Y/n
I walk toward the elevator, my footsteps echoing in the quiet hallway. The tension from earlier still lingers in my chest, making me overthink every little thing. Shaking off the feeling, I make my way to the coffee maker and carefully prepare two trays of black coffee. The rich aroma fills the air, but even that comforting scent isn't enough to distract me.
Why is he behaving like this?
I step into the elevator, pressing the button to his floor. As the doors close, I catch my reflection in the polished metal walls. I tilt my head slightly, studying myself. I look cute yet effortlessly stunning—my messy bun frames my face perfectly, giving me a soft, natural charm. My makeup is just right, enhancing my features without being too much.
But he didn't even notice anything…
I sigh, feeling a small pang of disappointment. Maybe I was expecting too much. Maybe I shouldn't care. But still, it stings.
The elevator dings, snapping me out of my thoughts. Taking a deep breath, I step out and make my way to his office, the trays balanced carefully in my hands.
As I approached the office, the sound of laughter spilled through the door—loud and carefree. My grip on the tray tightened slightly, but I took a steady breath and knocked twice.
"Yeah, yeah, come in," Kayden called out, his voice laced with amusement.
Pushing the door open, I stepped inside. They were still laughing, completely engrossed in whatever was playing on his laptop. My eyes flickered toward Cassie—she was sitting way too close to him, her body angled toward his, her smile bright and teasing.
I swallowed the irritation bubbling inside me and walked over to the table, carefully setting down the tray.
"Here, sir. Your coffee," I said, keeping my tone neutral while making a conscious effort to ignore Cassie's presence.
Kayden barely spared me a glance, simply nodding as he reached for his cup.
"Ah, Miss Y/N, I have some work for you," he said smoothly, his tone shifting back to business.
I straightened, forcing a polite nod. "Of course, sir. What do you need me to do?"
Despite my calm exterior, a strange unease settled in my chest. I didn't know why it bothered me so much, but it did.
Kayden leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable.
"Clean my office, okay?" he said casually.
I blinked, caught off guard. "O-okay, sir," I replied hesitantly.
He gestured toward a nearby door. "The cleaning supplies are in that room."
I nodded and walked over, pushing the door open. The room was surprisingly neat—almost untouched. My eyes scanned the space, noticing a washroom attached and even a small bed in the corner. Strange… I shook off my thoughts, grabbed the cleaning supplies, and returned to his office.
As I stepped back in, I noticed Cassie was gone. A sense of relief washed over me, but I quickly pushed it aside and focused on my task.
I began dusting the shelves and organizing the files, working in silence. The steady rhythm of my movements was almost soothing—until I felt a gaze on me.
Glancing up subtly, I caught Kayden watching me. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes lingered a little too long.
I quickly looked away, pretending not to notice, and continued dusting as if his presence didn't affect me. But deep down, I could feel my heartbeat quicken just a little.
"Cough, cough." I covered my mouth as the dust irritated my throat.
A glass of water suddenly appeared in front of me. I blinked and looked up, surprised to see Kayden holding it out.
"I'm fine, sir," I said with a small smile, politely declining before turning back to my work.
He didn't say anything, but I could sense him standing behind me for a moment, his presence lingering. After a few seconds, I heard him walk back to his chair and sit down.
The office door suddenly opened, breaking the silence. I turned my head and saw Cassie stride in confidently, heading straight for Kayden without even acknowledging me.
"Kayden, I asked everyone, but I couldn't find the document you wanted," she said, her voice laced with frustration.
Kayden barely reacted. "It's okay," he said calmly. "Go ask Mr. Ben what to do next."
Cassie huffed but nodded, turning on her heels and walking out.
I exhaled quietly, relieved to have the room to myself again—or at least without her in it.
I didn't even glance at them as I continued my work, focusing entirely on wiping the floor and arranging everything perfectly. After a while, I stepped back and admired my work—I was satisfied. The office looked spotless, and a small sense of accomplishment filled me.
I sighed, stretching my arms. "Ahh, done—ahh—" My words caught in my throat as I suddenly felt hands wrap around my waist, warm breath ghosting against my neck.
My body stiffened.
"Ummm… good job," Kayden murmured, his voice low and almost teasing.
My heart pounded in my chest. "S-Sir, what are you doing?" I stammered, panic creeping into my voice.
He didn't answer right away. Instead, I felt the soft press of his lips against my shoulder, sending a shiver down my spine.
"You like it, hmm?" he whispered.
A surge of shock and anger rushed through me. I quickly pulled away, my hands trembling. "No—please, leave me," I said firmly.
To my relief, he pulled back, but his expression darkened.
"Y/N, you don't seem to mind when James or Coel do this to you," he muttered, his tone laced with something unreadable—jealousy? Accusation?
His words struck me like a slap—so I gave him one in return.
The sharp sound echoed in the office.
Silence stretched between us. I was frozen in shock at my own reaction, my palm still tingling from the impact. Kayden stood still, his face turned slightly to the side, his expression unreadable.
What had I just done?
"I thought you were a nice guy, Kayden," I said, my voice laced with disappointment.
He looked at me, then lowered his gaze as if he had nothing to say in his defense.
"Y/N, I—"
I shook my head, cutting him off. "I told you that James is my best friend. I told you about Coel. And yet, here you are, accusing me like this."
"Look, Y/N—"
"No," I interrupted firmly. "I don't want to talk to you, sir. You have a new assistant now, right? I'll leave. Live your life, and don't bother me if you're just going to ignore me and throw away everything we had." I took a deep breath, my heart pounding. "Forget about our friendship—I'm fine with that."
With that, I turned on my heels and walked away. He didn't stop me. Not a single word, not even a sigh.
The silence behind me was deafening, but I refused to look back.
I went straight to my cabin, forcing myself to focus on work for the rest of the day. But my mind kept drifting back to what had happened. The way Kayden just stood there, the weight of his stare, the way my chest ached even though I was the one who walked away.
Eventually, work ended, and I headed home. The cool evening air brushed against my skin as I stepped outside. Just as I was about to walk away, my eyes landed on a familiar sight.
The same black car. The same man.
Mr. Annoying's driver.
"Oh, I forgot about that," I muttered under my breath, sighing.
Without hesitation, I walked toward the car and slid into the seat. I could feel his eyes on me—Kayden, standing somewhere behind, watching.
But I didn't look at him. I turned my gaze away, refusing to acknowledge his presence.
I don't know where this sudden confidence came from, but for the first time in a while, I was happy to express my side.
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