010

SHAYLE

By the time I got home, it was almost eight in the evening.

My feet hurt like hell. I could barely walk properly and had to take my heels off just to make it up the stairs.

That son of a gun had overworked me to the core. I was starving, my back felt like it had been broken in two, and my brain felt like soup.

I dragged myself down the hallway, clutching my shoes and my bag like a dead body, praying not to bump into anyone. I didn’t have the strength for small talk.

When I finally reached my door, I pulled out my key, trying to unlock it, when I suddenly heard my name.

“Shayle?”

I froze. That voice. Oh no.

I turned my head slowly toward the next door, and there he was. Kieran.

Shit.

My heart immediately began hammering in my chest like it wanted to break out. Why did we have to run into each other now that I looked like a sweaty raccoon after a twelve-hour shift in hell?

I forced a nervous smile. “Oh… hey.”

I quickly turned back to my door, hoping to escape, but of course, fate wasn’t on my side.

“Wait,” he called, walking toward me.

From the looks of it, he had just gotten home too, still in his plain black shirt that somehow managed to make him look like he stepped out of a damn perfume ad.

When he got closer, I could see everything clearly—the sharpness of his cheekbones, the fullness of his lips, the way his eyes looked so warm.

I found myself staring for a moment. If only I could just taste those lips, I would gladly die if I only even had one month.

“Why are you always running away from me?” he asked, tilting his head slightly. “Did I do something wrong?”

His voice snapped me out of the trance. I blinked hard then rubbed the back of my neck, forcing an awkward laugh.

“No, not at all. I just… had a lot on my mind. I’m sorry for walking out the other day. That was rude.”

He smiled gently. “You don’t need to apologize. I figured something must’ve come up.”

The way he looked at me when he said that, soft and genuine, it almost made my knees give out.

Then his gaze traveled down and up again, slowly. His eyes glinted in a way that made my stomach flip.

“You know, I almost didn’t recognize you just now. Thought it was one of your friends coming to visit.”

My throat went dry.

He took another step closer. “You look… different, much prettier for sure.”

That word hit me like a punch straight to the chest. Prettier? Up till now, I've never even considered myself pretty.

The last person who ever called me that was that lying jerk, Carlos.

Hearing it now, from someone like Kieran, someone who looked like ‘that’, it felt like my heart was melting into a puddle.

“Thanks.”

He smiled wider, this soft, innocent curve of his lips that made him look like a cute puppy that didn’t realize how hot he actually was.

“I mean it,” he said. “That dress looks good on you. Really good.”

My cheeks flamed instantly. I tried to keep a straight face but failed miserably.

“If you still want that tattoo,” he said casually, “you can come by tomorrow. I’ll make time especially for you.”

He paused, his eyes catching mine, a tiny smirk tugging at his lips.

“And maybe after that… we could grab dinner or something. If that’s fine with you.”

I stared at him like an idiot.

Did this hot man just ask me out for dinner?

For real?

My brain went blank. My mouth refused to form words. I just stood there, smiling like an idiot. So I nodded, like a dumb goat.

He chuckled softly at my reaction, his eyes gleaming. “Goodnight, Shayle.”

He turned and headed into his apartment, closing the door behind him.

I didn’t move. I stood there, completely frozen, until he was gone.

When I finally managed to move, I opened my own door and stumbled inside. The moment my body hit the bed, all the earlier exhaustion, hunger, and pain vanished. It was like my whole mood had been rewritten.

Kieran. The hottest guy I’d ever met, my freaking next-door neighbor, had just asked me out on a date.

“Oh my god,” I muttered into my pillow.

I rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling, grinning like a crazy person. The butterflies in my stomach refused to calm down.

Oh Ma Jackins, you're who you say you are.

I let out a breathless laugh.

But then I paused. After dinner… should I make a move on him? Was that too much?

I bit my finger, imagining what it would be like; his lips on mine, his body, the warmth of his hands. I blushed so hard I had to bury my face in the pillow again.

I couldn’t wait for tomorrow.

—---

When I woke up the next morning, I felt… alive. Hopeful, even.

But yet, I dreaded the day because that meant seeing Lucien again; the most horrible person I've ever met.

Still, for now, I wanted to enjoy this feeling.

I took a long shower, washed my hair, curled my bangs to match my wavy curls, and picked out one of the new dresses I’d bought.

It was less shorter and tighter but still pretty. This time, I even reached for the red lipstick I hadn’t used since high school.

When I applied it, I blinked at my reflection. I didn’t look too bad at all.

I smiled at myself, tossed the lipstick into my bag, put on my heels, and headed out.

As I locked the door, a small part of me hoped I’d bump into Kieran. Maybe he’d see me like this, tell me I looked good again.

But unfortunately, it didn't happen.

When I arrived at work, the reaction was same as yesterday. I didn't think I could ever get used to this kind of attention. Everyone was looking at me so differently.

As I walked through my department, people actually greeted me.

“Hey, Shayle!”

“Morning, Shayle!”

I blinked, offering small smiles. “Uh… morning.”

No more “Miss Vale” or “Workaholic Vale” or being ignored entirely. Suddenly, I wasn’t invisible anymore.

I wasn’t sure how to feel. Anxious? Excited? Confused? Maybe all three.

As I made my way toward Lucien’s office, someone called my name again.

“Shayle!”

I turned and saw Maddie; the Maddie everyone in the department adored. The social butterfly. The one all the men were after.

She walked toward me in her sleek pencil skirt and heels, flashing me a smile. I almost looked behind me, thinking maybe she meant someone else.

“You look amazing today,” she said, her voice light and friendly. “I didn’t even recognize you at first.”

I blinked, stunned. “Oh. Uh. Thank you.”

Another compliment from someone like her? My brain couldn’t process it.

“You’re Lucien’s new secretary, right?”

“Yeah.”

Her eyes sparkled. “Perfect. Then we’ll be seeing each other a lot. I’m Maddie.”

“I know. I mean—uh—everyone knows.”

She laughed lightly and looped her arm through mine like we were old friends.

“We should hang out sometime. You seem cool. How about lunch later?”

“Lunch?” I repeated, still processing everything.

“Yeah. At the cafe.”

I couldn’t help smiling. My first real friend at work? It felt unreal. “Sure. I’d like that.”

“Great!” she grinned. “And if you ever need anything, anything at all, just ask me, okay?”

I nodded, warmth blooming in my chest.

When we finally reached Lucien’s office, Maddie squeezed my arm gently.

“Good luck in there. He’s not exactly the easiest man to deal with.”

“Thanks,” I muttered under my breath.

She laughed again, waving as she walked away.

I took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

Lucien was already there. He looked freshly arrived, his black tailored suit perfectly fitted, his tie undone just enough to make it look intentional. His gaze snapped toward me the second I entered.

I smiled awkwardly. “Good morning….”

“From now on,” he cut in sharply, his tone cool, “you’ll report an hour earlier.”

“An hour earlier? What do you mean?”

His eyes locked onto mine, unreadable. “Yes, Shayle. You’ll also report to my house first.”

My jaw dropped. “Your house?”

He took another step, closing the space between us. His voice dropped slightly.

“You’ll be given the address,” he continued. “You’ll meet me there an hour before work, and we’ll head to the office together. You’ll handle my schedule from there as my secretary. Do you understand?”