, keeping her tone light.

“Hey yourself,” Anthony replied, his voice casual but slightly distant. “Just checking in. How’s the fancy new gig?”

“It’s... um, intense,” Alessia admitted, glancing around the break room as if someone might overhear. “Reece Alexander is—well, he’s everything you’d expect from a CEO. I’m just trying to keep up.”

Anthony chuckled, but it lacked warmth. “Sounds about right. Corporate types like that live to make everyone else’s life harder.”

Alessia frowned, pressing her granola bar wrapper flat against the table. “It’s not like that. I mean, yes, he’s demanding, but this job is important. It’s a step forward.”

“Sure.” Anthony’s dismissive tone pricked at her nerves. “Just don’t let it turn you into one of them, okay? You’ve got better things to worry about than sucking up to some suit.”

Her fingers clenched the wrapper as a sharp pang of frustration shot through her. “I’m not sucking up to anyone, Anthony. I’m working hard because I want to do well.”

“Okay, okay, relax. I’m just saying don’t lose yourself in all that corporate nonsense.”

She wanted to snap back, to tell him that just surviving this job took all the strength she had, but exhaustion stole her words. “I’ve got to go,” she said instead, her voice clipped. “I’ll call you later.”

“Yeah, see you,” Anthony said, his voice tinged with irritation before the call ended.

Alessia stared at the phone in her hand, her chest tightening. This was supposed to be the person in her corner, but lately, Anthony’s indifference felt like a weight dragging her down. Shaking her head, she stuffed the phone back into her tote. The rest of her break passed in a haze of frustration, which lingered as she returned to her desk.

The hours blurred into one another, an endless cycle of emails, phone calls, and schedule adjustments. Alessia was finalizing a report for Reece when she spotted a glaring typo in a key section. Her stomach sank. She corrected it quickly, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. But it didn’t stop her thoughts from spiraling. What if there were mistakes she hadn’t caught? What if Reece noticed and called her out?

Her anxiety turned out to be prophetic. Barely twenty minutes after sending the report, Reece’s office door opened, and his figure loomed in her peripheral vision. She looked up, heart racing.

“Miss Cora.” His voice was crisp, his expression unreadable. “There’s an error in the timestamp for the board meeting notes. Correct it and resend immediately.”

Alessia’s cheeks burned. “Yes, sir. I’ll fix it right away.”

He nodded once, his piercing gaze lingering on her for a moment. For a split second, she thought she saw a flicker of disappointment in his expression, but it was gone as quickly as it came. “Be more thorough next time,” he added.

The words weren’t harsh, but they stung all the same. Alessia swallowed hard as he retreated back into his office. She quickly pulled up the file, correcting the timestamp and triple-checking every line before resending it. Her fingers trembled as she typed the email, muttering quietly to herself. “Focus, Alessia. You’re better than this.”

By the time the clock struck six, Alessia felt like she’d run three marathons back-to-back. She packed up her tote, shoving her notebook and textbook inside, and headed for the elevators. The ride down to the lobby was quiet, except for the low murmur of two colleagues discussing their weekend plans. Alessia leaned against the wall, her eyelids heavy as she tried to block out the noise.

The cool night air outside was a welcome relief. Alessia paused on the sidewalk, tilting her head back to let the breeze wash over her. The city around her buzzed with life—cars honking, pedestrians laughing, street vendors calling out to passersby. It was chaotic but oddly comforting, the kind of noise that reminded her she wasn’t alone.

As she walked toward the subway, her phone buzzed again. This time, it was a message from Brianna:

"Drinks this weekend? You’ll need a break after surviving your first week of corporate madness. Also, Marcus from accounting is officially a hot mess. You’ll love this story 🍸😂."

Alessia couldn’t help but smile, her steps feeling a little lighter. Brianna’s unwavering optimism was a lifeline in moments like this. She typed out a quick reply—"Yes. You’re a lifesaver."—before tucking her phone away.

The train ride home was uneventful, the rhythmic clatter of the tracks lulling her into a trance. By the time she reached her apartment, her feet ached and her shoulders screamed for relief. She dropped her tote by the door and collapsed onto the worn couch, staring at the ceiling.

Her thoughts drifted back to Reece. That moment in his office when he’d corrected her—his tone had been calm, professional, but it carried an edge that she couldn’t quite place. Beneath the reprimand, there had been something else, something that lingered in her mind like an unfinished sentence.

Alessia sighed, closing her eyes. She had survived another day, but the balancing act between work, school, and her increasingly strained relationship with Anthony felt like walking a tightrope with no safety net.

Still, as exhaustion tugged her toward sleep, a quiet determination settled in her chest. She wasn’t going to let one mistake—or one dismissive comment—define her. Tomorrow was another chance, another step forward.

And Alessia Cora wasn’t about to give up.