"Auren, where are you? We need to hurry, otherwise the director will scold us for unprepared documents. I've prepared the presentation like you asked. And why isn't the door opening? Is the lock stuck?" Iris's voice came from behind the door.
Auren instantly stepped back, and Kael, unwilling to let her go, smirked. His gaze was full of mockery, yet at the same time carried a faint threat, as if the game had only just begun.
"Your savior has arrived. But next time"—he leaned closer—"I won't let you escape so easily."
She shot him a determined look and, adjusting her hair, straightened her blouse. Every movement of hers was light, confident, almost unnoticeable, but Kael could see the hidden resolve in her actions as she prepared to face Iris.
"Auren!" her friend's voice rang again, insistent and a little worried. "What's taking you so long?"
Auren sighed, turning back to Kael, and once again their eyes locked. For a moment, everything around them disappeared, leaving only the two of them.
"Behave yourself," she whispered, and Kael felt her words pierce through the tension like a sharp needle, leaving behind nothing but a faint annoyance.
He smirked, answering in a playful tone he made no effort to hide:
"As you say, Miss Secretary."
Auren shot him a warning glare before turning toward the door. She tugged at the handle a few times—the lock jammed—but only after several stubborn attempts did the door finally give way. With a sharp push of her shoulder, she forced it open.
Kael remained in the room, his eyes fixed on the scene. There was a mysterious glint in them, as if he were observing not just Auren's movements, but part of a game whose outcome was far from certain.
Out in the hallway, just a few steps from the door, stood Iris. She moved forward, and Auren stepped aside, silently letting her in.
"Don't worry, Mr. Dantes won't scold us," Auren said. "He was the one who told me not to prepare the presentation. Said it wasn't necessary."
Auren turned slightly toward Kael, as if expecting confirmation, but instead he caught the hint of a hidden smile on her lips. That look was all the proof he needed that the documents hadn't been prepared because of him. She only pretended not to notice.
Kael narrowed his eyes but didn't react, keeping his expression neutral. Iris, though watching them with slight suspicion, didn't say a word.
"What...? How...? Is that true, Mr. Dantes?" Iris frowned slightly, her voice carrying surprise and a touch of confusion, as though she couldn't quite believe her own ears.
Kael smirked, casting a meaningful glance at Auren.
"Could I have ever said something like that?" he replied, his tone sly.
Auren bit her lip to hold back a smile, her eyes sparkling with triumph. She wasn't about to surrender in this game and knew perfectly well how to put Kael in an awkward position.
Noticing the tension, Iris decided to step in, trying to prevent things from becoming any more uncomfortable.
"Auren, you'll stay here. I need to hurry with the meeting preparations." She cast a quick glance at Kael, pressing her lips together slightly. "So, Mr. Dantes, if you don't mind, I'd like Auren to get back to helping with the presentation once you're done here."
As if unintentionally, Iris added another look at Kael—one that clearly hinted at his personal interest. Then she gently nudged Auren into her office and closed the door behind her, leaving them alone.
Kael remained by the desk, his gaze sliding over Auren, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
"Your friend really is sharp," he said with a trace of respect in his voice, as though acknowledging her clever interference.
Catching his expression, Auren replied with a sly smile:
"So, what are you going to do now, boss?"
Kael couldn't resist the playful challenge in her voice. He stepped closer, their eyes locking, and lowered his voice, making her heartbeat quicken.
"I think I need to punish you... for sabotage." His tone carried a serious edge, yet the faint threat in it remained playful.
Auren, refusing to lose her composure, answered with light sarcasm:
"But you still won't get those documents, since you didn't let me work."
Kael narrowed his eyes for a moment, as though weighing his next move. There was a flicker of admiration in his gaze, but he could see she wasn't about to give in so easily.
"Oh, is that so? Then you're deliberately neglecting your duties?" he said, slipping into the role of the disappointed boss.
Auren sighed, but the fire in her eyes hadn't dimmed. She knew this wasn't just about the documents anymore—it was about not letting him take full control of their game.
"You were the one distracting me, boss. Now deal with the consequences," she said, her voice laced with light sarcasm.
Kael leaned in slightly, his gaze never leaving her. He could feel the tension between them grow sharper.
"Then I'll just have to figure out a way to make you prepare them anyway," he murmured, stepping closer, his presence surrounding her.
Auren held his gaze, pretending to think it over. But Kael didn't give her time.
"Or..." His voice softened, pulling her in. "I could make a different kind of arrangement with you."
She raised her brows, seeing he was about to suggest something far more intriguing. Hiding her smile, she asked with a teasing lilt:
"A different kind?"
Kael leaned even closer, his breath brushing against her skin as he whispered:
"Yes. For example, you give me the documents later, and I..." His voice lowered, drawing her deeper into a game she could no longer stop.
Auren froze for a moment, caught off guard by how far he was willing to go. He pulled back slightly, a mysterious smile curving his lips.
"...and I'll think of a way to reward you for saving me," he said, his tone carrying a subtle challenge.
But Auren wasn't about to surrender so easily.
