Aliana pulled herself out of his grip, frowning hard as she steadied her breath.
"What is wrong with you?" she asked, her voice low but sharp.
Arman blinked, as if snapping back into the right headspace. His shoulders dropped a little.
"I've been looking for you," he said. "You weren't answering your phone."
"I lost it," she replied flatly.
She could feel her annoyance rising. Part of her wanted to throw his worry back in his face. He had spent months keeping her at arm's length, acting like she barely mattered. Now suddenly he acted like she'd gone missing? The shift in him was too strange, too confusing, and it rubbed against every bruise inside her.
Before she could say anything else, footsteps clicked behind them.
"Hi, sir," Beatrice said, her voice too sweet to be natural. "Are you free?"
Arman turned his head toward her. He didn't smile, but something in his expression softened just a little, enough for Aliana to notice. Enough to make irritation spark in her chest.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I just had to discuss the project you assigned me yesterday," Beatrice replied, tilting her head. Her gaze flicked sideways for a second, landing on Aliana in a pointed way, as if she wanted her to hear every word.
Aliana's stomach knotted. Yesterday. A project already. She thought back to the months she had waited for him to trust her with even the smallest task. The sting was sharper than she expected, sharp enough to turn her voice tight.
"I think I should leave the two of you," she said quietly, the hurt slipping through before she could push it back down.
She stepped away, but Arman reached out without thinking. His fingers caught the edge of her scarf. He didn't tug hard, just enough for the cloth to slip free from her neck.
The marks came into view.
Arman froze. His eyes locked onto the bruised skin with a shocked stillness that made her heart hammer in panic.
Aliana snatched the scarf from his hand and wrapped it around herself again in a rush, almost choking on how fast she wanted to hide it.
She didn't look back.
She hurried down the hallway, her steps uneven, her pulse ringing in her ears, disappearing into the small, run-down office they had shoved her into, trying to breathe again.
Jane sent a junior worker to hand Aliana a few small tasks, things simple enough to keep her busy. Aliana accepted them without complaint. She needed something to focus on, anything to drown out the sting of what had just happened in the hallway. So she lowered her head and began sorting through files, typing, correcting figures, forcing her mind to stay steady.
She heard footsteps, slow and pointed, and when she looked up, Beatrice was walking straight toward her with her phone in hand.
Aliana frowned. She could've sworn that phone had been lost in that awful motel. Her heart thudded once in confusion.
Beatrice placed it lightly on the corner of her desk.
"Boss asked me to give this to you," she said. "And he also said you should be ready for the party tomorrow. Everyone has to attend."
"Party?" Aliana stared at her. "Since when?"
Beatrice cocked her head, pretending patience. "It's the corporate mixer. They finalized it today. Mandatory attendance."
Aliana nodded even though the whole thing didn't sit right. No news, no email, no announcement yesterday. Suddenly there was a full office event? She couldn't afford to question it aloud. So she just murmured an "Okay," picked up her phone, and pretended not to notice the smug little look Beatrice flashed before leaving.
The moment work ended, Aliana rushed out and headed straight back to Joseph's apartment. She unlocked the door quietly, hoping the hush of the house would help her forget the day.
The first thing she heard was the soft clatter of utensils.
Joseph stood in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, chopping something on the counter. The smell of mushrooms and butter floated through the air.
Aliana exhaled. "Let me help you cook."
Joseph looked over his shoulder, lips curling into a familiar, teasing smile. That effortless charm was back.
"I swear, I feel like a housewife," he said. "My loving husband finally coming home from a long day. How about a sweet little kiss to complete the scene?"
She snorted, trying not to smile too much. "Keep dreaming."
But the tension in the apartment eased. She washed the vegetables he had set aside and asked, "What are you making?"
"What do you want to eat, my darling?" he teased again.
The answer was already obvious from the cutting board.
"Mushroom soup," she muttered.
He grinned in confirmation.
"Could you pass me the garlic seasoning? It's in the cabinet over there."
She nodded and opened the cabinet. The bottle sat annoyingly on the top shelf. She rose onto the tips of her toes, fingers brushing the edge but not quite reaching.
Joseph noticed her struggling.
He stepped close. Too close.
Without saying a word, he reached up behind her and plucked the bottle from the shelf with ease. When she turned around, their faces stopped just a breath apart.
Her gaze met his. His eyes didn't drift away. The hand that had been on the cabinet slowly lowered to the counter, trapping her lightly between his body and the edge of the kitchen space.
Her throat tightened as he leaned in, his gaze dropping to her lips for a heartbeat before finding her eyes again. The air between them felt warm and charged, so intimate she felt the heat rush to her cheeks.
Then the pot on the stove let out a loud, angry boil, spilling a little over the edge.
Joseph jerked his head toward it.
Aliana didn't wait another second. She spun around and all but fled from the kitchen.
"I… I'll go get changed," she blurted out, rushing to the bedroom.
She shut the door and leaned against it, ears burning red, breath uneven.
She didn't know what scared her more: the moment itself, or how badly she hadn't wanted to move away when he leaned in. Her back against the door Aliana took a few heavy breaths confused at her reaction. "What was I thinking?"