Chapter 7 Logging into Protector Mode

          The clock on the dashboard read seven twenty-five. Lalita stood inspecting herself in the large bedroom mirror for the third time this morning. She wore a champagne-colored satin blouse with a V-neck plunging just deep enough to exude undeniable sex appeal, paired with a fitted black pencil skirt that accentuated every curve of her hourglass figure. Her plump lips were coated in her favorite shade of brick-orange lipstick. Everything on her body had been meticulously assembled as armor to shield her vulnerabilities.

Yet, deep down, the top-tier PR queen felt so incredibly nervous that her hands were ice-cold.

The half-threat, half-command from the deadpan man last night still echoed in her head.

'If you're stubborn and refuse to come down, I will march up there and carry you out of bed myself. I guarantee your condo's security guards won't be able to stop me.'

Lita wholeheartedly believed that a man like Bhakin would absolutely do as he threatened. And she was never going to let the Head of IT storm upstairs and carry her down to be publicly humiliated in front of her condo’s receptionists.

She grabbed her designer handbag and keycard, quickly clicking her stilettos as she marched out of her room and took the elevator down to the lobby.

The moment she stepped through the building's automatic doors, Lita spotted the familiar pitch-black SUV idling at the drop-off point. The front passenger window rolled down slowly, revealing the driver’s strikingly handsome, sharp-featured face.

This morning, Bhakin wasn't wearing a suit jacket or a tie. He was dressed in a fitted dark blue dress shirt that made his fair skin stand out breathtakingly. His sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, exposing the thick veins on his powerful forearms. The piercing eyes behind his clear lenses shot a glance at her through the window—a gaze so fierce yet exerting such a magnetic gravitational pull that Lita unknowingly held her breath.

"Get in," his deep voice issued a curt command.

Lita pressed her lips together, forcing her chin up to maintain her haughty, hot-girl facade before opening the door and sliding into the beige leather seat beside him.

"Right on time, exactly like a programmed schedule," she threw out a light, sarcastic jab as she pulled the seatbelt across herself. "I thought you were just making empty threats, Khun Bhakin. Who would've guessed an executive-level Head of IT like you would have the free time to chauffeur a lowly PR employee around like this?"

Bhakin didn't retaliate against her sarcasm. He simply reached out, grabbed a condensation-covered branded paper cup from the center console's cup holder, and handed it to her.

"Iced Americano. No syrup," he said deadpan. "Drink it. So you're fully awake."

Lita accepted the coffee cup, looking at it in complete bewilderment.

"How did you know I drink unsweetened Americanos? Aren't PR girls supposed to drink things like caramel macchiatos?"

"I observed the coffee cups on your desk," the tall man replied evenly as he turned the steering wheel, guiding the car out of the condo complex. "You like to drink bitterly strong coffee to force your nervous system to stay alert, yet on the outside, you act sickeningly sweet, throwing your charm at everyone else. That contradiction is exactly your system's vulnerability."

That blunt critique made Lita's face tighten. She took a massive gulp of the Americano. The bitter, premium roast slid down her throat, genuinely working wonders to refresh her, but she still couldn't resist shooting a massive glare at the driver.

"You've got quite the razor-sharp tongue this early in the morning. If this coffee wasn't so good, I swear I would've thrown it right at your expensive shirt."

The corner of Bhakin's deeply cut lips twitched into the faintest hint of a smirk. He swept his gaze over her outfit from head to toe. His fierce eyes narrowed slightly when he noticed the depth of her neckline, which offered a tantalizing glimpse of her cleavage.

"That shirt... you didn't leave the buttons undone this low last time," he observed, his voice dropping a register.

"Oh, please, Khun Bhakin. It's called fashion," Lita teased with a seductive smile, purposely leaning a fraction closer to him. "Why? Are you jealous? Or has Khun Bhakin been scanning my body for vulnerabilities so thoroughly that you've memorized the exact details of my entire wardrobe?"

"I have an excellent memory. Especially when it comes to visual security threats."

Bhakin replied coldly. He tore his eyes from the road to lock onto her face for a split second—a gaze so intense it made her whole body flush with heat.

"And if you dare strut around flashing smiles at those men from other departments in that outfit today, I will throw my jacket over your head and drag you right back to your condo to change, Lalita."

"You power-crazed dictator!"

Lita snapped back, but she quickly had to whip her head away to stare out the window, desperately trying to hide her wide grin and her burning cheeks.

What kind of man is this? Claiming it's a visual threat, but blatantly acting like a fiercely possessive guard dog!

The morning traffic in Bangkok was as heavily congested as usual, but the atmosphere inside the luxury SUV was inexplicably thick with an emotional tension that confusingly blended with a strange warmth. That was, until the car smoothly pulled into the underground parking lot of the corporate headquarters.

Lita stepped out of the car, coffee cup in hand. She intended to walk ahead to the elevators to put some distance between them, ensuring no one saw them arriving together. However, Bhakin's long legs quickly caught up, placing him firmly right by her side.

"Khun Bhakin, don't you think it'd be better if we walked in separately?"

She whispered frantically, looking left and right as she noticed other employees beginning to filter into the elevator lobby.

"If people in the office see the Head of IT walking in with a PR girl, the gossipmongers will have a field day."

"I don't care."

