The office buzzed with activity, but the tension was palpable. A new project had just been announced, one that required inter-departmental collaboration. That meant, of course, that Lila Moreno and Raven Hale would have to work closely—not just with each other, but with colleagues from the rival marketing department.
Lila stared at the email on her screen, feeling a pang of dread. Why does it always have to be him?
Raven, on the other hand, leaned back in his chair, smirking. "Looks like destiny really wants us together," he said casually, already plotting ways to make the project more "fun."
Lila's glare could have frozen fire. "I'm not in the mood for your fun," she muttered.
---
The Arrival of the Rival Department
The new team members from the rival department arrived:
A boisterous man who seemed determined to take the lead
A perfectionist woman who scrutinized every detail
And a few others who clearly had their own agenda
Raven greeted them with his usual charm, effortlessly breaking the ice, while Lila silently observed, analyzing each personality.
"Looks like they underestimate us," she whispered.
"Perfect," Raven replied, leaning closer. "Then we get to show them how unstoppable we are."
---
Comedic Mishaps and Competition
From the start, the collaboration was chaotic:
1. Presentation Mix-Up:
Raven accidentally switched slides from Lila's carefully prepared deck, causing a minor panic.
Lila groaned, but her frustration melted when Raven caught her hands to steady the laptop.
2. Terrible Team Dynamics:
The rival department constantly argued about the approach, and Raven decided to inject humor to ease the tension.
Lila couldn't help but laugh at his antics, even as she rolled her eyes at his dramatic gestures.
3. Unexpected Cooperation:
Despite the chaos, Raven and Lila found themselves complementing each other perfectly:
Lila's precision balanced Raven's creativity
Raven's charm smoothed over disagreements
Every shared glance, brush of hands, and whispered joke increased the romantic tension between them
---
A Quiet, Tense Moment
After a particularly heated argument between departments, Raven and Lila found themselves alone in the conference room:
Lila's hands were shaking slightly as she organized notes
Raven noticed and quietly said, "Hey… you're amazing at this. Don't let them stress you out."
Her heart skipped a beat. "Thanks… you're not so bad yourself," she murmured.
Their eyes met, lingering longer than necessary. For a brief moment, the world outside the conference room disappeared.
---End of Chapter 12---