That evening, the intense focus of their earlier session lingered, creating a subtle undercurrent during drama rehearsal. Today, Ms. Dubois had them working on a particularly intimate scene: Hermia and Lysander's declaration of unwavering love before falling asleep in each other's arms in the woods.
"And, for love's sake, lay a little closer by," Kris murmured, his voice deep, his eyes holding Mia's with an unnerving tenderness. He guided her to lie down beside him on the stage, their bodies close, their breaths mingling. The line between Lysander and Kris, Hermia and Mia, felt dangerously thin.
During a break, as Mia straightened her clothes after the close scene, Leo approached, a slightly more hesitant air about him than usual. "Mia," he began, "I saw you earlier today, working with Kris on his presentation. You looked incredibly focused. You really can do anything, can't you? From brilliant art to... high-level business critiques." He smiled, then hesitated. "Listen, there's a new abstract art exhibit opening at the city gallery tonight. It's supposed to be incredible. Would you... uh, want to go? Just a casual escape from all this drama and business."
Mia felt a genuine pull towards the offer. An art exhibit sounded like heaven after the week she'd had. "Oh, Leo, that sounds amazing, actually," she started, her eyes lighting up.
But before she could fully accept, Kris's voice cut in, sharp and resonant. He stepped directly into her personal space, subtly blocking Leo from her view. "Princess," he stated, his eyes fixed on her, ignoring Leo completely. "We need to go over the Case Competition projections for the final quarter again. Your feedback on the scalability metrics was... insightful. But I want to re-run the numbers with you." He didn't ask; he commanded. His gaze flickered to Leo, a stark, challenging glint in his eyes that dared him to object. "Some of us have actual work to do, not just... 'casual escapes.'"
Leo's friendly smile faltered. He clearly caught the underlying message. "Right," he said, his voice flat. "Well, another time, perhaps, Mia. Good luck with the numbers." He gave a clipped nod to Kris, a silent acknowledgment of the unspoken challenge, and walked away, his shoulders stiff.
Ms. Dubois, seemingly oblivious to the tension, clapped her hands. "Perfect! That scene, Kris, Mia, felt so natural! Let's take five, everyone, then move to the fairy scenes!"
Mia bristled under Kris's possessive presence. "Did you have to do that?" she hissed, glaring at him.
Kris merely arched an eyebrow, a triumphant glint in his eyes. "My assistant needs to be focused on my priorities, Princess. And tonight, my priority is ensuring our Case Competition presentation is flawless. Your 'insightful feedback' is required." He turned, heading towards the exit, expecting her to follow. "Unless, of course, you'd prefer to forfeit the bet right now?"
Mia gritted her teeth. The offer of an art escape, snatched away by Kris's demanding grip. Day five, and the bet was turning into a very personal, very intense tug-of-war for her time and attention. And Kris, infuriatingly, seemed to be winning.