Did you just smell me?

The seminar is about to begin in twenty minutes. Are you prepared?" Scott, one of the scholars, asked Aria while adjusting his tie.

She swallowed, acknowledging that claiming she was ready would be dishonest. "Yes, I am," she replied, mustering a bright smile.

Narrowing his gaze at her, he nodded and positioned himself next to her. In a whisper, he said, "I believe in you. You're incredibly intelligent."

Aria had noticed Scott's fondness for her, perhaps just a crush. His heightened sensitivity and genuine interest in everything related to her were evident. She chose to feign ignorance about it.

"Thank you so much, Scott. You're equally remarkable. Let's give it our best, alright?" she responded with a smile.

"I will give it my all," he affirmed, his smile doubly radiant.

They walked together to their designated seats and settled down, attentively listening as the program commenced.

"I don't see him anywhere," Aria remarked, her eyes discreetly scanning the area, causing a slight dizziness to creep in.

Scott began to search as well, assisting her in the hunt. "There he is," he whispered, his voice hushed and strained.

"Where—" she began, but her words trailed off as her eyes caught sight of the captivating Adonis entering the room with an aura of grandeur. The presence he emanated...

"That's him?" she found herself questioning, perhaps silently to herself, as her voice unintentionally turned into a whisper.

As far as Aria was concerned, she had just witnessed a deity, and no one could convince her otherwise.

The man, Asher, wore a partially unbuttoned navy blue shirt, his sleeves rolled up to reveal the veins on his hands. A limited-edition Rolex watch adorned his wrist, enhancing his allure.

Aria could practically see the contours of his chest beneath the partially unbuttoned shirt, showcasing his finely sculpted physique. Well, almost exposed, but still undeniably captivating.

Was it appropriate to dress like that for a seminar? Aria didn't seem to care, but she wondered how people would pay attention with his appearance distracting them.

No, she hadn't anticipated Asher to look like that. She had imagined an older man, possibly in his forties. Instead, she was faced with a man who didn't make an effort to dress formally. She had expected his hair to be neatly combed or brushed, but that wasn't the case.

His hair was slightly disheveled, yet it suited him, making him look attractive. His hands were casually tucked in his pockets. And if she wasn't mistaken, she could spot a hint of an earring on his left ear.

His lips were pressed together, not in a frown. Aria observed him closely and noticed a shift in his expression. He appeared disoriented. It was as if she had called out his name because his gaze immediately locked onto her, unwavering.

Aria felt her heart race. Why was he watching her, she wondered. She swallowed, blinking rapidly. He abruptly halted, drawing everyone's attention to him and making it evident who he was looking at.

"Is there something on my face?" Aria whispered to Scott, who silently observed the exchange of glances.

He scrutinized her face and replied with a smile, "No, you're as beautiful as ever."

She tried her best to smile, but it felt forced. Asher, observing them, furrowed his forehead in irritation. Then, abruptly, he averted his gaze and resumed walking.

"What was that all about?" Aria muttered to herself, finally able to take a breath.

Once Asher settled down, the host acknowledged his presence, prompting applause from the audience. Aria and her team sat tightly, observing other teams as they presented their topics and projects.

Essentially, this seminar was designed to entice Mr. Asher into providing funding for a specific project.

So, her competitors were heavily embellishing their projects, using sugar-coated language.

Aria listened intently, though deep down she knew it was a blatant falsehood. She couldn't be fully attentive because the piercing stare of Mr. Asher weighed heavily on her.

His unwavering gaze fixated on her body and face, a fact she was acutely aware of. Aria struggled to maintain her composure, forcing herself to look straight ahead and avoid meeting his eyes.

It was a daunting task, considering he was seated directly across from her but at the far end of the room.

By the time her group was called to present, Aria's nerves were frazzled, evident in her ragged breaths and scattered thoughts.

Rising from her seat alongside her teammates, she began silently counting to one hundred in her mind, deliberately avoiding any eye contact with Mr. Asher.

"Good morning, everyone. My name is Aria Booker, and these are my teammates," she stated, sweeping her gaze across the room, allowing the audience a moment to take it all in.

