Alina's palms were sweaty as she reached the frosted glass door. Her reflection stared back at her, anxious eyes, tight lips, and determination 

You don't get to dismiss me. Not without hearing the truth first

Her hand lingered on the door handle. She inhaled, exhaled. For a moment, she almost turned back. But then Kai's voice echoes in her mind. The hard work had been nothing but dust to him 

Her jaw set 

Not this time. not with him

She pressed the handle down

Meanwhile....

Ryan pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand. Why me. At 5 in the evening, when my coffee hasn't even kicked in…
"Listen, I have a very busy schedule to manage. Some of us actually take our jobs seriously."

Maya clapped her hands together. "Wow, You're... Her eyes flickered to the ID card hanging from his neck .....a loyal secretary. That's rare. You know, Ryan....I can call you Ryan, right?"

He narrowed his eyes. "…No."

"Too late, Ryan." She winked. "See, loyalty is sexy. Most men these days can't even commit to finishing a Netflix show, and here you are, committed to your boss."

Ryan looked skyward for patience. His lips moved like he was counting backward from ten. "You're unbelievable."

"Correction: unforgettable," Maya shot back, striking a little pose with finger guns.

That did it. The corner of his mouth twitched the tiniest, most reluctant twitch. But Maya caught it. Gotcha, she felt like she had won. You're not made of stone after all.

Ryan, realizing his slip, quickly hardened his expression again. "If you're done wasting my time, I'll be on my way."

She sidestepped into his path again, arms stretched wide like an overenthusiastic traffic cop. "Nope. Toll gate. You can't pass unless you answer my question."

Ryan's eyes narrowed into slits. "…What question?"

*Inside the cabinet*

Alina had slipped inside, heart pounding like thunder in her chest.

Her fist clenched

Kai Arden, she whispered to herself, let's see how you handle someone who doesn't bow down to your arrogance.

The office door creaked open without a knock. Alina closed the door behind her gently, her heartbeat a wild drum. Kai looked up from the file in his hands, irritation flashing briefly in her eyes. Nobody entered his office without permission. Nobody.

The office was pristine. Minimalist decor, black and chrome furniture, floor-to-ceiling windows that stretched across the skyline. It was intimidating, much like the man who now sat behind the desk.sk

Kai Arden.

Her throat tightened.

He didn't look up at first. His pen glided across a file.

His expression was sharp with concentration. His hair fell neatly to one side, a show across his temple. He wore a perfectly tailored charcoal suit, nothing flashy. Yet it screamed power. Even from across the room, his presence felt overwhelming.

She had expected him to be handsome as everyone said, but nothing had prepared her for this, the cut of his jaw, the sheer clarity of his eyes, the way stillness itself seemed to bow to him. But beauty meant nothing.

But the irritation flicked out as soon as he saw who it was

A girl. Not one of his staff. Not management. Not his secretary

Her presence in his private office was like a flame in a room that knew only stillness. Her steps were quick, her chest heaving like she had run here, and her eyes... sharp, furious, alive, locked onto him with no hesitation

Kai leaned back slowly in his chair while putting the file down, concealing his surprise behind practiced composure. Unreadable. Cold. unshaken

Her anger burned hotter.

She took a step forward ''So this is the great Kai Arden''

Slowly, his gaze lifted.

Cold. Piercing. Those eyes... like steel under winter frost

He didn't say a word. Just stared.

She burst out, her voice carrying both tremor and fire, Do you even know what it means to write? To stay awake for nights, pouring your soul into something that may never be seen? Do you have any idea what that feels like?

Her words fell sharp and uninvited into the air, ''For you may be it's just a paper, another file to stamp and throw away. But for us, it's everything; our stories are pieces of us. And you....'' She swallowed hard, burning through the cracks of her voice, ''....You crush them like they're nothing''

The room went quiet again. Kai's eyes narrowed, not in anger but in something else, something even he didn't care to name. When he finally spoke, his voice was flat, controlled.

*In the Hallway*

Maya tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Do you ever smile? Or were you born with that permanent scowl? Because honestly, if you did a toothpaste commercial with that face, sales would plummet."

His jaw flexed. "I smile when there's a reason."

"Then I guess my job here," she leaned closer, eyes sparkling mischievously, "is to give you a reason."

