The robot called Noah Jung had malfunctioned. Perhaps there was a problem with his wiring. Or maybe water had damaged his settings. In any case, something was horribly wrong. What else could explain what he just said?

“Ms. Rose?” Noah squeezed my hand. He bore his eyes into mine again and asked, “Are you listening?”

Before I could respond, someone shouted, “Noah!”

We turned to see the distressed figure. I knew him, of course. Jake Byrne. Noah’s best friend and a semi-successful model. He had stopped munching on his snack from Lucy’s cart to investigate the scene. Lucy strolled in after him, then spotted us and gasped.

Noah struggled to rise, and Jake quickly helped him up. He cursed and asked, “What the heck happened?”

“I’m fine.” Noah tried to brush it off, but he was still trembling.

“Fine, my ass!” Jake dragged him away. “Let’s go to the hospital.”

Still stunned, I looked away from them when Lucy draped a towel over me. She rubbed my shoulders and said, “You don’t look any better, Isla. Let’s take you home.”

My head was throbbing by the time I reached home. I was too confused to even explain to Lucy what had happened. Why was Noah drowning in the pool? Why did he ask me to teach him swimming? I groaned and twisted in my bed. Did he really mean it? That was impossible. I’d broken his rules. He should have fired me on the spot! Yet, he was offering me another job? I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at this situation. What was this new feature that I’d unlocked in his system? Could I get a refund?

My phone rang, and I shot up straight. Almost expecting it to be Noah, I relaxed when I saw it was my mother. “Hello?”

“What happened?” my mother asked as she stifled a yawn. “Is something wrong?”

I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at it. I hadn’t accidentally picked up a video call. And I was pretty sure she hadn’t installed hidden cameras in my cramped studio apartment. Just how was she able to deduce so much from a greeting?! I sighed and said, “A little tired from managing the kids at my class.”

“Tired in two hours?” She tsked. “How will you raise your kids then?”

“Mom!” I rolled my eyes. She had been like this since I turned twenty-five last year. Always on the topic of marriage or children, like a typical Indian mother. “You don’t have to stay up so late to call me every day.”

She ignored my nagging and asked, “What did you have for dinner?”

I eyed the half-eaten sandwich and said, “My favorite, biryani. Is dad home? Did you tell him to not work so late?”

“Can’t you hear him?” She must have put the phone next to his face because I heard a thunderous snore. I startled, and she laughed. “Why does he need to worry when his daughter earns so much, huh? Come over this weekend.”

My chest tightened at her words. “I might have extra classes then. Next time?”

“It’s always next time with you.” She sighed. “Stop eating sandwiches, and cook yourself a decent meal, okay?”

Caught again, my cheeks flushed, and I mumbled, “Fine. Talk to you tomorrow.”

Unable to sleep, I flipped through my journal and paused on a page. Sometime last week, I’d doodled Noah’s face onto it. I stared at the amateur caricature. Suddenly irritated at his angelic features, I drew horns over his head and gave him a wicked grin. That suited him better! 

I chuckled, but the sound lacked any humor. My stomach squeezed as the gravity of the situation dawned on me again. I wouldn’t have taken up another job if I wasn’t in desperate need of money. But now I’d jeopardized the only thing keeping our family afloat. How would I break the news to them? Tears stung my eyes, but I didn’t allow myself to cry.

It was my fault. And tomorrow, I had to face the consequences.

Noah called me in just after lunch. I almost floated inside his office like a ghost, I was so out of it. My stomach twisted from both hunger and the impending doom. I hadn’t eaten the entire day.

Dressed in one of his crisp Italian suits, Noah exuded an otherworldly charm. Even the sun seemed to be a paid actor, its rays bouncing off the glass panes, giving him an ethereal glow. A lock of his dark brown hair fell over his forehead, and he brushed it off as he looked up. There was no trace of any trauma on his face from last night. Whatever defect it had been, it was likely fixed now. 

“You’ve surprised me, Ms. Rose.” Noah started. He walked over to stand in front of me. I fisted my hands and braced myself. Leaning on his desk, he asked, “What’s our number one rule?”

“No second jobs allowed.” It was my worst fear come to life, but my voice was steady. “It can tarnish the company’s image. Burn out the employees. Make them lose focus—”

“Good. I don’t need to explain it to you,” Noah said. “Starting tomorrow, you won’t be working...”

It was inevitable, but I didn’t know it would be so quick and ruthless. There was no sugar-coating and no filler words. I was fired. The thought crushed me, but all I could do was accept my fate.

“...at that pool, at least.” Noah continued. “Instead, you’ll be working for me. As my swim instructor.” He picked up some papers and offered them to me. “Your new contract.”

It took me a moment to register his words. My knees wobbled, and I held onto the chair. In a breathless voice, I asked, “I still have my receptionist job?”

“If you agree to my offer, yes.” Noah smiled, his arm still extended, and said, “Whatever you earned at the pool, I promise you triple the amount.”

If it hadn’t been for the support, I might have melted into a puddle. I wanted to take my words back. My CEO hadn’t just malfunctioned… rather someone had rebooted his system and coded in a different person!

“Decide, Ms. Rose.” Noah slid the papers into my hands. “Lose your receptionist job or agree to be my swim instructor and continue to work here.”

The smooth paper felt like a hot potato in my hands. There had to be a trap somewhere. How could anything be so good? My heart thudded inside my chest as I met his gaze. There was nothing in his eyes to extinguish my uneasiness. Even though my instincts screamed at me to take a step back, and reevaluate this situation, I’d already decided what I was going to do. I extended my hand and said, “I agree.”

Noah flashed me his business smile and enveloped my hand with his. “It’s settled then. The first lesson is tonight.”

I steeled myself and nodded. So what if I was up against my CEO? If I needed to survive in this world, I was ready to befriend the devil himself.