1. The Mistake

"Just keep him company for a little while, Fay. Then you can go home. Is that so difficult?"

I let out a quiet sigh as I listened to the string of words from Mrs. Sarah, the senior secretary and my supervisor. She sounded rushed and insistent as she asked me to go to the company president's office this late at night.

"But, Ma'am—"

"He's not feeling well. You just need to go there and bring him some warm water or anything else he might need."

"In that case, shouldn't we call the medical department, Ma'am? I'm only an intern."

"Just do it."

Click.

The call ended just like that before I had the chance to refuse again.

I stared at my phone screen, feeling confused and annoyed. Logic told me that an intern had no business being on the top floor, especially at this hour of the night.

But my fear of being fired from the company outweighed everything else.

I straightened my clothes, picked up my bag, and headed toward the elevator, my heart beginning to pound.

The executive floor felt completely different from the lower floors. The hallway was covered with thick carpeting that muffled every footstep. The air was even colder, and the lighting was dim. However, the moment I pushed open the large door to the president's office, a wave of heat immediately washed over my skin, making me shiver for no apparent reason.

The air inside was strangely intoxicating, carrying the scent of a forest after the rain mixed with the fragrance of masculine cologne.

The man, the highest authority in this company, was lying on a long leather sofa. His expensive suit had been tossed onto the floor like a worthless piece of cloth. The top of his white dress shirt was unbuttoned, revealing his attractive neck and flawless skin.

His breathing was heavy, rough, and labored.

Gulp!

I swallowed hard, feeling as though I had just stepped into the den of a wild beast.

"Sir?" My voice was barely audible. "I'm Fay, from the internship team. Mrs. Sarah asked me to check on you."

His eyes slowly opened. His gaze looked sharper than usual, carrying a strange glimmer that sent chills down my spine.

Was it ... normal for a human being to have eyes like that?

He stared at me without blinking, as though those black irises were stripping me bare.

"Are you alright, Sir? Should I call a doctor?" I asked again, this time stepping closer.

He remained silent, not answering a single word.

His eyes slowly traveled across my face, down to my neck, then returned to my eyes.

That gaze did not belong to someone who was ill. He looked at me as though I was no longer human in his eyes, but something he desperately desired.

As though I were ... prey.

"You shouldn't have come," he said softly. His voice was hoarse, deep, and trembling violently, as though he were enduring something agonizing.

I took an involuntary step back. "Excuse me?"

His jaw tightened as hard as stone, and his hands clenched into fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

It frightened me. Even so, in the middle of this strange situation, I remembered Mrs. Sarah's instruction to bring him some warm water. So, with trembling hands, I poured water from the crystal pitcher into a glass and approached him.

"Please have some water first, Sir—ah!"

As I held out the glass, his hand moved with astonishing speed. Instead of taking the glass, he grabbed my wrist.

The touch of his skin was burning hot, almost like flames licking against my wrist. I could feel a strange vibration, a powerful energy flowing into my bloodstream, making my vision blur slightly and my head spin.

"Does my touch hurt you?" he finally asked. His breathing was still uneven, warm against my face.

I gave a slight nod. He loosened his grip a little, but he did not let me go. Instead, he pulled me even closer.

Strangely, his previously ragged breathing gradually became steady. The tension in his shoulders slowly eased, as though my presence was the calming remedy he needed.

"You," he murmured to himself as he inhaled the scent from the hollow of my neck. "Just by touching you, everything starts to feel better. The pain is slowly fading."

"What do you mean? I don't understand, Sir," I asked, my voice beginning to grow hoarse.

He looked at my wrist, still held in his hand, then shifted his gaze to my eyes with an expression I could not decipher.

"Stay here."

I didn't know exactly when that boundary was crossed. Everything blurred as the distance between us vanished. His lips brushed gently against mine, a soft touch at first, yet one that sent an electric jolt racing through every nerve in my body.

It was as if something deep within me recognized that touch before my mind could even process it, as if a part of my soul had spent a lifetime waiting for this very moment.

I gasped, eyes wide, yet my heart began to race wildly. Without realizing it, I parted my lips slightly, granting him a silent invitation. He wasted no time, deepening the kiss and sliding his tongue in with a possessive intensity.

A soft moan escaped my lips, and I was suddenly seized by a wave of sheer panic at my body’s inexplicable reaction.

"Don't be afraid," he whispered, his voice chiming like a spell in my ear. "We are fated mates. Even though you are human, the Goddess makes no mistakes."

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