For the first time, Ryan was caught off guard. He blinked, ever so slightly thrown by the boldness in her tone. His instinct screamed to shut this conversation down, but another part of him, one he hated admitting existed, was oddly entertained. To his surprise, they had been talking longer than he had ever spoken with any girl.

But he wouldn't let her win. "My reason right now is to get past you and do my job."

"Wow," Maya said, feigning offense, "I pour my charm into this interaction and you repay me with rejection? Tragic. Shakespeare could write sonnets about my suffering."

Ryan adjusted his files against his arm again, his patience fraying. "Miss… whoever you are—"

"Maya."

"…Maya. Don't you have somewhere better to be?"

She leaned back casually against the wall, crossing her arms. "Nope. This hallway is my kingdom. And you, Sir Grumpy, are trespassing."

****

''Not every piece deserves to be called a story''

The words hit like a slap, but Alina didn't back down. She laughed bitterly, shaking her head. "Of course. Easy for you to say from that chair. When people beg for your approval, you don't even have to think about the struggle behind it. You don't know the weight of your rejection."

Kai's gaze stayed locked on her, unblinking, unreadable. His fingers tapped once against the desk, the only betrayal of the tension coiled in his body.

Finally, he spoke again, short and cutting.
"The world doesn't wait for unfinished tales."

Her heart stuttered. She had no idea why those words hurt more than all his dismissals combined.

"You don't understand writers at all," she shot back.

His eyes flickered.... unreadable...almost too raw, passed across his face. Then it was gone.

"Don't I?" he said softly.

The question, low and steady, sank into her like a weight. Her throat tightened. She wanted to scream, to hurl more words at him, to make him feel miserable. But before she could....

Back in the hall, Maya flung herself sideways again as Ryan tried to bypass her. He exhaled through clenched teeth, his patience hanging by a thread.

"Move."

Maya put her hands on her hips. "Make me."

He gave her one long, piercing look. The kind that said you don't want to test me. But Maya just grinned wider, tilting her head.

"You know, Ryan, I think you secretly like this. No one teases you, do they? Everyone's too scared of Mr. Professional. But deep down, I bet you're just dying for someone to poke the bear."

He stared at her for three beats of silence. Finally, he said flatly:
"You talk too much."

Maya beamed. "And you listen too much. See? We're perfectly made for each other ."

Ryan groaned under his breath, dragging his hand over his face. "Unbelievable."

"Correction''

''If you say unforgettable again, I'll personally escort you out.'' 

Her lips twitched. ''You remembered! See?.. I am unforgettable'' 

Ryan was done. Absolutely done. He straightened, loosening her grip on his arm with practiced ease. ''Enough. Step aside before I...''

Maya interrupted, leaning closer, eyes dancing with mischief. ''Before you what? Call security? Drag me out? Oh.. no, Ryan, what will the neighbors say?''

His jaw flexed again, dangerously close to snapping. He opened his mouth 

And then his phone buzzed.

Kai's name lit up the screen.n

"Miss?" Ryan's voice cut through the thick silence. He froze for a moment, sensing the tension in the room, then strode over to her. "You can't just walk into Mr. Arden's office like this. Let's go."

Alina opened her mouth to argue, but Ryan's firm grip on her arm pulled her toward the door. She cast one last glare at Kai, fire still blazing in her eyes.

He didn't flinch.

He didn't shout.

He didn't dismiss her.

He only watched.

Silent.

Cold.

But his fingers tightened imperceptibly around the pen in his hand, the only sign that her storm had touched him more than he would ever admit.

Back in the hall, Maya flung herself sideways again as Ryan tried to bypass her. He exhaled through clenched teeth, his patience hanging by a thread.

"Move."

Maya put her hands on her hips. "Make me."

He gave her one long, piercing look. The kind that said you don't want to test me. But Maya just grinned wider, tilting her head.

"You know, Ryan, I think you secretly like this. No one teases you, do they? Everyone's too scared of Mr. Professional. But deep down, I bet you're just dying for someone to poke the bear."

He stared at her for three beats of silence. Finally, he said flatly:
"You talk too much."

Maya beamed. "And you listen too much. See? We're already a team."

Ryan groaned under his breath, dragging his hand over his face. "Unbelievable."

"Correction again," she chirped, "irreplaceable.