Nathalie puffed out her cheeks in frustration, mumbling to herself, "Who on earth decides it''s a good idea to leave sage bundles at the entrance to apany? If I can''t get in through the front door, I''ll just find another way."

    She strolled around to the back of the building. Sure enough, nestled along the side wall was a small side door. Without a second thought, Nathalie slipped right in.

    Just inside, to her right, was the executive elevator. Nathalie hesitated for only a split second before pushing the button. When the doors slid open, she stepped in.

    The elevator was empty. She nced around, checking out the ads and notices posted on the wall. Tucked in a corner, she spotted the floor number for the Morris Corporation''s CEO office.

    She pressed nine. When the elevator stopped, she stepped out onto the ninth floor.

    What Nathalie didn''t know was that, down in the security room, staff were breaking out in a cold sweat as they watched the elevator mysteriously select a floor and move all on its own.

    She found the CEO''s office easily-the door was wide open. Nathan was sitting there, totallyposed in his ck leather chair, while several clients stood across from him, energetically pitching their proposals. The desperate hope for a deal was written all over their faces.

    At first, Nathalie hung back, worried she''d interrupt. But then she realized- nobody in the room could see her. Emboldened, she wandered right in.

    She feltpletely at home, poking around Nathan''s office, checking out this and that. Her eyesnded on a knitted sunflower lying on the sofa. Curious, she picked it up.

    There was something familiar about the way it was made. Then it clicked-she had knitted this exact toy for Nathan when they were kids, back when he was just a lonely boy trying to survive on the streets.

    Suddenly, someone at the front of the room let out a scream.

    Nathalie jerked her head up, startled.

    Everyone in the room was staring, wide-eyed, at the sunflower now floating midair in her invisible hands.

    Only then did it dawn on her-they could see the sunflower, but not her. Did they think it was some kind of ghost?

    "There''s a ghost!" someone blurted, panic rising.

    Another person''s face drained of color. "This is insane. How is that sunflower floating by itself?"

    Just then, someone else burst into the room, breathless and anxious. "Mr. Nathan, something weird just happened. The elevator doors kept opening and closing on their own, twice. Then it came straight up to your floor."

    The moment he finished, everyone''s attention snapped back to the sunflower, their faces pale as paper.

    "Mr. Nathan, I think your office is haunted," one of them whispered, clearly shaken.

    Nathan suddenly stood up, but he looked calm and collected. "You should all leave," he said quietly.

    "What about you?" his assistant asked, voice trembling.

    Nathan waved him off. "Don''t worry about me."

    His gaze never left the sunflower. For a split second, Nathalie thought she saw a

    flicker of longing and tenderness in his eyes.

    After the others left, the room was suddenly quiet.

    Nathalie was rooted to the spot,

    feeling

    didn''t know whether to put she

    ward and guilty. She

    the

    r down or keep holding it.

    Nathan walked toward her, stopping right in front of her. He reached out with his long, graceful

    fingers-hands so elegant they could''ve belonged to a sculpture.

    He gently took hold of the sunflower.

    He wasn''t forceful; he was unbelievably gentle as he spoke, voice barely above a whisper: "Nathalie, is that you?"