Chapter 4 Intercepting the Threat

          The next morning, the atmosphere in the PR department on the twenty-eighth floor was vibrant and full of life again. But today's excitement didn't stem from pop music or fashion gossip. Instead, it was all focused on the massive object sitting proudly on Lalita's desk.

A bouquet of 999 imported red roses from Holland, arranged so extravagantly that it almost completely swallowed her computer monitor. Its sheer luxury drew gasps from the female employees, and Je Mod-Daeng practically sprinted over, dying of curiosity to peek at the tiny card nestled inside.

"Oh my goooood, Lita, babe! Holy mother of God! This imported bouquet must cost nearly a hundred thousand! Who is spoiling you this early in the morning?!"

Je Mod-Daeng shrieked, twisting his body in burning jealousy.

"Don't tell me the insanely handsome Khun Bhakin from IT sent this to apologize for yesterday! Kyaaa!"

"You're delusional, Je. A guy like that would never do anything remotely romantic," Lita replied deadpan. Her striking face showed absolutely no excitement or joy.

Her slender fingers reached out to pluck the gold-rimmed, cream-colored card from the center of the bouquet. The familiar, cursive handwriting on it sent her blood pressure skyrocketing.

'So glad we could meet again, Lita. These roses are to celebrate your successful presentation yesterday, and for our new beginning. Let's have lunch together today. I'll be waiting in the lobby. – Krit'

Lita ground her teeth. She crumpled the card into a tight ball and chucked it into the trash can without a second thought. This man was far more shameless and thick-skinned than she had anticipated. Did he honestly think sending an expensive bouquet would make her magically soften and run back into his arms like the naive idiot she used to be?

"Hey, why did you throw it away?! Who sent it?"

"Just a psycho VIP client, Je," Lita brushed him off, trying to shove the giant bouquet out of her way. "If you want it, you can take it. It stinks, and it's cluttering my desk."

But before Je Mod-Daeng could ask anything else, P'Whan, the PR manager, marched straight up to Lita's desk.

"Lita! Get ready, sweetie. The CEO just called me directly. Khun Krit, our VIP client, specifically requested that you join him for lunch to discuss the exclusive details of the fundraising campaign. You have to go take care of the client. We absolutely cannot mess this up. The boss made it very clear: accommodate Khun Krit in whatever he wants."

That absolute decree almost made Lita's knees give out. Her eyes went wide.

"But P'Whan, I have a mountain of pending work to clear. Can't someone else go instead...?"

"No can do, sweetie! The client specifically asked for you and only you," P'Whan cut her off firmly. "Don't ruin the company's credibility, Lita. This is a billion-baht project. Dress up nicely and go wait for the client in the lobby at eleven-thirty sharp."

Lita's jaw dropped. She felt like she was being backed into a corner. Krit was leveraging his connections and VIP status to pressure her directly through her chain of command. The man knew perfectly well that Lita prided herself on her professionalism, and she would never abandon her duty to the company.

She slumped into her chair, completely drained, her slender fingers coming up to massage her temples. Dread and a suffocating heaviness pooled in her chest. She didn't want to go. She didn't want to sit there and plaster on a fake smile for the man who had mercilessly trampled on her heart. But in the corporate world, she had absolutely no other choice.

Lita, dressed in an elegant beige dress, stood waiting at the reception counter. Her face was pulled taut as she desperately tried to maintain her distance from Krit's tall figure, who was standing right next to her, flashing a sickeningly sweet, provocative smile.

"I'm so glad you agreed to come down," Krit said, his tone as smooth as a leading man in a soap opera, yet it only gave Lita goosebumps. "I booked a table at the rooftop French restaurant in the next building. We'll have plenty of time to 'discuss business' in private."

"I came down here out of professional duty, Khun Krit. Kindly keep the boundaries clear," she replied coldly, tilting her chin up in defiance.

"Stubborn as always, aren't you, Lita?" Krit chuckled softly. He stepped closer, purposefully reaching out to touch the small of her back to guide her toward the exit. "Let's go. My car is waiting."

Lita flinched, preparing to twist away from his touch. But then...

Ding!

The chime of the executive elevator behind them rang out as the doors slid open. A tall, commanding figure stepped out with an elegant, ferocious stride, looking like a runway model radiating pure danger.

Bhakin was dressed in a pitch-black dress shirt that starkly contrasted with his fair skin, making his sharp, handsome features stand out breathtakingly. The piercing eyes behind his silver lenses locked directly onto Krit's hand, which was currently resting on Lita's back. A murderous aura exploded from him, chilling the air in the lobby until it felt like it could freeze solid.

