Kael drove without taking his eyes off the road, the car filling with a strange kind of silence. Not peaceful—tense, heavy with unspoken words and hidden thoughts.
Auren sat beside him, her gaze lowered to her hands resting in her lap. Normally, she would've already snapped back with something sharp, kept the game going between them. But now… now it felt different.
Kael cast her a quick glance.
"Cat got your tongue?" he teased, a smirk tugging at his lips as if to cut through the tension.
Auren lifted her eyes but said nothing. Even she didn't understand why words didn't come as easily as before. Usually, comebacks spilled out effortlessly. But after everything that had happened, it felt as though she'd lost her usual lightness.
"Just thinking," she finally murmured, leaning back in her seat, her gaze drifting to the window.
"About what?" Kael asked, though he already had a good idea.
She didn't answer. She didn't need to—he could already see it written in her eyes. His grip on the steering wheel tightened.
Something new had taken root between them, delicate, fragile—a fine line between their game and something real. Both knew there was no going back to the carefree banter from before.
And yet…
"You're lucky," he said suddenly. "This time I picked somewhere better. Not some greasy dive."
Auren let out a small huff, but even that carried a softness unfamiliar to her.
"We'll see," she replied, finally meeting his gaze. Then the conversation died again.
Kael refocused on the road, but his mind kept circling back to her. With every mile, the pull between them grew stronger, and the silence only amplified it. He exhaled, gathering his thoughts, and said without looking away from the road:
"Listen… this isn't easy for either of us."
Auren turned her head slightly toward him, still quiet.
"This tension," he went on carefully. "It's too obvious."
She stayed silent, but he could feel her listening.
"I don't want you to… feel uncomfortable," he said slowly. "Tell me honestly—did I scare you with that gesture?"
Auren's fingers curled at the memory of his lips on her palm. Her heartbeat quickened. Scare her? No. It hadn't been fear. It had been something else—something new, unfamiliar, something she hadn't yet learned to name.
She shook her head, eyes still fixed on her hands.
Kael's gaze flicked to her. No words, but it was enough: she hadn't been afraid. Then what was it that unsettled her so deeply?
"Good," he murmured, shifting his focus back to the road. Yet the faint smile playing at his lips betrayed his thoughts.
He tilted his head slightly toward her, watching her from the corner of his eye.
"Where did bold Auren go?" he asked with a teasing grin.
A familiar spark lit in her eyes.
"Right here," she shot back, folding her arms across her chest.
Kael chuckled in satisfaction.
"That's better. I was starting to miss her."
Auren turned toward the window, hiding the ghost of a smile. The awkwardness hadn't fully lifted, but she understood something clearly: if she stayed silent, Kael would take control of the game entirely.
She drew a steady breath. Their banter wasn't just a game anymore. It had become too real. And maybe far more dangerous.
But retreat?
Never.
She turned back to him, her confidence sliding easily back into place.
"Missed me, did you?" she asked, her voice tinged with mischief. "And here I thought you'd finally grown tired."
Kael smirked, shooting her a quick glance.
"Tired of you?" The corner of his mouth twitched. "Maybe only of your arrogance."
"If I'm arrogant, then you're far too predictable," she countered, tilting her head slightly.
His smirk widened. Oh yes, this was about to get interesting.
"Predictable? Seriously?" His voice carried a mocking edge.
Auren crossed her arms, her gaze locked on him with open defiance.
"Well, yeah. Isn't it always the same? The boss pretends he's above the game, then ends up being the first to throw down the gauntlet."
"You call that a challenge?" He shot her a sidelong glance, tilting his head. "Pretty sure you just accepted it."
She rolled her eyes, though the twitch of her lips betrayed a smile.
"You're insufferably confident."
"I just know you too well," he said, letting his eyes linger on her with a slow, burning look.
Something tightened in Auren's chest. He said it so casually, so naturally—as if he really did know her. The real her.
She recovered quickly, answering with her usual fire:
"Then you'd better be careful. Who knows? One day I might flip the rules of this game on you."
Kael laughed softly.
"If that's a threat, it's not very convincing."
"Then test me," Auren shot back, locking eyes with him—eyes now sparking with the same familiar fire that burned in his.
For a moment, silence settled inside the car—no longer awkward. The atmosphere had slipped beyond the bounds of casual flirting.
And yet…
They couldn't help themselves.
"I'll take that challenge," Kael replied, a spark of defiance in his voice. "You don't actually think I'd back down, do you?"
"Never," Auren sighed with mock heaviness. "That would be far too easy."
Their eyes met—and suddenly they both smiled, an unspoken understanding passing between them. The tension that had lingered since morning seemed to dissolve. They had returned to their familiar rhythm—the game of words, glances, and subtle hints that only made things burn hotter.
Kael turned his head slightly toward her, catching the shift in her expression.
"What?" he asked, noticing that Auren had grown unexpectedly serious.
She hesitated, then finally said:
"It's just… I really feel comfortable talking to you like this."
Kael froze for a beat, clearly not expecting such honesty from her. Her voice was calm, but the sincerity in it was undeniable.
