Mia stares at Kevin, her face frozen in a blank mask of disbelief. Her mind is reeling, the shock making her feel as though she's stuck in some surreal nightmare. "Mia, are you okay?" Jella's voice cuts through the fog clouding her thoughts.
"Huh?" Mia blinks rapidly, trying to shake off the shock. "You look pale," Jella says, her concern clear.
"Are you alright, Mia?" Jay adds, his brows knitting together.
Mia forces out a shaky laugh. "Oh, yeah, yeah. Sorry," she stumbles, trying—and failing—to pull herself together.
Ben smirks from his desk. "You look like you just saw a ghost."
Honestly? Seeing Kevin Garcia again feels like confronting a ghost from her messy past. Mia forces a tight smile, one that feels more like a grimace. "Sorry, guys. I'm really okay."
But inside, panic claws at her chest, wild and desperate. What is Kevin Garcia doing here? Why him? Out of all the people in the world, why did it have to be Kevin?
Before the tension can thicken, Mr. Diaz claps his hands, snapping everyone's attention back to him. "Alright, everyone. I need someone to give Mr. Garcia a quick tour of our humble office. Any volunteers?"
Dead silence. Not even a cough.
Mr. Diaz smiles knowingly. "No volunteers? Alright then, I'll pick someone at random..." His eyes sweep across the room—and land directly on Mia.
"Ms. Dela Cruz?" he calls.
Mia freezes. "Sir?" Her voice cracks, betraying the dread churning in her stomach.
"Could you please show Mr. Garcia around?" Mr. Diaz asks, too politely, as if he has no idea what's going through her mind.
Does she really have to? Mia wants to scream, but instead, Jella elbows her discreetly, silently urging her to say yes.
Mr. Diaz's voice grows firmer. "Ms. Dela Cruz?"
Mia swallows hard, feeling like she's being sentenced. "Yes, sir. Sure," she manages, her heart sinking into her stomach.
"Great," Mr. Diaz says brightly. "Please come forward and introduce yourself to your new team leader."
Perfect. As if having her ex-fling become her boss wasn't bad enough, now she has to be his personal tour guide too.
Dragging her feet, Mia approaches Kevin, pasting on the most professional smile she can manage. "Good morning, Mr. Garcia. I'm—"
"Mia?" Kevin interrupts, his face lighting up with surprise and unmistakable excitement. "I can't believe you work here! How many years has it been? It's so good to see you again!"
Mia's stomach drops. She hopes he doesn't say anything stupid.
Mr. Diaz raises a curious eyebrow. "Oh? You two know each other?"
Kevin grins wide. "Yes, we do! How can I explain this... we're—"
"FRIENDS!" Mia blurts, louder than she intended. Her face flushes with embarrassment, but she laughs awkwardly, waving a hand like she can brush away the awkwardness. "We're... old friends. It's been a while, so I didn't recognize him at first."
Inside, Mia is absolutely screaming. Is Kevin seriously about to announce their past to the entire office? The worst-case scenarios are already flashing in her mind—headlines, office gossip, everything unraveling.
Mia just wants to escape, but she forces herself to smile. Her mind is spiraling, but she won't let it show.
"Great! It's good that you already know each other. That should make things much easier," Mr. Diaz says, patting Kevin on the back obliviously. "Enjoy the tour, Mr. Garcia," he adds before walking away.
Mia takes a deep breath, forcing another tight smile. Kevin Garcia—her ex-fling—is now her boss. And she's about to spend the next hour giving him a personal tour of the office.