The next morning, the office buzzed with whispers.
Victoria had been seen entering the building early.
Amelia tried to focus on her work, but her mind kept replaying last night.
"Adrian doesn't mix business with emotions."
The elevator doors opened.
Adrian stepped out, followed closely by Victoria.
They looked… comfortable.
Too comfortable.
Amelia forced herself to stay professional.
An hour later, she was called into Adrian's office.
Victoria was already seated inside.
Adrian gestured for Amelia to sit.
"Victoria will be collaborating with us on the upcoming international campaign," he said calmly.
Amelia's stomach dropped.
"Congratulations," Victoria added smoothly. "Looks like we'll be working very closely."
The room suddenly felt smaller.
As the meeting ended, Victoria left first.
When the door shut, Amelia gathered her papers quickly.
"If there's nothing else, Mr. Kane—"
"Why are you avoiding my eyes?" Adrian interrupted.
She froze.
"I'm not."
"You are."
He stood and walked around the desk, stopping in front of her.
"You were confident last night," he continued quietly. "Now you're distant."
"That's because last night reminded me," she said before she could stop herself.
"Reminded you of what?"
"That I'm just your assistant."
Silence fell.
Adrian studied her face carefully.
"You think I invited you to dinner just because you're my assistant?"
Her heart pounded.
"Isn't that the reason?"
He stepped closer.
Too close.
"There are many assistants in this building," he said softly. "Yet you were the only one beside me."
The air between them grew charged.
For a moment, it felt like the world outside his office didn't exist.
Then a knock broke the tension.
Victoria's voice echoed from outside. "Adrian, we need to finalize the numbers."
Adrian didn't move his eyes from Amelia.
"Go back to work," he said quietly.
But his gaze said something entirely different.
And for the first time, Amelia realized—
The lines between business and emotions were already blurring.