"Are you usually this clumsy?"
She stiffened.
Not enough for anyone else to notice… but I did.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the edge of my desk, like she was grounding herself. The faint stain of coffee spread just a little further across the polished surface, but neither of us moved to clean it.
"I..no, sir," she said. "It was an accident."
"Hmm."
I let the sound sit between us, uninterested in her explanation.
Accidents are careless.
Careless people don't last around me.
My gaze dragged over her again, slower this time. Taking in the little things, the way she held herself, the way she was trying not to fidget, the way her breathing wasn't as steady as she wanted it to be.
She was trying.
I leaned back in my chair, one arm resting lazily on the armrest, the other tapping once against the desk.
Then..
Lil cat
"In two weeks," I said, casually… like I wasn't about to shift the ground beneath her feet, "you'll be accompanying me to a party."
Silence.
Sharp. Immediate.
Her throat moved.
She almost choked on nothing.
Good.
I watched it happen.
Didn't interrupt. Didn't help.
Just watched.
"That's…" she started, then stopped.
Too fast, she thought. I could see it all over her face.
Her composure slipped for half a second before she caught it again.
"…understood, sir."
Not why me.
Not I can't.
Just acceptance.
Interesting.
I tilted my head slightly, studying her reaction like it meant something more than it should.
"Good."
My voice dropped just a fraction.
"Because I expect you to handle your… clumsiness."
Her eyes flickered.
"There's nothing appealing about it."
A pause.
I let that settle before adding, almost as an afterthought
"Though I might change my mind."
That got her attention.
Of course it did.
I held her gaze, letting the next words land exactly where they needed to.
"But I don't think that would be good for you."
Silence again.
This time heavier.
Not confusion.
Not quite fear either.
Something in between.
Her lips parted slightly, like she wanted to say something—but thought better of it.
Smart.
I pushed up from my chair, slow, controlled, closing the distance between us by a step.
Not enough to touch.
Just enough to make the space feel smaller.
"You'll be briefed before the event," I continued, voice even. "What to wear. How to behave. What to say."
My eyes dropped briefly to the faint coffee stain… then back to hers.
"And what not to do."
Her fingers loosened from the desk.
Finally.
"Yes, sir."
Quieter this time.
I studied her for one last second, then stepped back, already dismissing her without saying the word.
"Bring another coffee."
A beat.
"Carefully."
This time… she didn't rush.
She turned, steady, more aware of every step she took.
Good.
The door closed behind her with a soft click.
EVE'S POV***********
I didn't leave.
Even when the office started to empty…
Even when the lights in other departments began to go off one after the other…
I stayed.
Seated.
Waiting.
Because I remembered exactly what Aaron had told me.
Never leave before him.
Even if he tells you to.
He will try to.
At the time, I thought he was exaggerating.
Now?
I wasn't so sure.
So I sat there, bag on my lap, phone in my hand, pretending to scroll through something I hadn't even read for the past ten minutes.
Waiting for the sound.
And then...
The door opened.
My head snapped up immediately.
He stepped out like he owned not just the building, but the air around it. His jacket sat perfectly on his shoulders, his expression unreadable as always.
His eyes landed on me.
Paused.
"Why are you still here?"
My heart skipped.
Just once,but it was enough.
I stood up quickly.
"I had work to do, sir."
He turned fully this time.
"Work?"
That single word carried weight.
Confusion. Doubt. Something sharper underneath.
"I don't remember giving you much work to do, Ms. Voss."
My throat tightened.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"What are you really doing here?"
I didn't know what to say.
Not yet.
My mind scrambled, searching, anything that sounded normal, believable, safe.
Nothing came.
"So you wouldn't leave before me?"
My head snapped up.
Too fast.
"No, sir."
Too sharp.
Too quick.
The silence that followed made it worse.
I swallowed.
"I… I…" My fingers tightened around my bag. "I wanted to ask you for a ride."
The words felt ridiculous the moment they left my mouth.
"The office is quite far from where I live…" I added quickly. "That's why I'm waiting, sir."
A pause.
Then...
"And who are you," he said slowly, "to think you deserve a ride from me?"
That hit.
Harder than I expected.
"I'm sorry, sir."
My voice dropped immediately.
"Don't repeat this again."
Cold.
Final.
He didn't wait for a response.
He just walked past me.
Gone.
I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.
"God…"
I muttered under my breath, pressing a hand lightly against my chest.
That was close.
Too close.
I grabbed my bag and phone, but I didn't move immediately.
No.
I waited.
A few minutes.
Because the last thing I needed was to walk out right beside him like I had been lying.
When I finally stepped outside…
It was quiet.
The kind of quiet that made your footsteps sound louder than they should.
The building stood tall behind me, all glass and power and intimidation. I adjusted my bag on my shoulder and started walking down the road, looking out for a cab.
Just a few more steps..
"Ms. Voss."
I froze.
My name.
From behind.
I turned.
A man in a suit stood a few feet away. Clean. Composed. His expression was neutral, cold, but not threatening.
"The boss requests for you."
My brows pulled together slightly.
The boss?
I thought he left already.
Still… I didn't question it.
I turned and followed him back.
That's when I saw it.
A black SUV parked a little distance away.
I was sure it hadn't been there before.
Or maybe… I just hadn't noticed.
The windows were tinted dark, almost completely hiding the inside.
Then..
The window rolled down.
"Get in."
My heart skipped again.
Without thinking, I moved.
The driver was already out, opening the door for me.
I hesitated for half a second… then got in.
And the moment I did,
I felt it.
The difference.
This wasn't just a car.
Everything about it screamed money. Quiet power. The kind that didn't need to prove itself.
Soft leather seats. The faint scent of something expensive. Dim interior lighting that made everything feel… controlled.
Carefully designed.
I hadn't even settled properly when
"Impressed?"
His voice cut through my thoughts.
I blinked.
"Yes, sir."
Honest.
"You have a nice car."
A small pause.
"Hmm."
"Drive," he said.
The car moved.
The entire ride…
I couldn't relax.
Not with him there.
Not with the way his gaze kept sweeping over me, subtle, but constant. Like he was trying to figure something out.
Or someone.
"You can drop me here," I said at some point, my voice careful. "I can walk"
"Keep driving."
Just like that.
No room for argument.
So I stayed quiet.
Watched the road.
Counted the turns.
Until...
The car slowed.
Stopped.
Right in front of the apartment Kelvin had rented for me.
My fingers tightened slightly over my bag.
He glanced out the window, taking in the building without much interest.
"Thank you, boss," I said quickly, reaching for the door.
No response.
The door opened.
I stepped out.
And before I could even turn fully
The car was already gone.
I stood there for a second.
Just watching the empty road.
Then I exhaled.
Turned.
And walked inside
The moment I got in, I dropped my bag on the chair and headed straight for the bathroom.
Cold water.
I needed it.
To think.
To breathe.
To steady myself.
Because that man…
Was not easy to be around.
---
A few minutes later, I sat on the bed, laptop open, screen glowing softly in the dim room.
My fingers hovered over the keyboard for a second before I started typing.
Me: He drove me home.
The reply came faster than I expected.
Kelvin: Good.
A pause.
Then...
Kelvin: Looks like you're progressing.
I leaned back slightly, staring at the screen.
Progressing.
If only he knew what it actually felt like being around him.
This wasn't just progress.
This was pressure.
The kind that either shapes you…
Or breaks you.