OFFICE FAITH

The three of them Abby, Frank, and Georgina stood frozen in place while Cindy raised an eyebrow, glaring at them coldly.

Slowly, Cindy turned her sharp gaze toward Alia.

"Did you finish everything I asked for?" 

Cindy asked, her voice dripping with artificial politeness.

"Yes, Ms. Cindy," Alia answered quietly, standing straight. "I've already sent it to your email."

Cindy nodded once without giving a single word of thanks. She turned on her heel and walked back toward her office door, pausing right at the frame.

She turned around and gave the group a cold look. "Aren't you guys busy?"

Abby, Frank, and Georgina immediately scattered, diving straight back to their desks before their boss could find a reason to fire them.

Meanwhile, Aidan, who was supposed to stay in the office with Alia, was suddenly summoned by his superior, Alexander—the direct manager who works for God, the boss of all bosses.

"Do you have any idea why a soul that was supposed to be collected last night was given another month to live?" Aidan asked as soon as he stepped into Alexander's bright white office.

"I was already briefed about it," Alexander said calmly, leaning back in his seat. "The council has given you a new task. This is the very first time something like this has ever happened to us. The council wants a full investigation, and you were assigned to the job."

"What?" Aidan protested, throwing his hands up. "My hard job got replaced by an even harder job?"

"You don't have a choice, and you know it," Alexander said, raising an eyebrow. "Besides, the council is offering to cut 1,000 years off your remaining time as a reaper before you can reincarnate."

"Only 1,000 years?" Aidan scoffed.

"What? Should I tell the council you're turning it down?" Alexander reached for the glowing white telephone on his desk.

"Wait," Aidan said quickly. "I have conditions. Since I have to investigate in human form, I want a comfortable life so I can actually concentrate on the mission."

The door of Alexander's office suddenly opened, and a tall, cute guy walked in. His name was Tyrone. Right behind him was a small, thin guy named Daico.

Both of them were grim reapers, too.

"You are going to do this investigation with them," Alexander said, pointing toward Tyrone and Daico.

"What?!" Aidan shouted, his jaw dropping as he stared at the two of them. "You want me to work with them?"

Tyrone gave a big, bright smile and waved happily at Aidan. "Hey there, partner! This is going to be so much fun!"

Next to him, Daico just adjusted his oversized glasses and sighed, looking like he would rather be anywhere else in the world.

"I work alone," Aidan said firmly, turning back to Alexander. "They will only slow me down."

"This isn't a request, Aidan," Alexander replied smoothly, setting down his pen. "Tyrone will help you blend in with humans because he actually understands modern human culture. And Daico is the best tracker in our division—his sharp mind will help you trace the glitch in the ledger."

Aidan pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a massive headache coming on. "Fine. But what about my human identity? I need a place to live, a car, and a reason to be around her."

Alexander smiled and handed Aidan a black leather folder. "Everything is prepared. As of today, you are the new human Executive Director at Aura Cosmetics—and her new direct manager."

Aidan looked down at the documents inside. "And what about these two?"

"Tyrone will be your personal assistant," Alexander said, gesturing to the smiling reaper, "and Daico will work in the IT department to monitor the company's network for any supernatural activity."

Aidan let out a long, frustrated sigh, closing the folder. He was used to simple reassignments, but now he had to live like a human, work at a makeup company, and manage two chaotic partners—all to figure out why one ordinary girl refused to die on time.

"Alright," Aidan said, his eyes narrowing with determination. "Let's go meet Alia."

The next morning, the sun rose over a bright, clear sky.

Alia walked into the lobby of Aura Cosmetics, clutching a hot cup of coffee. Her eyes were still heavy with sleep, but she had managed to put on a neat blouse and slacks, ready to face another hard day.

As soon as she stepped out of the elevator onto the twelfth floor, she noticed something was very different. The entire office was buzzing with nervous energy. Staff members were running back and forth, cleaning off empty desks, wiping down windows, and whispering in hushed, excited tones.

Alia walked over to her desk, where Abby was frantically organizing a giant pile of folders.

"What's going on?" Alia asked, setting her coffee down. "Why is everyone running around like crazy?"

Abby leaned in close, her eyes wide. "You haven't heard? Ms. Cindy isn't the top boss on this floor anymore. Headquarters suddenly appointed a brand-new Executive Director to oversee our department!"

"A new director?" Alia blinked in surprise. "Today?"

"Yes!" Abby squealed quietly. "Word on the street is that he's young, insanely rich, and ridiculously handsome. Look over there!"

Alia turned her head toward the grand corner office, the one right next to Ms. Cindy's.