"My apologies for interrupting your lunch."

His deep, monotonous voice cut through the space. Bhakin took long strides, planting himself firmly between Lita and the exit doors. In his large hand, he held a sleek iPad displaying some sort of complex system interface.

Lita's eyes widened. Her heart, which had been beating sluggishly from the suffocating tension, suddenly lurched and began to hammer wildly for no reason the moment she saw his face.

Krit furrowed his brows, reluctantly pulling his hand back from the young woman's waist as Bhakin's deadly glare pinned him down.

"What is your problem now? I am taking your company's representative out to discuss a critical project. If this isn't a matter of life and death, step aside."

"As it happens, this is a matter of life and death for the company's confidential data," Bhakin replied deadpan. He didn't show a single ounce of fear toward the VIP client standing in front of him.

The tall man shifted his gaze to Lita before speaking in a loud, clear voice. "Khun Lalita. The AI security system on the main server has just detected an external breach attempt. And the vulnerability originated from the laptop you were using yesterday."

"Huh?! Me?!" she pointed at herself in utter shock.

"Yes," Bhakin nodded, his expression dead serious. "The malware you downloaded yesterday had a worm hidden inside it. Right now, it is actively attempting to extract the billion-baht project file you just presented and transmit it to an unknown external server."

Krit's face tightened instantly at the mention of his billion-baht project data being breached.

"What the hell is this?! Is your company's security system really this garbage?!"

"My system is completely impenetrable, Mr. Client. However, certain users have a habit of carelessly welcoming viruses into their personal space," Bhakin replied smoothly. Yet, the sharp sidelong glance he shot Krit carried a blatantly loaded double meaning that made Krit's face burn with indignation.

"According to our maximum-security protocols," Bhakin turned back to Lita, "the owner of the compromised machine must be quarantined in the data control room to reset all global passwords and provide a statement to the IT team. Right now. Otherwise... this VIP client's project data might fall into the hands of a competitor in less than fifteen minutes."

Krit ground his teeth. He desperately wanted to arm-wrestle this arrogant computer repairman, but risking the confidential data of a billion-baht business deal was something he absolutely couldn't afford.

"Damn it!" Krit cursed. "Then hurry up and get it sorted, Lita! I'll wait for you at the restaurant. Join me the second you're done."

"She cannot join you," Bhakin cut in, his voice hard. "Clearing a malware breach of this magnitude requires a minimum of three to four hours. And Khun Lalita must remain under my close supervision. Every single second."

For that final sentence, Bhakin deliberately lowered his voice, heavily emphasizing the words 'under my close supervision'. It was a blatant marking of territory and a display of ownership so strong that even Krit could feel the possessive radiation rolling off him in waves.

Lita stood stunned, her brain struggling to process the rapid-fire exchange. But her survival instincts were screaming at her to seize the opportunity. She quickly sidestepped, tucking herself safely behind Bhakin's broad back.

"I am so, so sorry, Khun Krit. The security of the company's data has to come first. Let's reschedule for another time, okay?"

Lita flashed Krit a weak, apologetic smile before secretly reaching out with her slender fingers to lightly tug on the hem of Bhakin's shirt—a silent SOS signaling, 'Get me the hell out of here.'

That feather-light touch on his shirt caused the corner of Bhakin's mouth to twitch upward into a ghost of a smile for a fraction of a second before he restored his stoic mask.

"Please proceed to the server room on the fifteenth floor, Khun Lalita."

With that, Bhakin turned and led the way back to the elevators. Lita scrambled on her stilettos, following closely on his heels without ever looking back at Krit, who stood red-faced, fists clenched in seething resentment in the middle of the lobby.

The moment the heavy security doors locked automatically behind them, the loud humming of the servers and the near-freezing temperature crashed into her skin. Lita rubbed her arms gently. The room was dimly lit, illuminated only by the endless rows of blinking blue and green lights from the server racks.

It was dead quiet, incredibly private, and inexplicably dangerous.

Bhakin led her to a metal workstation situated in the deepest corner of the room. He tossed the iPad casually onto the desk before turning to face her. He shoved both large hands into his slacks pockets. His posture seemed more relaxed, but his piercing eyes remained fixated on her without blinking.

"So, where is my laptop? What passwords do I need to change? Let me just get it over with," she asked, breaking the silence as she looked around for her computer.

"You don't need to do anything."

"Wait, why not? You just said the malware was extracting data..."

"I lied."

The short, simple, deadpan answer slipped from his deeply cut lips, leaving Lita's jaw hanging open. Her large eyes widened in utter disbelief.

