Darien frowned when he noticed her acting all naive. He knew why she was like this, she had embarrassed him once. Seeing her this shy, in a way, calmed his throbbing heart, so he strolled back to the wall and leaned on it. His eyes never left her.Zee stood there like a statue, thinking of the right thing to do or say to this man.' You should probably apologize. Besides, you had embarrassed him that night.' her mind spoke to her, reminding her that she had promised herself to apologize to him. Although she had never thought she would see him again, and that too at her place of work? and as her boss? How did she not know this man owned this place?' she scolded herself.''Boss!'' she called, taking a step forward. She couldn't somehow get accustomed to the truth that this man was the real boss. She saw the man raise a questioning brow.''I think I owe you an apology. About that night at the party...'' She reminded him. Her face was so innocent, but it still affected Darien as he went n
"Declare the marketer's position vacant. Find someone to fill her former role. She's under my wing now," Darien declared, surprising both himself and Hau Lin.Darien froze as he realized what he had just said. Why did his tone come out like that? How could he sound so possessive?Hau Lin was left speechless by Darien's sudden proclamation. While he had sensed a change in Darien since that night he first met the lady who now worked as his assistant, he never expected the man to display possessiveness so quickly."You may go," Darien said, his voice devoid of emotion.************* **************""Guess who the CEO of ELHIZ is," Zee asked as soon as she opened the door to their apartment and found Irene and Mia seated in the parlor."How did you know that?" Zee asked, surprised."I'm only teasing you," Mia said."Wait! Am I right? Is he your boss?" When she saw the faint expression on Zee's face, she hurried towards her, reeling with curiosity."Darien Quin is your boss now? How?" The
Darien sat in his office on the swivel chair with his back to the office door, lost in thought as he twirled the seat to face the window."Really, Ms. Ling? An angry bird, that's your impression of me?" A tiny smile crept onto his lips, faintly reflected in his eyes. However, when he recalled how tense she had been, that smirk quickly faded. Is she afraid of me? Why did she wear that expression on her face?That night at his hotel when they first met and she did all those unforgettable things to him, he had considered her brave. But after meeting her again, he understood differently.Lunch HourAs the men exited, Darien remained behind, prompting Zee to wonder if another meeting was in the works. Her disappointment didn't escape his notice, nearly prompting him to laugh. He couldn't help but speculate about her thoughts during the prolonged meeting."Join me, Ms. Ling!" Darien beckoned to the girl standing at the far end of the table. Zee turned and walked toward him, her head held lo
Zee's heart lightened with relief. Throughout the ride, she remained motionless, carefully avoiding any actions that might draw Darien's attention. The very idea of being alone in the car with him was enough unsettlement for her, and she couldn't imagine what might happen if he were to glance her way. As the car disappeared into the distance, she sighed and made her way toward the four-story apartment building. Climbing the flights of stairs, she reached her apartment. Upon opening the door, she was greeted by Mia and Irene, both wearing wide grins. Baffled by their peculiar behavior, Zee furrowed her brows."What's going on with you two?" she asked, searching for an explanation. But, rather than responding, the duo hurried over, their grins suggesting a shared secret. They took Zee's hands, and led her to the sofa, ensuring that she was comfortable. Zee studied their faces, puzzled by their odd behavior."Your dream car brought you home today! That's an excellent sign," Mia declared
Zee stared with rapt attention at Darien, her eyes meticulously taking in every single detail of him. Neatly combed dark hair, broad shoulders, and a strong frame. A man of strength, her personal favorite. She swallowed hard at her whimsical thoughts, debating whether the fault lay with her for thinking this way. After all, he was just so captivating. Lost in admiration, she failed to notice his turn. His piercing gaze met her, snapping her back to reality."Oh my," she thought, her embarrassment evident as her eyes locked onto his. Had he caught her staring? A thousand questions raced through her mind.In Darien's perspective, he remained engaged in a phone conversation, a sense of unease slowly creeping in. Nevertheless, the call demanded his attention. When it concluded, he pivoted, only to discover a figure glaring at him. A peculiar feeling settled within him – unfamiliar and disconcerting. No one had ever looked at him quite this way, save for that night. "Is this the cause of m
"We didn't plan to swim." Zee complained."Well, we didn't, but the pool looks quite inviting, and it'll be difficult to not incline to the invitation." Mia replied.Zee just frowned her disapproval. Turning to the other girl, she hoped Irene could help talk Mia out of the idea, but, she too was undressing."Are you also in on this, Irene?" She asked, bewildered."I'm sorry Zee, but, the pool is really calling after me, and I have to go find it." Irene replied sympathetically."Seriously!! So what am I supposed to do with myself while you girls are having the time of your lives?" Zee queried, wearing her sad puppy look."Come on Zee, jump in the pool with us." Mia coaxed."I can't, and you know it. The last time I did...""The last time you did was many years ago. You might have out grown that." Mia cut her off."What if I haven't?" Zee said with a deep sense of worry."Nothing would happen to you Zee." Irene chipped in, assuring her. Zee hesitated a bit before finally, reluctantly a
Her smell and body frame said so. Other than that, all he could see was a small face wearing large glasses. He frowned at her stature and then took off the glasses from her eyes. When he saw that innocent, pretty face, his body reacted instantly. He saw the quizzical look on her face, he removed his sunshades and her eyes popped out of their sockets.Zee's eyes widened in shock when she saw the arms of whom she was in. Her boss was wearing a white tee shirt and plain black pants. But, just like the last time, her surprise was soon replaced with some other expression."Atchmm!" she sneezed, subconsciously burying her face into his chest. Her wet hair dampened his shirt from the reaction. Realizing what she had done, she looked up at the man, her big hazel eyes depicting innocence, but as usual, his face was expressionless. Looking away from her face, he looked at the now wet part of his shirt.'not again.' he muttered inwardly."Ms. Ling, do you derive some sort of pleasure in ruining
Seeing the almighty Darien Quin sitting in such a position surprised Irene. And she couldn't help but wonder what was going through his mind. She had personally taken notice of the way he had treated and spoken to Zee as though he cared about her and she couldn't help but wonder if he was the same boss their friend always complained about. Her thoughts swirled from him to Zee who was lying unconscious on the bed, and she wondered why he chose to bring her home, rather than take her to the hospital. The doorbell jolted her from her reverie, but, before she could go for the door, Mia was already heading that way. Mia opened the door and what welcomed her was a fine man in his early fifties. He was dressed like one belonging to the corporate world and had a briefcase in hand. He said Hello to her, and Mia responded with a Hi! Although it came more as a question than an answer. Seeing the questioning look on the girl's face, the older man had to introduce himself."I'm Doctor Balt, I'm