A slow smile spread across his face, though a flicker of something sharper gleamed in his eyes.
"So you're saying you feel comfortable when I tease you?"
Auren snorted and rolled her eyes.
"Why do you always have to ruin everything?"
"Because you're too cute when you're annoyed," he said with a feigned innocence, shrugging lightly.
Auren bit her lip, trying to hide a smile.
"That's exactly why I hate being honest with you."
"But you were anyway," Kael leaned just a little closer, his gaze more intent now. "Comfortable, right?"
She didn't look away.
"Yes."
He didn't reply, but his expression said it all—he'd heard her, and clearly, he liked the answer.
Auren leaned back in her seat.
"Alright, now that we've cleared that up…" she tilted her head at him, eyes narrowing playfully. "Where exactly are you taking me?"
Kael smirked, eyes fixed on the road.
"Isn't it more fun not knowing?"
Auren sighed and crossed her arms.
"Sounds more like you haven't decided yet."
He shot her a quick glance.
"And what if I have, but I'm just messing with you?"
Auren rolled her eyes.
"Of course. And here I was hoping you'd learned how to be serious."
"Auren," he chuckled, "if I were serious with you, you'd have died of boredom by now."
She couldn't help but smile. He was right.
Lifting her chin slightly, Auren smirked.
"You can't stay serious with me. Even if you tried, you wouldn't last."
Kael laughed under his breath as he turned onto a new road.
"You know, I can't even argue with that."
Auren gave a smug little hum but quickly pressed on:
"So, boss, where are we going?"
Another sly glance.
"Don't you like surprises?"
Auren shook her head, already knowing she wouldn't get an answer that easily. Then, an impulsive thought crossed her mind. Should she? Why not? After all, this was still a game—and they both knew it.
She exhaled softly, steeling herself for the risk. If Kael wanted to play silent, it was time to add her own rules. She shifted in her seat, tucking one leg beneath her, then turned fully toward him, bracing her elbow against the seatback. Her gaze locked on him—not just watching, but burning into him, making sure he felt it.
Kael noticed her movement in his peripheral vision but stayed composed, eyes on the road. Still, when the silence filled with her expectant presence, her steady gaze pressing on him, he let out a low chuckle without looking away.
"If you think that's going to work on me…" he drawled, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Auren didn't waver.
"Are you sure?" she asked lightly, though the challenge was unmistakable.
He steered the car smoothly into another lane and finally gave her a fleeting glance.
"Absolutely."
But she saw the way his fingers tightened just slightly on the wheel. So—he wasn't as unshakable as he pretended.
Auren smiled to herself, satisfied. If not this time, then the next. What mattered was he already felt it—their game was only just beginning.
Kael gave a small, amused shake of his head, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"That won't work on me," he repeated firmly, though a faint rasp edged his voice.
Auren didn't look away. Instead, she leaned forward ever so slightly, closing the space between them. Her movements were slow, deliberate. The car seemed to shrink around them, the air thickening, until Kael felt the warm brush of her breath against his cheek—too close, too tangible.
He stayed composed, but his grip on the wheel tightened.
Auren tilted her head, her gaze still locked on him, probing, testing.
"Even now?" Her voice was softer than usual, though still laced with that playful spark.
For a split second, Kael forgot to breathe. His lips parted as if to reply, but instead he gave a low chuckle, murmuring under his breath.
"Dangerous game," he said quietly, finally shifting his eyes to her.
A smirk tugged at his lips, his gaze narrowing.
"Are you trying to blackmail me?"
Auren held his eyes, her face still so close, the tension between them now charged—not heavy, but magnetic, tempting.
"Of course," she answered with an innocent smile. "Until you tell me where we're going, the stakes will only get higher."
Kael smirked but didn't pull away. Instead, he angled his head slightly, studying her with sharp attention.
"You think you can corner me?"
"I already am," Auren replied calmly, lifting one brow.
He exhaled slowly, though a flicker of amusement lit his eyes.
"Fine, I give in. We're going to a restaurant. Good meat."
Auren leaned back, satisfied, nodding her head.
"See? You could've just said that from the start."
Kael only smirked and turned his attention back to the road, smoothly guiding the car into traffic.
Auren was surprised at how quickly the storm inside her had quieted. Only a little while ago, she hadn't even known how to look him in the eye again—yet now she sat calmly by his side, as if nothing had changed. Or maybe everything had, only in the way it was meant to.
She'd thought that after what happened, being around Kael would be unbearable, the tension too sharp to endure. But it hadn't gone that way at all. The ease with which they had slipped back into their games almost unsettled her.
And more than that… she was doing strange things. Acting without hesitation, without the usual weight of doubt. Leaning in so close, testing him, forcing him to meet her gaze, making him speak. Just hours ago, she would never have dared.
But with him, her boundaries blurred.
Auren knew this was strange. She had never behaved like this before, never let anyone so easily cross her lines—and never crossed someone else's. The strangest part was how natural it felt.
She wasn't anxious, wasn't trying to rein herself in, wasn't putting up walls. Instead, she wanted to keep going. She wanted the game to continue, to push him, to test him, to give in to the spark crackling between them.
