It's been a few days. Auren was completely focused on her work. The project that Kael had assigned her required her full concentration. She was reviewing documents, making plans, and making adjustments, trying to think through every detail. Her fingers moved quickly over the keyboard, and her eyes scanned the lines with intense focus. She didn't even notice the office slowly emptying out—lunchtime had arrived, but she didn't have a second to rest.
Kael, on the other hand, was trying to distract himself with work. He was carefully studying reports, signing documents, and dealing with pressing company issues. Being busy helped him calm down the tension of the passed days. He glanced at his watch and realized that it was long past lunchtime and that he was hungry.
As he left his office, he automatically headed toward the cafeteria, but on the way, his gaze caught Auren. She was sitting at her desk, completely absorbed in her work, her lips slightly pressed in concentration, and her dark eyes carefully studying the documents.
Kael frowned. Had she not eaten?
He walked up to her desk, placed his hands on the surface, and leaned in slightly closer.
"Are you planning to eat at all?" His voice was low and commanding.
Auren flinched, snapping out of her thoughts, and looked up at him in surprise.
"What? Oh... I just wanted to finish this section..." she muttered, rubbing her temples.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"The section can wait. Get up. We're going to lunch."
Auren blinked, not quite understanding his tone.
"We?"
"Yes, we," he crossed his arms over his chest, making it clear that there would be no objections. "You can't work on an empty stomach."
She wanted to argue but saw something in his gaze that made her reconsider. Arguing with him now would be pointless.
Sighing, she nodded and slowly stood up.
"Alright, boss. Whatever you say."
Kael silently turned around and headed toward the cafeteria, and Auren followed him, wondering what had just happened.
***
The remaining days flew by in the blink of an eye, but for Auren, this time became a real trial. She worked twice as hard, completely immersed in the task that Kael had given her.
She arrived at the office early every morning, leaving late, when the city was already wrapped in the night mist. Her desk piled up with stacks of documents, her laptop screen constantly lit up with analytical data, and cups of coffee replaced each other like invisible companions in her battle.
Auren immersed herself in studying marketing strategies, searching for their strengths and weaknesses, analyzing competitors, and considering every little detail, even the smallest nuances. Sometimes, she forgot about food, absentmindedly sipping cold coffee while her gaze focused intently on the screen.
Her colleagues watched her work with interest—some with admiration, others with envy. No one had expected the newcomer, who had been the subject of office gossip, to be so determined.
At night, she returned home with a pounding headache and exhaustion, piercing every muscle. But as soon as she lay down in bed, thoughts of the project would start spinning in her head, keeping her restless.
On the last day, when the deadline for the task was approaching, she clenched the last printed sheet, glanced over it, and sighed. It was done.
Now, all that was left was to find out what Kael would say. Auren clutched the folder with the project in her hands while her heels tapped rhythmically on the floor as she made her way to the director's office. A pleasant tingling filled her chest—three days of hard work were coming to an end, and now only one thing remained: to present the result to Kael. She took a deep breath before knocking on the massive door of his office.
"Come in," came the low voice.
Auren pushed the door open and stepped inside. Kael was sitting at his desk, leaning back in his chair, with a focused look on his face, staring at his laptop screen. But as soon as she approached, he lazily lifted his eyes. For a few seconds, he silently looked at her before his gaze shifted to the folder in her hands.
"Already?" The surprise in his voice was genuine.
Auren lifted her chin and, with a slight smile, placed the folder on his desk.
"Did you doubt it?"
Kael raised an eyebrow and then slowly reached for the folder, not taking his eyes off her. Auren held his silent challenge, even when his eyes narrowed slightly, as though trying to figure out how genuine the confidence in her voice was.
The office fell silent. He slowly flipped through the pages, his fingers lazily brushing the corners of the paper. Auren watched his face, looking for any sign of reaction. His eyebrows twitched slightly at some points, his lips occasionally tightening, but overall, his face remained unreadable.