Standing inside were three men in tailored suits. One was a tall, cute guy with a bright, friendly smile who was busy setting up a laptop on the main desk. Another was a smaller, thin guy with thick glasses, silently plugging cables into the wall behind the computer. And standing right in the middle, looking out the floor-to-ceiling glass window with his hands tucked casually in his pockets, was the third man.

Alia's breath hitched in her throat.

He wore a crisp black suit that fit his tall, lean frame perfectly. His dark hair was neatly styled, revealing a sharp jawline and intense, striking eyes. Even from across the room, he carried an air of cold authority that made the whole floor feel a little colder.

Wait... Alia thought, her heart skipping a strange beat. Where have I seen him before?

Before she could process the thought, Ms. Cindy strutted out of her office, clapping her hands loudly to gather everyone's attention.

"Alright, everyone, listen up!" Cindy announced, her voice tight with forced warmth. "Please welcome our new Executive Director, Mr. Aidan!"

Aidan slowly turned away from the window and stepped out of his office, walking straight toward the center of the room. His sharp grey eyes scanned the crowd, completely ignoring the whispering employees, until his gaze landed directly on Alia.

Their eyes met, and for a long, quiet second, time seemed to freeze all over again.

Aidan offered a faint, smooth smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Good morning, everyone," he said, his deep voice carrying easily across the silent room. "I look forward to working with all of you."

Alia stared at him, her mind racing. She didn't know why, but looking into his eyes gave her the exact same mysterious shiver she had felt in the coffee shop two nights ago, the strange feeling that her quiet, exhausting life was about to change forever.

The office broke into polite applause as Aidan finished speaking. Ms. Cindy clapped with exaggerated enthusiasm, her tight smile betraying how much she hated sharing her authority on the floor.

"Mr. Aidan will be managing high-level strategies for our upcoming brand launches," Ms. Cindy announced, her voice ringing across the quiet room. "And as his assistant, Tyrone will be handling his schedule, while Daico joins our IT department."

Tyrone stepped forward and flashed a radiant, high-energy smile at the room. "Hi, everyone! So excited to work with all of you!"

A few female staff members giggled and whispered among themselves, charmed by Tyrone's friendly aura. Meanwhile, Daico simply gave a short, silent nod before walking off toward the IT room, his eyes fixed on a tablet.

"Now, back to work," Ms. Cindy commanded, waving her hand dismissively.

The crowd dispersed, returning to their desks in a flurry of hushed chatter. Alia sat down at her desk, still trying to calm the sudden fluttering in her chest. She stole a quick glance toward the glass office.

Inside, Aidan was taking off his dark suit jacket, draping it neatly over his chair. He looked completely at home in the human corporate world, though his sharp posture and distant look set him apart from everyone else.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over her desk.

Alia looked up to find Tyrone standing there with a clipboard, smiling down at her warmly.

"Hi! You must be Alia" Tyrone said smoothly.

"Oh, yes! Hi" Alia said, quickly standing up. "Are you looking for something?"

"Director Aidan requested your presence in his office," Tyrone replied, gesturing toward the glass doors with a wink. "He wants to review the latest market research files you sent last night."

Abby, who was sitting next to Alia, gasped softly behind her hand and shot Alia a wide-eyed look that clearly meant: Good luck!

Alia swallowed hard, adjusting her shirt. "Right away. Thank you."

She grabbed her notebook and walked toward the director's office. Her heart hammered against her ribs with every step. When she reached the door, she took a light breath, raised her hand, and knocked twice.

"Come in," a deep, calm voice called out from inside.

Alia pushed the glass door open and stepped into the spacious office. The scent of faint, cool cedarwood filled the air—the exact same scent she had noticed outside the coffee shop days ago.

Aidan was sitting behind the sleek dark wood desk, typing on his laptop. He didn't look up immediately, letting the silence stretch between them for a moment.

"You called for me, Mr. Aidan?" Alia asked gently, holding her folder tight against her chest.

Aidan stopped typing. He slowly raised his head, his piercing grey eyes locking onto hers. Up close, his sharp features were even more striking, but it was the quiet intensity in his gaze that made her breath catch.

"Alia," he said, pronouncing her name slowly, as if testing the weight of it on his tongue. "Take a seat."

She walked over and sat in the chair across from his desk. "Is there an issue with the market reports I submitted to Ms. Cindy?"

"No," Aidan said calmly, leaning back in his chair and crossing his hands over the desk. "The reports are thorough. In fact, they are much better than the ones submitted by your upper management."

Alia blinked, taken aback by the unexpected compliment. "Oh... thank you."

"However," Aidan continued, his voice dropping slightly, "I noticed you sent those files at 3:15 AM."

Alia froze.

"You stayed in this office all night alone, working until dawn," Aidan said, watching her reaction closely. "Tell me, Alia... do you always push yourself until you're on the edge of collapsing?"