"No need. Because I already prepared the documents. I'm not as incompetent as someone I know," she shot back, making it clear she hadn't lost.
Kael narrowed his eyes, admiration flickering in them.
"So you just wanted to tease me?" he asked, a trace of amusement in his voice.
Auren smiled, her words carrying a playful edge:
"I just wanted to see how you'd try to get out of it."
Kael leaned closer, his gaze turning more serious.
"And? What do you think of my approach?"
Auren pretended to think it over, then finally answered with a touch of sarcasm:
"Barely a passing grade."
Kael let out a short laugh, almost offended by her judgment.
"Barely passing?!" His voice carried mock indignation, but the faint smile on her lips told him the game was far from over.
His own smile grew more confident, and Auren, sensing it, already knew the next round of their duel would be no less interesting.
But then Iris's voice cut through the moment after a sharp knock on the door.
"Sorry to interrupt, but Auren, we really need to go. Only five minutes left."
Auren sighed, shaking her head. With light irritation but a smile tugging at her lips, she replied:
"Alright, I'm coming."
She took a step forward, but Kael, unwilling to let her go so easily, caught her by the waist, leaned in, and whispered:
"We're not finished."
Auren flinched, but quickly regained her composure, keeping her expression unreadable.
"Work comes first," she said firmly, slipping out of his hold and striding toward the door.
"For now," he called after her.
Auren stopped at the door. Instead of leaving, she slowly turned back to face him. He was leaning casually against the edge of her desk, watching her every move with a sly smirk.
She took a step toward him. Then another.
The closer she came, the sharper his gaze became. When the distance between them was nearly gone, Kael arched a brow.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" His voice was low, teasing, edged with challenge.
Auren held her breath, her eyes locking on his. For a brief second, her gaze flicked down to his lips as if weighing her answer, before returning to his eyes.
"And you? Are you sure you'll be able to resist?" she whispered boldly.
She rose slightly on her toes, as if about to brush her lips against his. Kael was already bracing himself for her move—
But instead, Auren pulled back sharply, snatching the folder of documents from the desk with practiced ease.
Her footsteps echoed faster in the silence of the office, and before Kael could react, she flung the door open.
"Thanks for your time, boss," she threw over her shoulder with a mischievous smile and disappeared into the hallway.
Kael remained standing there, eyes narrowing slightly, a slow smile spreading across his face—a mix of irritation and admiration.
***
Auren slipped into the hallway, clutching the folder of documents in her hands. She had barely caught her breath when she spotted Iris. Her friend straightened the moment she saw her and fell into step beside her, giving her a sharp look.
"Well, now I'm absolutely sure," Iris said with a sly smile, matching Auren's pace. "You made some kind of decision in that office."
"What makes you think that?" Auren tried to joke, quickening her steps toward the presentation hall.
But Iris didn't fall behind. She narrowed her eyes, catching sight of Auren's flushed face.
"Don't even try it!" she said, almost triumphantly. "I know you too well. And while we're walking, you're going to tell me everything."
"And if I don't?" Auren shot back, trying to sound confident, but the faint smile tugging at her lips betrayed her.
Iris nudged her shoulder playfully and smirked.
"Then I won't let it go. And believe me, Auren, I've got enough patience to follow you all the way to the stage if that's what it takes to find out why you walked out of there blushing like that."
Auren rolled her eyes and tightened her grip on the folder, though her gaze flickered with amused surrender.
"Maybe I'll tell you everything after work," she said quietly, hoping to steer the conversation away.
But Iris didn't budge, keeping stride with her, watching every word and expression closely.
"After work?" she chuckled, shaking her head. "No way. I already suspected it back when he kissed your hand. And now you've just confirmed it."
Auren pressed the folder to her chest and fell silent for a moment.
"I'm not even sure what kind of relationship we have now," she admitted softly. "But I do know it's no longer just professional."
Iris's smile widened, as if her theory had finally been proven.
"That's exactly what I wanted to hear," she said, peering into Auren's eyes with curiosity. "And don't think you can hide anything from me."
Auren rolled her eyes again, but the corners of her lips betrayed her with the faintest twitch.
The two girls continued down the corridor toward the presentation hall, their steps quickening—not just from urgency, but from the growing tension of the conversation.
***
When the door closed behind Auren, Kael remained standing in the middle of her office.
For a few seconds, he simply looked around—the neat desk, the stacks of papers, the faint trace of her perfume lingering in the air as if she were still there.
Slowly, he ran his fingers along the edge of the desk where the documents had just been, and smirked.
"Clever," he whispered, almost in admiration.
He recalled how she had come so close, nearly crossing that invisible line, only to snatch victory away at the last moment, leaving him empty-handed.
"Decided to play by your own rules?" His voice was soft, yet carried an undercurrent of threat. "We'll see, Auren... who ends up stronger."
He lowered himself into her chair, leaning back, and for a brief moment allowed his eyes to close. But within seconds they opened again, narrowing as a satisfied grin spread across his face.
In Auren's office, on her territory, he felt like the master of someone else's domain. And that sense of trespassing made the game all the more thrilling.