DAWNKyle accepts the brown bag in his palm and holds it carefully against his chest with a confused smile playing on his lips. He peers inside the paper bag for a moment before his facial expression changes."You didn't have to do that for me, Dawn." Kyle stares at me with tender eyes. "This is awfully thoughtful and sweet of you. But you don't have to repay me in one way or another because I'm doing some things for you. After all, I want to do them."Shaking my head, I situate my gaze on his face."That's not what it is." I smile, remembering the breakfast he has just made me. And how it made me feel to be taken care of like that. No one I'm involved with has ever done that for me before. "This is me trying to care for you as you were trying to care for me. Don't think of it as repayment, but think about this gesture as my heartfelt consideration. That's all it is."He roughly shoves a hand in his hair, fixing it around the back of his head."But still. . ."G

DAWN"Where did that come from all of a sudden?""Well, I have been thinking about it in the back of my head.""How about I say 'no' because I think I don't need to be extra rude to you just to make our colleagues more comfortable around you?"After thinking for a bit, I agree with his statement, so I nod."I guess I will be okay with that.""Hmm." He stares at me, trying to make out what I'm thinking. "Did someone say something to you? If yes, who was it?"Shaking my head, I put my eyes on the file he's playing with between his fingers. His long fingers are grasping the edge of the pages inside the file so tightly that it seems like if he's going to hold on to it any tighter, he'll rip the pages apart."No one said anything to me." I sigh. "No one has said anything to me yet.""Then why do you look so bothered about it?"I'm bothered because I don't want anyone to find anything about my private business.Why aren't you more bot

DAWN"Can you pass the hot sauce, Jules?" Julie looks up from her food and moves the few sachets of her untouched hot sauce toward me. "You sure you don't want it?" I check in with her again. "Because I'm going to use all of it. I can leave some for you, though."Julie shakes her head, taking a sip of her green juice."There's no need for that. You can use it all." She smiles at me after she puts her cup down. "Geez, this tastes funky.""Why do you even buy all that green shit? It tastes like dirt, to be honest."She chuckles softly at my choice of words. Then she gestures to the cup."Mine tastes like feet, but, you know, I got to get my vitamins in. I rarely eat any veggies these days, so I'm trying to compensate here." Rubbing her chin, she shoots me a look. "Just let me do that in peace."I wave her words off."Fine-e-e. Drink that earthy dirt smoothie shit for all I care."Julie laughs."Thanks for your support in all of my life

DAWNWhen I stand at the threshold of the mansion, ready to press the doorbell, Kyle pulls the door open for me to enter. The sudden motion of the door opening wide open catches me unawares."It took you a bit of time to get home today, didn't it?" Kyle's eyes are hooked on my face as soon as I look up to match his gaze. "I was waiting for you to come home."I watch him step to the side of the door to let me in as my eyes dance and sparkle to see him again, happy to meet him in a relaxing environment minus the work setting. I step lightly into the house, my hands tightly clasping my purse. My heart is grateful since I can notice Kyle's anticipation in his eyes to see me.When I step into the hallway, Kyle hugs me from behind, almost making me heady with his sandalwood scent wafting into the air from his nightshirt and the sudden warm affection. I let him hug me, patting his arm softly."Who made you work overtime?" He asks me the question point-blank. There's no hint

KYLE"Can you ask Ms Jenkins to report to me in the next fifteen minutes?" I clear my throat and the office manager, Sophia Burton, nods a couple of times in agreement. "You know I don't like to wait, do you?""Yeah, I'll convey that to Fiona." She starts to back away from my desk. "I'll go get Fiona now.""Very well," I say as Sophia exits my office. Then I talk to myself more than anyone else. "The time has come for the righteous to receive their dues, and I have to be reasonable in my wrath."Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I unlock the screen to go to my contacts. Then I select Dawn's number and quickly type out a series of text messages to her.Thank you for making me breakfast today.I really appreciated it!It made my day.Should I add an emoji to make myself more approachable?Thanks again. :)Then I sit straighter in my ergonomic chair and hear a couple of loud knocks on my office door. Exhaling a harsh breath, I raise my voice."Come on