Alia lowered her eyes, feeling a strange mix of embarrassment and comfort. No one at the company had ever asked her how much she was pushing herself—they only cared about the results.

"It was an urgent task," Alia answered softly, looking back up. "I just wanted to do my job well."

Aidan stared at her, feeling a strange tug in his chest. She almost died from cardiac arrest caused by exhaustion, he thought, remembering the red letters in his ledger. And yet here she is, still trying to justify it.

"Your hard work is noted," Aidan said, keeping his face cool and professional. "But starting today, your workload will be routed through me. You will not stay past 6:00 PM without my permission."

Alia's eyes widened in surprise. "Pardon?"

"That is all," Aidan said, turning his focus back to his laptop screen. "You may return to your desk, Alia."

Alia sat still for a second, completely stunned by the strange boundary set by her new boss. "Thank you, Mr. Aidan," she murmured, standing up.

As she walked toward the door, Aidan watched her shadow against the frosted glass.

Thirty days, Aidan thought quietly to himself, his eyes lingering on her back. I have thirty days to find out who changed your fate... and to make sure you stay alive until then.

Alia returned to her desk in a total daze.

"Well? What did he say?" Abby whispered loudly, leaning so far over her desk she nearly knocked over her pencil holder. "Did he scold you about the reports?"

"No," Alia said, sitting down slowly. "Actually... he told me my workload goes through him now, and I'm not allowed to work past 6:00 PM without his permission."

Abby's jaw dropped. "Wait, really? Is he an angel sent from above or something?"Alia chuckled nervously, but her heart was still beating wildly. An angel? Not quite. But there was definitely something extraordinary about Mr. Aidan.

Inside the glass office, Aidan sat behind his desk with his fingers crossed. Opposite him, Tyrone was grinning ear to ear while leaning back in a chair.

"You really set a strict leave-time for her, boss?" Tyrone chuckled. "Very professional. Though, if you keep looking at her like that, the entire office is going to think you're in love with your staff member."

Aidan gave Tyrone a warning look. "I am monitoring her. The ledger said her death was caused by sudden cardiac arrest from extreme overwork and stress. If I let her work herself to death again, the glitch resolves itself, and we learn nothing about who altered her timeline."

"Right, right, strictly business," Tyrone said, waving a hand casually. "By the way, Daico sent a message from the IT room. He ran a full scan on the company server and found no trace of dark energy or unauthorized magical interference. Whoever tampered with Alia's record did it directly on your ledger, not through the human system."

Aidan's eyes darkened. "Which means the person who changed her fate is someone from our world."

Before Tyrone could reply, the door to the office burst open. Ms. Cindy walked in without knocking, carrying a towering stack of thick folders.

"Mr. Aidan," Cindy said with a tight, fake smile. "Since you're still getting settled, I've prepared the Q4 budget reviews, the regional distribution contracts, and the marketing strategies for the new line. I'll need all of these reviewed and signed by 5:00 PM today."

She dumped the mountain of paperwork onto Aidan's desk, causing a cloud of dust to puff into the air.

"Also," Cindy added, casting a sharp look out toward the main office area, "I noticed you were talking with Alia. She's just a junior staff member, so don't let her waste your time. I usually handle her tasks directly because she needs constant supervision."

Aidan slowly looked up from the stack of papers, his grey eyes piercing right through her. The air in the room instantly dropped several degrees, making Cindy shudder slightly.

"Ms. Cindy," Aidan said in a flat, icy tone. "As Executive Director, I decide whose work is a waste of my time. As for these files, my assistant Tyrone will organize them. You may return to your duties."

Cindy's smile twitched, her face flushing with embarrassment. She opened her mouth to argue, but the sheer coldness in Aidan's gaze made her close it immediately.

"Of course, Mr. Aidan," she muttered, turning around and hurrying out of the office.

Tyrone whistled softly. "Oof. Cold as ice, boss. I like it."

By 3:00 PM, Alia's stomach was rumbling. She had been working non-stop since morning, analyzing sales data without taking a single break.

Deciding to grab a quick coffee from the breakroom down the hall, she stood up and walked down the quiet corridor. The office breakroom was empty, washed in warm sunlight streaming through the large side window.

She poured herself a fresh cup of dark roast coffee and leaned against the counter, taking a warm, comforting sip.

"No sugar?" a deep voice asked from the doorway.

Alia started, nearly spilling her drink. Aidan was standing at the entrance, his jacket off and his sleeves rolled up to his forearms, looking completely relaxed.

"M-Mr. Aidan!" Alia stammered, holding her cup with both hands. "Oh, no, I prefer black coffee. It keeps me awake."

Aidan walked over to the coffee machine, his presence instantly filling the small room. He poured himself a cup, his movements smooth and deliberate.

"Bitter coffee to survive a bitter day?" he asked softly, glancing at her sideways.