"Today, we will be discussing Forestry, a topic that personally..." she began.

The audience listened attentively, offering applause where necessary.

"Thank you," Aria acknowledged once her team had finished speaking and concluded their presentation on the screen. As she made her way back to her seat, she had to grasp Scott's hand for support, fearing she might stumble and fall.

The program concluded, and the recipient of the scholarship would be announced sometime in the following week.

Suddenly, Aria rose from her seat and caught a glimpse, out of the corner of her eye, of Mr. Asher leaving the hall. A sigh of relief escaped her lips.

"Everyone did an excellent job," Aria remarked, turning to her teammates. They all smiled and nodded in agreement.

"You did exceptionally well. But are you alright? You seemed short of breath," Helene, one of her teammates, inquired.

Aria, fully aware of her true condition, dismissed their concern, "It was just the crowd," she replied, although it was a feeble lie. Aria was not one to be intimidated by a large audience.

Her teammates nodded, accepting her explanation, before bidding their farewells and going their separate ways.

As Aria gathered her files to leave, she felt a tap on her arm, causing her to startle before turning around.

"Oh, I apologize for startling you. I just needed to get your attention," said a timid, red-faced young man, unable to contain his smile as he spoke to Aria.

"Oh? Who needs my attention?" she inquired.

"My boss," he stated simply.

She speculated that among the many people organizing the seminar, he might be one of them.

"Alright," she replied, trailing behind him. Through the hallway she followed, taking a right turn until they reached a door, where they came to a halt.

"You can go in; he's waiting for you," the man informed her.

"Enter," a cold, deep voice came from the other side of the door. Aria hadn't even knocked.

Carefully, he grasped the handle and turned it, opening the door with caution.

She entered and closed the door behind her as she began walking towards the table. However, Aria abruptly stopped in her tracks upon seeing who was inside.

Her initial instinct was to turn around and flee, but before she could act, her eyes locked with his.

Seated in a chair, legs crossed, he stared directly at the door. What captivating eyes he had.

"He has golden eyes," she whispered in awe, her eyes widening, and her nostrils flaring.

She became completely absorbed in them.

Initially, she had noticed that the man was handsome, but as soon as his gaze fixated on her, she had averted her eyes. From a distance, his eyes had appeared to be a bright brown color.

But what she was witnessing now... how was it even possible?

"You don't like it?" he inquired, as she continued to gaze into his eyes, bewildered.

She blinked, completely unaware that she had spoken her thoughts aloud.

"Uhmm... I... I do. Of course, I do. They are... beautiful," she stammered, before quickly looking away.

A chuckle escaped his lips as he stood up, causing Aria to take a step back.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked, her voice trembling.

He didn't respond. Instead, he approached her until he was standing right in front of her. Slowly, he raised his hand, guiding it to lift her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

Reluctantly, she lifted her gaze, her heart pounding forcefully within her chest.

"Aria," he uttered, as if rehearsing the pronunciation of her name.

"That's an unusual name," he whispered softly.

Should she respond to that?

Because she was uncertain of what to say.

"How old are you?" he inquired.

She truly wanted to assert that he had no right to ask such a question, but when she opened her mouth, different words spilled out.

"Twenty-three," she replied, biting her lower lip in an attempt to control her breathing.

"Mmm," he hummed, moving behind her and positioning himself directly behind her.

Aria felt as though the blood in her veins had ceased its flow when he lowered his head and deeply inhaled the fragrance of her hair.

This was followed by a low, guttural growl escaping his throat.

Aria startled, completely caught off guard.

Suddenly, he stepped away.

She spun around to face him, meeting his eyes that held... was that hunger she perceived?

"Did you just smell me?" she asked, her voice quivering.

He stared at her, scrutinizing her from head to toe, taking in every detail with a curious gaze.

Then he cleared his throat.

"When we meet next, provide me with a more comprehensive overview of your project," he stated, and before she could respond, he swung the door open and departed.

Aria pondered, what did he mean by that?

Did he approve of her project?