LOGINThe meeting ended soon after, and the executives began filing out one after the other. A few couldn’t help glancing at Mia… because well, she was his new PA for now, and she hadn’t exactly made a strong first impression. From across the table, Daniil gave her a quick look before leaving, but she missed it entirely. Her attention was locked on Axel. He was on his phone now, scrolling with calm focus. From what she could tell, it could’ve been contracts… or just emails… and not, hopefully, a detailed report on why she should be replaced on her first day! Either way, her stupid heart picked up speed as the room emptied, every exit bringing her dangerously closer to being alone with him. And then she saw it. Andrew… packing. Her own Andrew. Her supposed backup plan. The moment he picked up his laptop, he glanced over and froze when he caught Mia’s expression. But he smiled. He actually smiled. "I’ll be off now." The traitor. He snuck one last glance at Axel who was
By the time Mia finished showering and getting ready, it was already almost nine. Andrew had told her not to stress about the first meeting since it was an executive one. In theory, it was meant to give her extra time to sort out Axel's schedule and still show up like a functional adult.. She hadn’t even bothered styling her hair that morning; she just let it fall freely, a decision she immediately started regretting the moment she realised her phone was going to be glued to her hands all day. Trying to manage schedules on that tiny screen was a nightmare. She seriously needed a laptop. Andrew had said she’d be provided one, and at this point, she was counting down mentally. But something else kept nagging at her. Axel hadn’t even called, not even with how late she was. Then again, why would he? That was very much in character for Axel. By the time she got to the massive building, she was already in a rush. She jumped out of the cab, paid quickly, and hurried inside, tos
With a deep breath, she knocked and pushed the door open, stepping into the room’s dim warmth and a rich, dark scent… his. Axel stood at a shelf in the corner, a file in hand. His back was to her, and he didn’t bother turning. He had already sensed her presence—no, more than that… he had recognized her scent. Mia figured he must have heard their voices outside and already knew it was her. Or maybe he was just waiting for whoever had come in to speak and leave. She was right… and wrong. Because it was both. And staring at him from behind right now made Mia feel a very strong, very intense emotion... something Andrew definitely hadn’t managed to produce that day. Which was confusing. Because she was still trying to figure out why her body had reacted to Andrew in the first place! But that was gone now. Because Axel was here. Tall. Intimidatingly tall. The kind of tall that made the space around him feel smaller. His presence radiated warmth, protection, and a dangerous level
Mia felt immediate relief when the door opened. The room had somehow started to feel hot, which made absolutely no sense because it was literally cold. "YA zdes'!" a man called from behind her. "That was fast," Andrew said, glancing past her. Mia turned just as the man closed the door. The first thing she noticed was his hair... blonde and unexpectedly long, tied back behind his head. When he turned back to speak, he froze for a brief second the moment his eyes met Mia's. He studied her quietly before a slow smile formed on his lips. Or maybe it was a smirk. "Kto eto tut u nas?" "Stop," Andrew said. Stop? "Nu, yesli eto ona, ya ne protiv okazat' tebe etu uslugu besplatno." Andrew sighed. "YA znal, chto postupil nepravil'no, pozvoniv tebe." "Pochemu?" the man stepped forward. "Ona tvoya? YA dumal, ty neravnodushen k Anne." (Is she yours? I thought you had feelings for Anna.) Mia blinked between them. This was exactly why she needed Duolingo. What the hell were they even
"Rule number one," he said, "don’t touch anything." Mia stared at him for a second. That wasn’t what she expected at all. Honestly, she had been bracing herself to be thrown out of the office, or at least politely escorted away. So… did that mean he was letting her stay? Because if he wasn’t, that was a very confusing rule to start with. Either way, she smiled. "Yes… sir." That felt weird to say, but she went with it. Axel had already settled into his seat, acting like speaking to her was the last thing on his list. He scooted closer to his desk, fingers finding the keyboard of his laptop. "Go," he said. Mia blinked. Wait... wasn’t she supposed to actually talk to him? About work? About… anything a boss and PA were supposed to talk about? "But—" "I’ll call you when I need you," he cut in. She didn’t even have his contact yet, which felt like an important detail… but apparently not important enough for him. Before she could say anything, Axel added, "Speak
Axel sat in his office, dressed in a black long-sleeve shirt and trousers, his usual coat layered on top. Behind his desk, he leaned back slightly, knuckles resting against his chin as he scrolled through his laptop, reviewing the year’s pending proposals. With his so-called new PA still absent, he considered going through a few simply to pass the time… though he already knew he wouldn’t accept most of them. They all followed the same familiar patterns, offering nothing original. His office wasn’t quite as large as Andrew’s, but it wasn’t small either. He preferred it that way. And let me tell you, it was far more comfortable without those transparent walls that revealed your every move to the birds in the sky. The room was dimmer as well. He had specifically installed softer lighting instead of harsh brightness, and everything was kept almost suspiciously neat and well arranged… you could tell just by how his desk practically gleamed. But just then, a sudden knock came at th
Mia’s heart skipped a beat. Was he…? She spun around, and there he was. Axel was descending the stairs like he had personally decided to ruin her ability to think. His naturally messy hair bounced with each step, and he was dressed in nothing but black sweatpants hanging dangerously low on his
Axel glanced up at her, and the moment his eyes met hers, a rush of mixed sensations slammed into her all at once. "Uh… I like flowers too. Roses especially," she said, her gaze flicking briefly to the plant. "I see you like them as well." Axel said nothing. Instead, he stood up, towering over
"So, where would you like to go?" Andrew asked a few minutes into the drive. Axel, who had finally torn his gaze away from Mia and fixed it on the passing streets, turned to Andrew at the sound of his voice. Mia blinked. "Uh, I—" "You can go wherever you want," Axel cut in. "I’m not leaving for
"What’s that?" Mia asked concernedly, her gaze fixed on the red marks Angela had tried, and failed to hide. "Are those mosquito bites, or…?" Oh, Mia. Still so innocent. Angela used that innocence to her advantage. She smiled and quickly raised her collar, tugging it higher to cover her neck. "Y







