Chapter 17

‎Meanwhile, Cleo had just arrived home, expecting to see her friend Claire, who had gone for a job interview earlier that morning. To her surprise, the house was quiet and empty.

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‎“She’s still not back?” Cleo muttered to herself, a little concerned. She dropped her bag onto the couch in the sitting room and pulled out her phone from it, dialing Claire's number immediately.

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‎In a different setting, Claire was at her office desk when her phone lit up with Cleo’s name flashing on the screen.

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‎“This girl,” Claire said with a small chuckle, reaching for the phone.

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‎“Hey, what’s up?” she greeted, smiling as she answered the call.

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‎“I just got home now and didn’t see you anywhere,” Cleo said, her voice slightly anxious. “Are you okay?”

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‎“I’m fine, I should—” Claire began to respond, but she didn’t get the chance to finish. A sudden knock on her office door caught her off guard.

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‎Surprised, she glanced at the door. “Hey babe, I’ll call you back later,” she said quickly, ending the call after Cleo responded with a casual “alright.”

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‎“Come in,” Claire called out, still staring at the door with curiosity.

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‎The door opened slowly, and her boss stepped in. Claire wasn’t exactly shocked, it was just the two of them on the 25th floor but she wondered why he hadn’t simply messaged her if he needed something.

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‎“Sir,” she greeted, rising slightly from her seat, her tone formal.

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‎He didn’t return her greeting immediately. Instead, he frowned slightly and said, “Don’t just stand there staring at me. Aren’t you going home?”

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‎Claire blinked, glancing at the clock. “Haa… I didn’t realize it was closing time already. I’ll get ready now. Thanks, sir.”

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‎She waited for him to leave so she could start packing her things, but he lingered.

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‎“I’ll give you a ride,” he said, his tone leaving no room for protest. “I need to talk to you about some company matters, things you should know.”

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‎Claire nodded, not wanting to argue. “Okay, sir. I’ll get ready now,” she said politely, beginning to gather her belongings.

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‎“Be fast. I’m waiting,” he said firmly, watching her intently.

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‎Now that she was no longer sitting and had momentarily taken off her coat, he could clearly see her figure. His eyes involuntarily lingered on her, captivated. He couldn’t deny it, he’d been thinking about her all day. There was something about her he couldn’t quite explain, and it was starting to frustrate him.

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‎“Ready, sir,” Claire finally said, standing in front of him, coat now on, bag slung over her shoulder.

"Okay," he said softly, stepping aside to let her pass.

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‎She hesitated briefly, glancing at him with uncertainty. "Um, sir... you don’t have to do this," she said, her voice low, almost embarrassed. It felt strange, awkward, even that her boss was the one holding the door for her as she exited.

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‎He gave a slight shrug, trying to seem indifferent. "It’s just a small gesture. It’s nothing," he lied.

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‎But deep down, he knew it wasn’t nothing. He had never done this for anyone before not once. And now, here he was, doing it without hesitation. It made him painfully aware that something inside him had shifted since he met her that morning. It was unsettling. He felt like he was acting out of character, yet at the same time, more like himself than he had in a long while.

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‎They walked in silence toward the elevator, the air thick with unspoken words. When they reached the underground parking lot, he gestured for her to wait. Without another word, he turned and headed toward his car.

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‎Moments later, he pulled up in front of her. The passenger-side window rolled down. "Come in," he said, his gaze flicking to her face.

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‎She nodded and stepped in, fastening her seatbelt. Since morning, he had promised himself he wouldn’t think about her, wouldn’t let his mind wander to the soft curve of her smile or the way her eyes lit up when she spoke. But here she was, sitting beside him, and all he could think about was how badly he wanted to taste her small, rosy lips.

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‎"I'm ready," she said, after telling him her address. Her voice was calm, but her eyes searched his face. His expression had turned cold, distant. She felt the shift in him immediately and couldn’t help but wonder why. Why was he pulling away now, when just minutes ago he had gone out of his way for her?