Finally, Kael closed the folder and, leaning back in his chair, crossed his fingers in front of him.
"I must admit, I'm impressed."
Auren felt a wave of warmth run through her body. He rarely gave praise, so those words meant much more than she had expected. However, she wasn't about to show her emotions.
"Did you really expect something different?"
Kael slowly ran his tongue over his teeth, his eyes sparking with interest.
"I expected you to at least ask for help. Or complain that the task was too difficult."
"You underestimated me," her voice was firm, with a slight challenge.
Kael studied her carefully and then suddenly leaned forward, bracing his forearms on the desk. Now, only a few inches separated their faces.
"Perhaps," his voice dropped lower, richer. "I'll have to rethink my expectations."
Auren didn't look away, though his closeness made her heart skip a beat. She squinted slightly, a barely perceptible smirk touching her lips.
"In that case, I hope the next task will be truly difficult."
Kael chuckled softly, his gaze becoming lazy, evaluating.
"Oh, don't worry. I'll definitely come up with something that will keep you in my office longer."
Auren raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms.
"Then you'd better try harder, boss."
Something dangerous flickered in his eyes, but instead of responding, he simply leaned in closer, allowing her to catch the faint scent of his cologne.
"You're free," he said with a smirk. "For now."
Auren smirked, turned on her heels, and walked toward the door. Just as she was about to put her hand on the door handle, she heard his voice.
"Auren."
She turned around. Kael was looking at her intently, with that same half-smile that was impossible to decipher.
"Good job."
For a moment, her breath caught. She nodded, quickly slipped out of the office, and closed the door behind her. Only when she was back in her room did she allow herself to smile.
Auren left Kael's office with a light smile on her lips. Her heart was still beating a little faster than usual, and his words of praise echoed in her mind. She had done it. She hadn't just completed the task; she had exceeded expectations.
She proudly made her way to her desk, feeling a pleasant warmth inside. This moment was her small victory.
Sitting down, Auren ran her palms over the surface of the desk, as if trying to capture the feeling. For the first time since joining the company, her hard work had brought her genuine recognition. She could do this. She could succeed here, no matter what.
But her joyful thoughts vanished the moment the office door opened again.
Auren looked up and saw two employees from the marketing department studying her intently. There was no friendliness in their eyes. Instead, there was skepticism—and something else. A hidden mockery.
"Auren, right?" The man's voice was almost casual, but his expression said otherwise.
Everything inside her tensed. The joy was replaced by caution.
She didn't yet know what they were going to say, but judging by their looks, it wasn't going to be anything good.
"Yes, that's right," Auren replied calmly, straightening in her chair.
The man exchanged a glance with his colleague, who crossed her arms and smirked.
"We were told you're a very... promising employee," the woman said, her voice laced with sarcasm.
"Especially considering you've only been here a few days and already caught the attention of the director," the man added, tilting his head slightly.
Auren gripped the armrest of her chair but didn't let the irritation show on her face. She knew how fast gossip spread in companies, but she hadn't expected it to take this form.
"Get to the point," she said evenly.
"Of course, of course," the man nodded, his smirk unfading. "You see, a sudden project has come up. Very important. We need to prepare a marketing strategy and present it to investors."
The woman leaned in slightly: "We figured, since you've made such a fast entrance into our company, you should prove that you're not just here by chance."
Auren pressed her lips together. She understood this wasn't just a task—it was a test. They wanted to put her in a difficult position to see if she could handle it. Or, more likely, they hoped she would fail.
"When's the deadline?" she asked in an even tone, not giving them the satisfaction of seeing doubt.
"Friday. The investor presentation is at ten in the morning," the man said, lazily glancing at his watch. "So you don't have much time."
Auren narrowed her eyes slightly. Today was Wednesday. Two days. They were clearly eager to watch her fail.
"Alright," she said, taking the folder they handed her. Her voice was firm. "I'll handle it."
The man chuckled.
"We'll see."
