Yna entered the office and saw Alas sitting on his swivel chair, twirling a pen in his right hand. She ignored him, thinking he was probably upset with her. She walked to her desk, sat down, opened a folder, and pretended to be busy studying the contents.
She heard the sound of his chair moving, indicating he had stood up. She pretended to be even more focused on her work.
"Until now, you still haven't finished memorizing that? Oh, come on. You look like a student who needs extra time to memorize assignments. Yna, let me make this clear. You aren't working here just to be my trainee. You need to be responsible, and I need your report as soon as possible." His voice rose sharply, shocking her. She never thought this man would actually scold her. If he did this in public, she would definitely burst into tears.
She raised an eyebrow at him and hissed. "So what? I don't care. As far as I know, I'm only here to work enough to claim my inheritance back. I don't care about you. Why did you even accept Dad's request in the first place?" she answered irritably, leaning back in her chair and turning away to avoid looking at him.
Alas pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn't believe how stubborn she was being. He grabbed her shoulder and forcefully turned her chair to face him.
"Remember this, I can fire you right now. Or should I say, I can drag you out of here. You will lose everything. Got it? Don't be stupid, because I swear I will make your life a living hell."
He turned his back on her after saying those words, trying to control his temper. He didn't understand why he was so angry at her. Maybe it was because of the stressful meeting he had earlier, or maybe it was just her attitude. He couldn't control himself whenever he saw her acting so carelessly and stubbornly.
"So what's your problem? Are you mad because of what I said, or are you just taking it out on me because the Domingo representative embarrassed and scolded you? Why are you blaming me for your own shortcomings?"
"How dare you say that! I am the boss, so you better watch your attitude and respect your position. I am not your father whom you can treat like nothing. I am different, remember that!"
She rolled her eyes and then threw him a sharp, angry glare. Her lips curled into a scowl.
He stepped closer to her.
"One more thing, do you really value your future? Aside from the inheritance you are so dependent on, what else will save your life someday if your parents are gone, huh?" he asked intensely, wondering if he could ever get a sensible answer from her.
She stood up again, placing both hands on her hips. "Well, it's none of your business!"
Alas tapped his forehead in frustration upon hearing her cold response.
"What? Are you insane?"
"Maybe I am. But don't you dare call me stupid. Okay?"
"Oh? Then what should I call you? The lazy, stubborn daughter of Jomari Cortes? How pathetic!" he mocked.
She hated being belittled. His words rang in her ears, causing her anger to explode. "How dare you? You don't know the real reason why I act like this!" Yna slapped him hard across the face. Immediately after, she tried to walk out, but Alas quickly grabbed her arm.
"Let go of me! I'm going home. I don't have the appetite to work here anymore."
Alas ignored her struggles. No matter how hard she pushed him, his grip on her arm only tightened. He forcefully pushed her against the wall. His dark brown eyes stared at her angrily. They looked dangerous yet incredibly intense. She felt awkward, but she managed to stare right back at him.
"If you go home now, you will lose everything. Are you willing to sacrifice that just because of your stubbornness? If I were you, I would cooperate with me. If you perform well within six months, I myself will talk to your Dad to return your inheritance. Am I clear?"
"No. I don't need you—" She stopped mid-sentence when Alas suddenly smiled at her. She lost her focus completely. It was a breathtakingly beautiful smile.
"I like your lips. They are as red as ever," he said. His words sent an electric shock straight down her spine. She even closed her eyes instinctively, trying to control the strange fluttering feeling inside her.
Alas chuckled. "What are you doing?"
She felt extremely irritated. Why did she think he was going to kiss her? She felt so embarrassed in front of him.
She opened her eyes and saw him looking at her with such a sweet gaze. "N…Nothing," she stammered. She pushed him, but he didn't move an inch from where he stood.
"You thought I was going to kiss you, right?"
She blushed furiously. What was he doing to her? Was he just teasing her, or was this how he showed affection to his childhood friend?
"No, I didn't. Who do you think you are to kiss me? I will never allow you to kiss me or even touch me."
Alas raised an eyebrow and gave her that dangerously charming smile. She swallowed hard, feeling nervous.
"Well, can I prove it now? Maybe after you taste my lips, you'll crave them every day. You might even find yourself begging me to kiss you again," he said teasingly, moving his face even closer to hers.
Her eyes widened, but she couldn't protest. She was frozen in place. Alas pinned both her hands against the wall, trapping her completely.
His lips were just half an inch away when suddenly, someone knocked on the door.
"Sh*t," Alas muttered under his breath. Yna felt a wave of relief as he finally let her go.
Lydia entered carrying some documents. "Good morning, Sir. Here's the report from your meeting yesterday," she said with a smile, placing the files on Alas's desk. "I'll be leaving now, Sir."
Alas nodded, and Lydia quickly exited the room.
Alas looked at his watch. It was 11:30 AM. "Let's have lunch together."
She was still trying to calm her racing heart. "Sure," she answered shortly.
"Okay. I will order our food," Alas said, then picked up his phone to call someone.
Yna sat back at her desk, still feeling dazed. She hadn't expected any of that to happen. There was definitely something strange about the way he was acting. She held her face and lightly slapped her own cheeks to wake herself up from the trance.
Alas chuckled, and she heard it clearly. She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "He's really happy making a fool out of me."
Another knock was heard. Alas stood up to open the door. The food had arrived.
"Let's eat! Just forget what happened earlier."
She looked at Alas with disinterest.
"Come here. Don't be shy anymore. I know you're hungry."
She couldn't deny it—her stomach growled loudly, betraying her.
She walked over and sat on the chair in front of him.
Alas served food onto her plate. Suddenly, she was reminded of Janus. He used to do the exact same thing whenever they went out on dates.
"I'm sorry for what I did earlier. I hope you can forgive me. Eat now. I know these are all your favorites."
She smiled, picked up her spoon and fork, and started eating.
From her peripheral vision, she could feel Alas staring at her, making the atmosphere feel awkward. She lowered her head to avoid his gaze.
Alas reached out and gently held her cheek, lifting her face until their eyes met. She gulped nervously.
"Yes? What is it?"
"You're so beautiful. Don't be shy. I really am sorry for earlier."
"No worries," she replied and continued eating, especially since the food was exactly what she loved.
"I like it when you're being nice. Keep it up. You know, I turn into a demon if you make me angry, so please bear with me."
She smiled at the familiar phrase. She felt like she had heard it before, but she couldn't remember from whom.
"Oh, good. You're smiling. By the way, tomorrow we are going to the village."
"Me?" she asked, surprised that he was bringing her along.
"Yes. I need to talk to the village heads about the project. I need someone to assist me. I need you, because you are my secretary, right?"
"Okay." She bit into her steak and nodded. She didn't want to argue again. She was scared that if she made him mad, he might actually do what he threatened and kiss her.
After they finished eating, Yna went back to her seat while Alas cleaned up their trash. She couldn't help but think about this man.
"What is wrong with him? Why does he make me so angry, yet make me feel so weak and vulnerable whenever we are close?" Her thoughts were interrupted when Alas walked back to her desk.
"Let's talk about the plan for tomorrow."
"Okay." They discussed the details of their trip. She agreed to the plan and found herself genuinely interested in the project.
According to Alas, the village was beautiful and fascinating. His plan wasn't just to build housing projects; he also wanted to open the area for tourism so that the villagers could benefit and have a sustainable source of livelihood.