The next morning, as you entered the living room, Nori greeted you with a reassuring smile. "Walden's fever has gone down, but he still needs to rest. He's stubborn, but I managed to keep him in bed for now."

You nodded, feeling a wave of relief. "Thank you, Nori. I'll head to the factory and take over his duties. No one should know he's sick."

Nori's smile widened. "Good luck. If anyone can handle it, it's you."

You set out for the factory. Though it was a short distance away, your mind was already racing with the tasks ahead. The man's workload was immense, and stepping into his role, even temporarily, was no small feat (although you were used to taking loads heavier than his own). You were resolute in your mission to keep things running smoothly in his absence.

Arriving at the factory, you wasted no time. Marching straight to the shared office you had with Solaria, you pushed the door open, causing it to slam against the wall. The noise jolted your insomniac friend awake, his eyes wide with surprise and annoyance.

He blinked a few times, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. "What the hell?" he muttered, rubbing his eyes.

Ignoring his grumbling, you strode over to his desk, slamming your hands down with enough force to make a few papers flutter. "Are you going?" you demanded, urgency lacing your voice.

Solaria stared at you, his expression shifting from surprise to confusion, then irritation. He sighed deeply, clearly unimpressed by your dramatic entrance. "No," he said flatly, his tone brooking no argument.

Frustration surged through you, but you tried to maintain your composure. "Come on, Solaria," you pleaded, leaning closer, almost nose to nose with him. "I need you on this. It’s not just for me, it’s for the factory. Sir Darling is out in urgent business, and he asked me to handle the preparation so please"

Solaria's eyes softened slightly, but he shook his head again. "You know I don’t do well with trips," he replied,

He also ignored the fact that the Boss never said anything about going on some business, nor was there like that in his schedule aside maybe from the one coming up.

Taking a deep breath, you searched for another approach. "Look, I know it's not easy for you. But I promise, I’ll be there the whole time. We'll get through this together. Please, just think about it."

Solaria's gaze lingered on you for a moment before he sighed again, clearly conflicted.

"No," he repeated, his decision final.

You sighed, feeling the weight of Solaria's reluctance. "Fine," you muttered, stepping back from his desk. "But how's the bunny man doing?"

Solaria paused, his usually stoic expression softening ever so slightly. There was a flicker of something in his eyes—concern, maybe?—before he spoke. "His vitals are stable," he replied, his voice quieter than before. "He’s recovering well physically, but we should probably test him again soon."

You noticed the subtle change in his demeanor, the way he seemed almost... conflicted. It was rare to see Solaria show any emotion, let alone something akin to worry. "You think he's ready?" you asked, your curiosity piqued.

His almost always blank blood red eyes became that of shining ruby for a second

Solaria hesitated, then nodded slowly. "I believe so. His body is responding well to the treatments. It’s just... the psychological aspect that we need to keep an eye on."

You nodded, absorbing his words. "Alright. Let me know when you're ready to start the tests again. We need to make sure everything is progressing as planned."

Solaria's gaze lingered on you for a moment before he returned to his usual detached demeanor. "Will do," he said, turning back to his work.

You gave him a small nod

"Can you reconsider-"

"No"

You sighed, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "Fine," you muttered, grumbling as you turned to leave. "Sorry for the outburst."

Solaria didn't respond, his expression unreadable as you exited the office. Once outside, you leaned against the wall, taking a moment to collect yourself. This wasn't going as planned, and you needed a new strategy.

Then it hit you, you were planning on checking up on your boss's wife, Julie, you haven't really thought of her for while sadly. "Oh god, please still be active," you muttered, pulling out your phone and frantically searching for her name and profile. Relief washed over you as you saw her still somewhat active online.

Taking a deep breath, you opened the message button and sighed. It was now or never.

Julie Joyful

"Hey Julie, it's been a while. How are you doing? "

you typed, hitting send before you could second-guess yourself. You pocketed the phone, knowing she wouldn't reply immediately but feeling a flicker of hope nonetheless.

You may or may not have forgotten to wonder why she used her maiden name

With that done, you turned your focus back to the factory. Walden would surely take some time to recover, and you needed to ensure everything was handled in his absence. You took a moment to review his workload mentally, listing out the critical tasks that couldn't be delayed.

First on the list was the production schedule. Walden had a meticulous way of organizing it, ensuring every machine ran smoothly and every shift was covered. You'd have to get a handle on that, fast. Making your way to the production floor, you greeted the workers with a confident nod

You found the schedule pinned to the wall in Walden's neat handwriting. Studying it closely, you made notes on how to manage any potential issues. Next, you checked inventory levels, ensuring there were no shortages that could halt production.

Every now and then, you checked your phone, hoping for a message from Julie. Each time, there was nothing,

You also needed to brief the rest of the team on the factory’s operations while you were away. Ensuring everyone knew their roles and responsibilities would help keep things running smoothly. You trusted Solaria (if hed be left behind) to handle most of it, but a detailed plan was essential.

You closed the back of the van which had everything youd possibly need on the trip, it was almost nightfall, as you stretched and checked your phone, you expected nothing from Julie

*one new notification from; Julie Joyful*

Oh?

A/N; school's started and well, stress is coming so, thank you for your patience to my few readers, love y'all <33
(Especially you; 0mystery0, love your comments)