When they left, Auren stared at the closed door for a few more seconds. Then, taking a deep breath, she opened the folder and began to read.
She couldn't afford to lose.
Focused, Auren read through the documents, absentmindedly running a finger along a line as she considered the next part of the strategy. She was so absorbed she didn't immediately notice when the door to her office cracked open.
"Is Kael in?"
She looked up and locked eyes with a man standing in the doorway. Auren didn't know him personally, but his confident posture and demeanor made it clear he wasn't just another employee.
The man was impeccably dressed: a perfectly tailored dark gray suit hugged his athletic figure, a thin silver bracelet on his wrist caught the light. His sharp features—high forehead, neat nose, expressive lips—created the image of a handsome, charismatic man. But most striking were his eyes. Dark, slightly narrowed, with a mischievous glint, as if he saw more in people than they wanted to reveal.
"Yes, he's in," Auren replied, setting the papers aside.
The man didn't leave right away. He tilted his head slightly, looking at her appraisingly. His eyes briefly scanned her face, her long lashes, her neatly styled hair. Then they traveled lower—to her outfit, modest but flattering to her figure. His gaze wasn't lewd or inappropriate, but it held understanding.
"So this is why the whole office is buzzing," he muttered under his breath, but Auren heard him.
"Excuse me?" she frowned, slightly caught off guard.
"Nothing," Diego smirked, lifting a hand in a dismissive gesture. "Just thinking out loud."
With that, he turned and headed to Kael's office. But just as he reached for the doorknob, he threw over his shoulder:
"By the way, if people start talking nonsense—don't waste your nerves. People here love to gossip, even when they don't know the truth."
Auren frowned deeper but said nothing. And Diego disappeared into Kael's office, where their conversation unfolded.
Kael leaned back in his chair, closing a folder of documents. He had just been about to take a short break when there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," he called, not taking his eyes off the monitor.
The door opened, and in walked Diego—one of the few people Kael trusted, not just as an employee, but as a friend. Outside work, they could grab a drink and talk about personal things, but inside the company, they remained professional.
"You got a minute?" Diego asked, closing the door behind him.
"Talk," Kael nodded, gesturing for him to sit.
Diego sat, hesitating briefly, as if choosing his words.
"You know they've been gossiping about your secretary the past week?"
Kael slowly looked up at him.
"About Auren?" his voice was calm, but a slight tension slipped through.
"About her," Diego confirmed, crossing his arms. "They're saying she's not here because of her skills—but because you liked her. That she got the job through... other means."
Kael straightened abruptly, a cold fire flashing in his eyes.
"What?"
"I thought it was nonsense too, but rumors spread fast. Especially after you made her have lunch with you," Diego added, shaking his head. "Now everyone's convinced you've got a thing for her."
Kael clenched his jaw, his fists tightening instinctively.
"Who's spreading this?"
"Not sure. But I'd bet it's marketing. They clearly don't like that she was given a project."
Kael ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek, holding back a curse. He knew how office dynamics worked—anyone who stood out became a target.
"Does Auren know?"
"Not yet. But I think she'll find out soon."
Kael was silent for a moment, then abruptly stood and headed for the door.
"Where are you going?" Diego raised an eyebrow.
"To deal with it."
The door to Kael's office flew open, slamming against the wall. Auren flinched, turning at the noise, and saw him—stern, tense, with eyes full of fury. He looked like he was about to explode if anyone said the wrong thing.
"Kael..." she began but didn't get the chance to finish.
He didn't even look at her. Without slowing, he crossed her office as if she wasn't there and stormed out into the hallway.
Auren blinked in shock, watching his back as he disappeared. What just happened?
A few seconds later, Diego followed him out. He looked much calmer, but there was hesitation in his eyes. He paused in the doorway, chewing his lip as if considering something.
Auren opened her mouth to ask what was going on, but he beat her to it:
"Forget it."
She frowned.
"Forget wha—"
But Diego had already turned away and left, too, leaving her completely bewildered.