"Ugh! You’re just annoying!" Jessica complained before turning on her heel and walking away.
I didn’t care. Not anymore. They couldn’t hurt again.
"It feels so good to put them in their places," Maya giggled beside .
This ti, my laugh was real.
We reached the elevator and the mont the doors slid open, my breath caught in my throat.
Alexander.
Standing alone.
Why was he using the employees’ elevator?
His gaze swept over —slow, controlled, yet intense enough to make the air feel too thick.
My entire body froze. Maya, of course, made the mont worse by clearing her throat loudly, like she was announcing us.
"Co in," Alexander said, stepping slightly to the side to make space.
My heart thudded once—hard.
I inhaled deeply, gathering whatever dignity I had left, and stepped inside. Maya, traitor that she was, guided until I stood right beside him.
I shot her a glare. She grinned, unashad.
The elevator doors closed.
A heavy awkward, suffocating silence fell . The hum of the elevator felt louder than my pulse.
Through my peripheral vision, I could feel Alexander watching . Not subtly. Not casually. He was intensely watching.
Why was he looking at like that?
I fixed my gaze on the elevator numbers, praying for the floors to fly by faster.
When it finally dinged open, I didn’t wait.
I practically launched myself out of the small space, breathing in air like I’d been underwater.
I was three steps down the hallway before soone tugged my wrist gently.
I spun around too fast—relief flooding when I saw it was Maya.
"Why did you dash off like that?" she asked, amused, as we walked toward our office.
"I just... didn’t want to share a space with him anymore."
I bit down on my lower lip.
That was a lie.
And Maya knew it.
Truth was, I had no idea how I was supposed to look at him after yesterday—how I was supposed to breathe around him when everything inside felt too tight.
She didn’t push, and I was grateful. I didn’t even understand my feelings well enough to explain them.
When we got to the office, I imdiately got to work. There were quotas I needed to et up with. Clients I needed to communicate with. And most importantly... I needed to forget about Alexander.
I hoped today would be peaceful. Stupid of .
As the day went by, my thoughts slowly drifted away from Alexander... until Jessica ca running to our office with a knowing smirk on her face.
"Listen to everyone!" She clapped her hands and all heads turned to her, including mine. "The boss’s mother is on the down floor..." Her gaze shifted to with a smug smile, and I suddenly had a bad feeling.
My hands tightened around the folder I was holding as I listened to Jessica’s words.
"She claims that she—" she pointed to , and all attention turned to . "—seduced her son, causing the boss to break up the engagent with his fiancée, Alia Chase."
There were collective gasps after she was done, and my eyes narrowed. What was she spewing from her mouth?
"What the heck are you saying?" Maya rushed to defend . "If you have nothing to say, then you might as well leave."
Jessica scoffed. "Do you think I’m lying? Well, she’s already on her way—"
"Where is Serena?" A sharp loud voice from the hallway cut her off and all eyes locked onto .
Jessica chuckled as she walked to . She leaned in and whispered into my ears. "You should’ve listened when I warned you." There was a trace of satisfaction in her voice. And why wouldn’t she be satisfied? She loved to bask in my suffering.
Seeing that I didn’t respond, she stepped back.
"I suggest you look for a place to hide. Mrs. Blackwood seed like she could kill you." A hint of fake pity and sympathy flashed through my eyes, and I rolled my eyes.
The office door slamd open so hard the glass rattled.
Grace Blackwood stord in like a hurricane, her heels striking the tiled floor with enough force to echo through every cubicle. Her expression was tight, furious, and every bit as intimidating as the rumors described.
Conversations died instantly. Several employees scrambled out of her way.
Her eyes locked onto .
"So," she spat, "you’re the little nobody who thinks she can seduce my son. I knew you were trouble the mont I laid my eyes on you at the banquet."
I stiffened. My throat tightened, but no words ca out.
Before I could react, Maya shoved herself between us.
"Ma’am, with all due respect—watch your tone."
A collective gasp rippled through the office.
Grace’s gaze snapped to Maya. "And who are you?"