Alia let out a soft, genuine laugh—the first real smile Aidan had seen on her face all day. "Something like that. It's just been a very chaotic few days."

Aidan turned to face her, leaning back against the counter just a foot away from her. "You look tired, Alia."

Alia looked down at her coffee, feeling a little self-conscious under his intense gaze. "I guess I am. But everyone works hard here. It's just part of life."

"It shouldn't be," Aidan said, his tone softening in a way that surprised even himself. "Life isn't meant to be spent just surviving from one deadline to the next. You should live it."

Alia looked up, meeting his grey eyes. There was a sudden, profound depth in his words that hit her right in the chest. For a moment, she forgot he was her high-level director. He felt like someone who understood her on a level no one else ever had.

"How do you know what life is supposed to be like, Mr. Aidan?" she asked quietly, a tiny, curious smile playing on her lips.

Aidan paused, a faint, hidden amusement flashing across his eyes.

"Let's just say," Aidan replied smoothly, taking a sip of his coffee, "I've been watching humans for a very long time."

The rest of the afternoon passed in a quick blur. True to his word, Aidan diverted the heavy piles of paperwork away from Alia's desk, leaving her with a manageable workload for the first time in months.

When the large digital clock on the office wall clicked to 5:58 PM, the entire floor was still packed with employees typing away furiously, braced for another long night of unpaid overtime. Ms. Cindy stepped out of her office, holding a fresh stack of review sheets, her eyes searching the room for Alia.

"Alia," Ms. Cindy called out, her voice sharp. "I need you to cross-check these distribution files before you leave tonight. It should only take two or three hours."

Alia felt her stomach sink. She reached out to take the folder, habit forcing her to comply. "Oh... okay, Ms. Cindy—"

Before her fingers could touch the paper, a tall shadow fell over both of them.

"She won't be doing that," a calm, deep voice interrupted.

Ms. Cindy froze, her hand halting in mid-air. Aidan stood right beside Alia, holding a coat over his arm. His dark suit was immaculate, his posture imposing and cold as he looked down at Cindy.

"Mr. Aidan," Cindy stammered, quickly pulling her hands back. "This is urgent work for tomorrow's meeting—"

"Then you should have planned your department's schedule better," Aidan said smoothly, his tone leaving zero room for argument. He looked down at the wall clock as it hit exactly 6:00 PM.

He turned his grey eyes to Alia. "Pack your bag, Alia. Your workday is finished."

Alia blinked, looking back and forth between her furious boss and her unbothered new director. "Um... right now?"

"Right now," Aidan replied quietly. "I believe I made the rule clear this morning."

Across the room, Tyrone gave Alia a subtle thumbs-up, while Daico silently turned off his monitor in the IT corner and packed his laptop.

With a fast-beating heart, Alia cleared her desk, slipped her notebook into her tote bag, and grabbed her cardigan. Ms. Cindy stood there, her cheeks burning with humiliation, forced to watch her most overworked employee leave on time for the very first time.

"Have a good evening, Ms. Cindy," Alia said softly, stepping around her.

As Alia walked toward the glass elevators, Aidan walked alongside her, matching her quiet pace. The soft hum of the elevator filled the silence as they descended toward the main lobby.

"Thank you, Mr. Aidan," Alia said, her voice barely above a whisper as she stared at the glowing floor numbers dropping down. "You really didn't have to do that."

"I always follow through on my rules," Aidan said, looking straight ahead at the glass reflection. "You look surprised."

"I am," she admitted, giving a gentle laugh. "In this company, leaving at six feels like breaking the law. I almost forgot what the sun looks like when I leave work."

Aidan glanced sideways at her. Under the bright lobby lights, her tired eyes looked a little lighter, a soft relief replacing the usual exhaustion on her face. A strange, unfamiliar warmth stirred in his chest—a feeling a 300-year-old Grim Reaper had no business feeling.

They stepped out into the cool evening air outside the building entrance. The city sky was painted in rich shades of orange and deep purple as the sun began to set.

"Get home safely, Alia," Aidan said, stopping by the wide glass doors.

Alia turned to him, clutching her bag straps, a warm smile gracing her lips. "Goodnight, Director Aidan. See you tomorrow."

She turned and began walking down the busy street toward the train station, her silhouette glowing under the streetlamps.

Aidan stayed where he was, standing still in the middle of the rushing crowd of commuters. His leather ledger materialized silently in his coat pocket, humming with a faint, cool blue light. He pulled it out slightly, opening it to her page.

The glowing red numbers of her lifespan remained unchanged: 29 days left.

Tyrone appeared silently beside him, leaning against a pillar with his hands in his pockets. "She made it through Day One, boss."

"Yes," Aidan said softly, watching her fade into the evening crowd. "She did."