Chapter 36 - The game has begun

Monday morning arrived with a chill in the air and a quiet kind of unease. The office buzzed, yet everything felt a little heavier. Lily sat at her desk, sipping lukewarm coffee, her thoughts still tangled in Friday's rooftop lunch and William's distant eyes.

The silence between them hadn’t lifted. If anything, it had deepened.

She opened her inbox, scanning the usual reports and updates. Her eyes glazed over the spreadsheets until Clara walked over, mumbling, "You okay? You look like you had coffee made by sadness."

Lily groaned. "Your boss is out of control."

"William? What did he do now?"

"He’s turned into the most annoying human being alive."

Just then, as if summoned, William walked past Lily's desk and dropped a new stack of files. "I want these revised and submitted before lunch. And don’t ask Ross for help."

Lily gaped. "Why not Ross? We’re on the same team!"

"Your handwriting is neater," William said without turning back.

Clara stifled a silent laugh.

Lily sighed. This man was driving her crazy.

By noon, William had found new ways to sabotage her peace. He "accidentally" deleted Ross’ presentation slides, then reassigned the pitch to Lily. He relocated her desk to the cabin next to his claiming "administrative reshuffling."

When she protested, he offered her coffee — in a mug that said "Best Employee Who Doesn’t Flirt With Colleagues."

She stormed into his cabin. "Are you serious right now?"

William looked up calmly. "I am always serious."

"You moved my desk, overloaded me with work, and now this mug?"

He shrugged. "Team spirit."

She narrowed her eyes. "You don’t want me talking to Ross."

"You think he’s your type?"

Lily glared. "And what exactly is my type?"

He leaned back in his chair, lips twitching. "Well, clearly not me. Otherwise, you’d have accepted my hundred-thousand-dollar offer."

She blinked. "Which thousand - dollor- what - the - heck".

William replied, "That one night stand...."

Lily clenched her fist, "About that. I already have that amount, thank you very much."

William snorted. "You actually believed that? That wasn’t real."

Her face dropped. "Wait... What?"

"Why would I give you that much money for one night? I didn't hire you. It was mutual. You wanted, I wanted. We did it. I offered those dollars  to annoy you. You took it seriously?"

Lily turned bright red. "You’re impossible!"

"And yet, here you are. Still working for me."

She stomped out.

In the evening, Lily collapsed on the couch in Clara’s office. "I’m quitting. I can’t handle this man anymore."

Clara tossed her a chocolate. "You say that every Monday."

"No, I mean it this time. He moved my desk like I’m some object he can place closer just to keep me away from Ross."

"So... you and Ross?"

"No! But William thinks something is going on. I swear, if he calls another team meeting just to cancel Ross's leaves, I’m done."

Clara laughed. "You should see how he looks when Ross offers you coffee."

Lily buried her face in the cushion. "I want to disappear."

Meanwhile, across town, Nany was sitting on the back of Justin's bike, holding a melting ice cream cone.

"You seriously took me to a tea stall for our first date?" she asked.

"It has five-star reviews online. Mostly from old uncles, but still," Justin winked.

She giggled. "You’re ridiculous."

He leaned closer. "Only for you."

They shared quiet laughs as they rode through the empty streets. Nany had never felt this kind of carefree before.

But somewhere in the back of her mind, a small voice wondered: how can someone so perfect be real?

Back in the office the next day, Ross was speaking quietly to Clara at the coffee machine.

"You think Lily would ever give me a chance?"

Clara tilted her head. "Maybe. She smiles when you walk in. That’s something."

"She’s smart. Kind. She’s not like others. I think she’s the one."

Unbeknownst to them, William had stepped into the hallway and heard everything.

He didn’t speak. Just clenched his jaw and walked away.

But something had shifted.

The game had just begun.