And the more she thought about it, the clearer it became—without even realizing it, Kael had broken something inside her. And in its place, left something new.
***
When they finished eating, Auren leaned back in her chair, pleasantly full. Kael watched her silently, chin resting on his hand. But there was no teasing in his gaze this time—only something that looked suspiciously like contentment.
Then Auren suddenly remembered—her presentation was tomorrow. She straightened sharply in her seat.
"Damn…" she muttered, realizing that thanks to the morning's chaos, she hadn't checked her work again.
Kael caught her shift in mood and asked lazily:
"Something wrong?"
Auren glanced at him.
"The presentation. Tomorrow. I completely forgot."
His brows lifted, but then he smirked.
"Interesting. You've been so distracted by other things, even work slipped from first place?"
Auren rolled her eyes.
"Don't flatter yourself. I just… got sidetracked."
"By me?" he asked with such smug confidence that Auren wasn't even surprised.
"By nonsense," she shot back, reaching for her bag. "We should head back."
He didn't argue. They left the restaurant, but Auren's thoughts were already racing ahead to tomorrow. She couldn't afford to fail.
In the car, she stared out the window, mind spinning. The slides weren't finished. She needed to refine her points, polish her delivery. Maybe she could delegate the design—Iris was both a designer and a friend. She'd do it quickly, and she'd do it right.
Auren reached for her phone, ready to text her, but Kael's voice cut in:
"Work again?"
She froze for a moment, then slipped the phone back into her bag with a sigh.
"If I want everything to go perfectly—then yes."
Kael smirked.
"Predictable. You take this far too seriously."
Auren shot him a sidelong glance.
"You're the one who said you don't need employees fainting from hunger. Or is it fine if they do sloppy work instead?"
He smiled but gave no reply, turning his focus back to the road. Auren, however, was already composing a message to Iris in her head, certain her friend would help.
Without realizing it, she muttered aloud,
"Hope Iris has the time…"
"Iris?" Kael's calm voice broke in.
Auren blinked, realizing her slip, but answered quickly:
"My friend."
For a moment, Kael tore his eyes from the road, studying her in surprise.
"A friend? You've been here barely half a month, and already someone qualifies as that?"
Auren scoffed.
"Actually, she found me. And Iris's a good person. Too hardworking, if anything. She often stays late."
He nodded, as if filing away the information, then added with a faint smile:
"So, another workaholic."
Auren shrugged.
"Maybe that's why we clicked."
"And how exactly can she help you?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.
Auren turned to the window before answering:
"She's in design. They usually assign her presentation layouts and things like that. I was thinking of asking her to handle the slides for tomorrow."
Kael fell silent for a moment, then asked:
"You trust her with that, when all she does is formatting projects?"
Auren nodded without hesitation.
"Of course. Iris's great at what she does. If I tell her what I need, she'll make it perfect."
Kael chuckled.
"Seems you've studied her well in just three weeks."
Auren smirked back.
"As you've already noticed, I'm quick to read people."
"Mm." His eyes stayed on the road, his tone lazy but edged with amusement.
"If she's that valuable, maybe I should raise her salary."
Auren let out a short laugh, folding her arms across her chest.
"Oh? So you can acknowledge someone else's talent? That's a first."
Kael laughed briefly.
"Of course I can. It's just that not many people impress me so quickly."
Auren shook her head, hiding her smile.
"Then I'll be sure to tell Iris she's got a secret admirer in management. She'll be thrilled."
He cast her a teasing glance.
"Careful, Auren. That almost sounds like you're trying to make me jealous."
She gave a dry little hum, leaning lazily back into her seat.
"Don't worry. She already gets plenty of attention. I doubt she'd be happy if someone focused on her instead of her work."
Something flickered in Kael's eyes, his interest piqued.
"So beautiful, then?"
His voice carried a playful edge, and Auren caught it instantly. He was testing her, watching for any hint of jealousy. But she wasn't about to take the bait.
"She's attractive," Auren said with a shrug. "But what I think would interest you more is her talent."
Kael smirked, noting how smoothly she sidestepped his trap.
"Hm. So you've decided I'm that deep?"
Auren narrowed her eyes, turning slightly toward him.
"I just don't want Iris ending up on your list of amusements."
Kael laughed, low and amused.
"Relax. She's not my type. And I don't toy with people."
Auren squinted at his last words, uncertain whether to believe them, but latched onto the first.
"Not your type? You haven't even seen her."
He gave her a quick, meaningful glance before returning to the road.
"It's not about whether I've seen her," he said, voice steady, tinged with a lazy sort of playfulness. "It's because I already have someone who is my type. Which means the rest don't even make the list."
Auren's heart stumbled, then picked up in a faster rhythm. He was playing again—dropping words she couldn't pin down, couldn't decide how to take. She turned away, feigning indifference, as if his words hadn't brushed against something raw inside her.
"Are you sure?" she asked lightly, masking her unease with a crooked smile.
Kael smirked again, clearly savoring her reaction.
"More than sure."