His curt answer instantly terminated all her anxieties. Bhakin stood tall, both hands shoved casually into his slacks pockets. He walked beside her into the elevator lobby with absolute, regal confidence. The frigid aura and sheer authority radiating from him caused the crowd of employees already waiting for the elevator to automatically part like the Red Sea.

Ding!

The large passenger elevator doors opened, and the rush-hour crowd poured in until it was packed tight. Lita was jostled until she was forced to retreat to the very back corner. She tried to shrink herself down so her bag wouldn't bump into anyone. But then, Bhakin's tall frame stepped in right after her. Unlike everyone else who turned to face the doors, he turned to face her.

The tall man stepped in close. He raised his right arm, bracing his hand against the elevator wall right behind her head, effectively turning his body into a human shield that caged her securely within his personal space amidst the crushing crowd.

Lita held her breath. Her face was less than a few inches away from his broad chest. The scent of his cologne, mixed with that cool, signature mint, wrapped around her so completely it made her head spin. She had to tilt her head up to look at him, only to find that his piercing eyes were already looking down at her.

"It's a bit crowded," he murmured, his voice low enough that only the two of them could hear.

Yet, his posture showed absolutely zero distress from being jostled by the crowd. He stood as immovable as a stone pillar, absolutely refusing to let anyone bounce off him and bump into her.

"Nong Lita."

Suddenly, a greeting rang out from the side. Not, a handsome salesman from the marketing department who was squeezed in nearby, leaned over to greet Lita with a flirtatious smirk. His eyes boldly swept over the plunging V-neck of Lita's blouse with brazen audacity.

"You're dressed looking absolutely gorgeous today. Want to grab lunch together? I booked a table at that new restaurant downstairs."

Before Lita even had the chance to open her mouth, Bhakin shifted his body, completely blocking Not's line of sight. His broad back formed an impenetrable firewall between her and the salesman.

"Khun Lalita is unavailable."

Bhakin replied, his tone ice-cold. He shot a sidelong glare at Not through his lenses—a gaze so sharp and commanding that the man on the receiving end felt a violent chill run down his spine.

"This afternoon, the IT department needs to run a mandatory security update on Khun Lalita's computer. She must remain at her screen; she isn't permitted to leave. And I must ask you, Khun Not, to kindly turn your face back toward the elevator doors. Your gaze is currently violating the privacy of a female employee."

Not's face drained of all color. He immediately shrank back, whipping his body around to face the doors. He didn't dare to so much as glance over his shoulder again.

Lita threw a hand over her mouth, biting her lip to hold back a smile that threatened to split her cheeks. This deadpan possessiveness, using his professional authority as a blatant shield—it was so incredibly shameless and dictatorial. But she had no idea why her heart was pounding so wildly with pure satisfaction.

When the elevator arrived at the twenty-eighth floor—the home of the PR department—Lita prepared to step out, but Bhakin followed her right out of the elevator.

"Why are you following me, Khun Bhakin? Your department is on the fifteenth floor," she asked in surprise.

"I'm here to run a hardware diagnostic," he answered deadpan, leading the way into her department as if he owned the place.

The very moment the tall figure of the Head of IT—the company's untouchable, priceless treasure—appeared alongside Lalita, the bustling PR department fell dead silent like a graveyard. Dozens of eyes turned to stare at the two of them as a single focal point. Je Mod-Daeng, in particular, widened his eyes so much they practically popped out of their sockets.

Bhakin paid zero attention to the sea of nosy, prying eyes. He walked straight to Lita's desk, reached out to adjust the angle of her monitor slightly, and pretended to inspect the cables in the back. He then straightened up to his full height and turned to look at the young woman, who was standing awkwardly beside him.

"The hardware system is functioning normally."

He declared it loudly and clearly enough for anyone within a three-meter radius to hear. Then, he leaned down and whispered right next to Lita's ear, his voice meant only for her.

"If that garbage virus sends you any more flowers or ridiculous crap to the office today, throw it all away. Otherwise, I will come up here and dump it into the trash with my own two hands. Do you understand, Lita?"

His scorching breath fanning her ear sent a massive shiver down Lita's spine. All she could do was nod obediently. She didn't dare talk back or argue with this lion king currently in full alpha mode.

Bhakin pulled back, surveying the results of his blatant territorial marking with immense satisfaction. He then turned and elegantly strode out of the PR department, casually leaving a massive bomb behind him.

The second his broad back disappeared through the doors, a cacophony of squeals and frantic whispering erupted. Je Mod-Daeng practically power-slid over the partition, grabbing Lita's arm and shaking it like a maniac.

"Lita, babe! Confess right now! You walked into the office together, and then Khun Bhakin leans down to whisper sweet nothings in your ear?! When did you two start secretly hooking up, and why the hell was I not informed?!"

"Crazy! Hooking up, my ass, Je!" Lita's face flushed a violent crimson as she quickly shook his hands off. "We just... bumped into each other at the elevators! And he just came up to warn me about a computer virus, that's all! It's nothing, Je Mod, you're overthinking it!"

She tried her best to deny it with a firm voice, but the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth and the tremor in the seductive PR queen's eyes completely failed to hide the burning heat in her chest.

She wasn't afraid of computer viruses at all. But that relentless antivirus scanner named Bhakin? He was currently hacking his way in and throwing her heart's system into absolute, irrecoverable chaos.