"L-Lied? You mean my laptop wasn't hacked?!"

"My system would never let a pathetic virus slip through," Bhakin replied evenly. "I just wrote a fake alert script on the iPad to use as an excuse to pull you away from that disgusting bastard. That's all."

"You hacked my schedule and fabricated a story to deceive a VIP client?!"

Lita practically shrieked. That was a massive violation of professional ethics!

"If my boss finds out, I'm going to get chewed out! Why would you do that, Khun Bhakin?!"

Bhakin took a step toward her. Lita automatically stumbled backward until her spine hit the server rack behind her. The tall man closed the distance until the tips of his leather shoes bumped against her stilettos. He raised one arm, planting his hand against the rack, effectively caging her within his broad embrace once again.

"Why would I do that?"

His voice was husky and dangerously low. The fierce, aggressive spark of irritation in his sharp eyes was impossible to miss.

"I just warned you yesterday not to let anyone hack into your system so easily. And what did you do today? He sends you one stupid bouquet, and you dress up all pretty and get ready to go out for a one-on-one lunch with him?"

"It's my job! The boss ordered me to entertain the client. How was I supposed to refuse?!"

Lita argued back, her voice trembling as she tried to control her wildly hammering heart. The scent of his masculine cologne, laced with cool mint, surrounded her completely, making her dizzy and weak in the knees.

"Entertaining a client? Or intending to reconnect with your past?"

That sarcastic jab made Lita's face tighten. Anger surged up, entirely overshadowing her fear. She threw her head back, glaring up at him defiantly.

"Yes! And what if I did want to reconnect with him?! Since he's handsome, rich, has a perfect profile, and happens to be my ex-boyfriend anyway! You are just the Head of IT! What right do you have to interfere with my personal life?!"

SLAM!

Bhakin slammed his fist violently against the server rack right next to her head, producing a deafening crash. Lita jolted in shock, squeezing her eyes shut. But what was far more terrifying than the loud bang was the scorching hot breath fanning across her cheek.

"The right of a man who refuses to watch you make a fool of yourself by letting him play you a second time, Lalita."

His deep voice didn't yell, but it was bone-chillingly cold and packed tight with an explosive, barely restrained rage.

Bhakin lowered his face until his nose barely grazed her soft cheek. His eyes bored deep into hers, as if attempting to strip her soul bare.

"You hate him. The look in your eyes yesterday in the boardroom screamed just how much he hurt you and how thoroughly he disgusts you. Do not run your mouth pretending you want him back just to provoke me. Because if my fuse actually blows..."

The tall man leaned in closer until his deep lips brushed feather-light against the corner of her mouth. Lita held her breath, her body frozen solid as ice.

"The only man you'll be begging to overwrite your memories with... will be me. Not him."

The freezing atmosphere of the server room suddenly felt like it was engulfed in a blazing inferno. The emotional tension spiked past the critical limit. Lita could only stare into the eyes of the stoic man who was now exposing his raw, primal intensity with zero restraint. Her heart's system was glitching so hard it could no longer process the data.

Grumble... grumble...!

Just as they were suspended in this intense, breathless trance, Lita's stomach let out a shamelessly loud growl, ruining the moment completely.

Lita blushed furiously, wanting nothing more than to sink through the floor straight into the basement. She clutched her stomach in absolute mortification.

"I... I haven't eaten breakfast yet."

Bhakin paused. The fierce, angry fire blazing in his eyes just a second ago slowly began to soften. The suffocating tension evaporated in the blink of an eye. The corner of his deeply cut lips twitched into a very rare, faint smile. He slowly pulled away from her, walked over to the corner of the room, and pulled out a hidden paper bag from a famous Japanese restaurant.

"I knew that if you went down and saw him, you'd lose your appetite anyway."

He placed the grilled salmon teriyaki bento—her absolute favorite meal that she always ordered during overtime—onto the metal desk in front of her.

"Eat. And quarantine yourself in this room until one o'clock. If I catch you sneaking out that door to go find that bastard..."

Bhakin leaned down, boldly tapping the tip of her cute nose with his index finger.

"I will permanently lock the password to your life, Lalita."

With that, the deadpan IT boss turned and walked out of the server room. He left Lita standing there, face flushed crimson, staring back and forth between the grilled salmon bento and the freshly closed door. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it might burst right out of her chest.

That crazy man. He acted as fierce as a wildly possessive guard dog, threatening her endlessly. Yet, in the end, he had gone completely out of his way to hack the system and intercept the threat just to pull her to safety. And he had even secretly ordered her favorite food, just for her.