"The friend who won’t let you talk to Serena like she’s trash," Maya replied, chin raised proudly. "If you want to have a conversation, you’ll do it respectfully."
Grace scoffed. "Respect? For a gold-digger who threw herself at my son."
Heat crept up my face. My stomach twisted painfully, but I kept my mouth shut. That accusation... it hurt more than I expected. But it wasn’t true.
Maya stepped forward, eyes blazing. "Serena has never seduced anyone. If Mr. Blackwood broke off an engagent, that’s between him and Alia."
She paused, staring straight into Grace’s eyes. "Don’t drag my friend through your ss. And I recall that Mr. Blackwood didn’t agree with the engagent. So this is all your wishful thinking."
"You insolent—" Grace snapped, raising a hand as if to strike Maya.
Maya didn’t flinch. She stood steady, jaw tight, ready for the blow.
I finally moved, grabbing Maya’s wrist, pulling her slightly behind . "Please," I whispered. "Stop."
"That’s enough!"
The entire office froze.
Alexander stood at the doorway, chest rising and falling with quiet fury, eyes locked on his mother. His presence alone shifted the air—cold, sharp, commanding. Even the employees who had been pretending not to listen were openly watching now.
Grace stiffened. "Alex—"
"No." He stepped further inside, his voice deceptively calm, but his glare could cut through steel. "What do you think you’re doing?"
I swallowed. How did he know his mother was here?
Stupid Serena, news travels fast.
Grace lifted her chin, recovering from the shock quickly. "I’m doing what any mother would do—protecting her son from being used."
"It’s embarrassing," Alexander said, his jaw flexing with anger. "And completely unacceptable."
The words sucked the air out of the room.
Grace blinked. "Unacceptable? Alex, she—"
"Mother." His voice dropped, carrying a warning. "Not another word."
Jessica, who had been itching to chi in again, tried anyway.
"Well, sir, we only thought—"
Alexander didn’t spare her a full glance. "Jessica."
She shut up instantly.
He finally turned to .
My breath hitched. His eyes softened, or maybe that was just wishful thinking on my part. Still, the concern was unmistakable.
"Serena," he said, taking a slow step closer, an action which infuriated his mother, "are you alright?"
I swallowed. My throat felt too tight to speak, but I managed a small nod.
Grace scoffed behind him. "So now you’re defending her? What spell has this girl—"
"Mother," Alexander snapped, sharper this ti. "Do not speak about her like that."
Another wave of stunned silence.
The employees exchanged wide-eyed looks. Maya squeezed my hand, whispering excitedly, "Rena... he really ca here for you."
But I couldn’t process that.
Why? Why was he defending like this?
He shouldn’t be this gentle."
It terrified how easily he made my heart react.
Grace glared at her son, anger and disbelief mixing into sothing dangerously unstable. "I raised you better than this. You’re choosing this—this girl over your family’s dignity?"
"My dignity," Alexander said coldly, "does not co from belittling my employees."
Grace’s eyes flashed. "Alex—"
"This conversation ends now." His tone brooked no argunt. "If you want to discuss anything regarding Alia, the engagent, or your plans, we’ll do it privately. But you will not co to my company and harass my staff."
Her lips parted in outrage.
Then she noticed sothing. Alexander had moved subtly, but deliberately, positioning himself between and her.
A protecting stance.
Grace stared at the space between us, realization dawning... and she looked furious.
"This isn’t over," she whispered venomously.
"It is." Alexander corrected her without batting an eyelid.
Grace shot one last icy, venom-laced look before whirling around, storming out of the office. Her heels clacked violently down the hall, echoing her fury.
The mont she disappeared, the tension in the room dropped like a stone hitting water.
Jessica imdiately rushed out of the office.
Maya exhaled loudly. "Well... damn."
I couldn’t speak. My heart was hamring. My hands trembled slightly.
Alexander turned back to , his voice low. "Whatever she said, forget it. It won’t happen again."
Maya cut in, arms folded. "Oh, she said plenty. But we handled it before you swooped in like Superman."
Alexander shot her a look, then returned his gaze to . "Serena... can we talk?"
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