The night was quiet, but Auren's mind was in complete chaos. She sat at the table in her room, leaning over her project, but her thoughts kept drifting back to the events in the office.
She absentmindedly moved her pen across the paper, yet all she could see in her mind was Kael—that moment when he openly flirted with her, when he didn't let her off his lap, as if testing how far she would let him go. It was the first time he had touched her so long and so boldly, yet strangely enough, Auren didn't find it unpleasant.
She took a deep breath and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
And then… Then he simply took control of the situation. No questions, no hesitation—he just picked her up, walked out of the office, and drove her to the pharmacy.
Auren remembered how they went from place to place, searching for the medicine she needed. She had wanted to say she could handle it herself, but Kael didn't even let her open her mouth.
"Wait in the car," he ordered, then disappeared behind the pharmacy door.
When he came back, he simply handed her a bag.
"Everything you need," he said calmly.
And just as Auren was about to take out her wallet, he lazily threw in, "Already paid for."
She had protested at the time, but he only chuckled.
"You can argue with me all evening, but it won't change anything."
Auren got up from the table and walked over to the window. She stared at the night sky, trying to make sense of her feelings.
Kael… He was so different. At times mocking and bold, at others unexpectedly caring.
And what was she supposed to do with that?
She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. She knew just how dangerous this was. How wrong it was to think about him.
His mother—the person Auren hated more than anyone in this world. The woman who had destroyed her childhood, turning her life into a constant battle for a place in that house. And her son… He should have been the same, an enemy. He was supposed to repel her.
But for some reason, Auren didn't want to walk away.
Kael was like fire—hot, quick-tempered, bright. He pulled her in, in all the wrong ways, against everything she believed. Her mind screamed it was a trap, but her body… her body betrayed her, leaning closer.
She knew—playing with this fire was far too dangerous. In the end, it could cost her everything. Her future. Her mother's future.
And yet, no matter how hard Auren tried to resist, the game kept drawing her in. And the scariest thing was—she couldn't stop.
She simply couldn't resist it.
Auren tiredly rubbed her face and sank back into her chair. One single question pulsed in her mind, one she was afraid to even ask herself.
What if I like him?
Her fingers curled into a fist. Impossible. She couldn't allow it. He was a man who would soon have a bride chosen for him. An heir who, if necessary, would crush her just as his mother had crushed her and her mom. A man she shouldn't trust, shouldn't even look at.
It would have been wise to keep her hands and feet to herself and run the moment he flirted with her. But the image of how he had looked at her flashed before her eyes.
It shouldn't have mattered.
It shouldn't.
But Auren could feel something inside her trembling dangerously, as if that fire had already burned her, and now she didn't know if she could stop.
She rubbed her eyes again. Sitting still was unbearable now—her thoughts tangled, her project stalled, and something unpleasant and burning spread in her chest.
With a quiet sigh, she stood up again.
"I need something to drink…"
Deciding to make herself something hot, Auren stepped out of her room, moving as quietly as possible so as not to wake her mother or draw attention—it was late, after all.
As she walked down the hall, she noticed a faint light coming from the living room. She froze, squinting.
The glow of a laptop screen.
Someone else was still awake.
Auren cautiously took a few steps forward and peeked inside. And of course, there was Kael. He sat on the couch, leaning over his laptop, one hand lazily resting against his temple, while lines of text flickered on the screen.
He looked focused.
Auren bit her lip.
She sighed softly, watching him. He looked tired, but knowing him, she doubted he'd take care of himself.
Without thinking further, she turned and headed for the kitchen.
Opening the cupboard, Auren took out a pack of calming tea. At first, she intended to make just one cup for herself, but somehow, without even realizing it, she reached for a second.
While the water boiled, she thought to herself,
Why am I doing this?
But there was no answer. Or rather, there was—but Auren didn't want to admit it.
Kael didn't notice her presence at first. He was too focused on the screen, his fingers tapping idly on the laptop lid.
The warm herbal scent made him blink and look up.
A cup was set down in front of him.
He shifted his gaze to Auren, who, without a word, sat down beside him, cradling her own cup in her hands.
"What's this?" his voice was lower and raspier from fatigue.
Auren shrugged, taking a sip.
"Tea. Drink it."
Kael glanced at her with a faint smirk but said nothing. He just picked up the cup, feeling its warmth seep into his fingers.
Auren took another sip in silence, her eyes unintentionally sliding to his laptop screen. It looked like Kael was working on something related to her project.
She narrowed her eyes, reading the flickering lines, and suddenly noticed a detail he seemed to have missed.
"Have you thought about simplifying this section?" she asked calmly, nodding toward the screen.
Kael shifted his gaze from her to the laptop.
"What exactly?"
Auren leaned in slightly and traced a diagram with her finger.
"Here… If you focus on the key data instead of overloading it with details, it'll be clearer and faster to analyze."
He studied her suggestion for a few seconds, then chuckled.
"Not bad," he admitted. "Why didn't I think of that?"
Auren smirked, leaning back against the couch.
"Because you're too tired. Now drink your tea before it gets cold."
Kael silently brought the cup to his lips and took a sip. The warm, soft flavor spread across his tongue, leaving a light herbal aftertaste.
He raised his brows in surprise and looked at her.
"What kind of tea is this? It's good."
Auren smiled, wrapping her fingers around her cup.
"Calming tea. With mint and chamomile."
He gave the cup in his hand a skeptical look.
"You think you can calm me down with tea?"
Auren smirked at him over the rim of her cup.
"Well, if you don't fall asleep, at least you won't complain about another headache."
Kael chuckled, looking at her over the cup.
"So you're taking care of me again, Auren?" he drawled lazily.
She rolled her eyes, taking another sip.
"Don't flatter yourself. I just don't want to deal with your headaches later."
"Uh-huh, sure," Kael leaned back, eyeing her with a sly squint. "So you just made me tea for no reason at all?"
"Yes."
"And sat down next to me just because?"
"Exactly."
He smiled and leaned forward slightly, closing the distance between them.
"You know, Auren, you're a terrible liar."
She shot him a quick look, but instead of pulling back, he leaned in even closer, letting her feel the warmth of his body.
"Maybe you just want to spend more time with me?" his voice dropped, his gaze dangerously soft.
Auren lifted her chin, unwilling to yield.
"If I wanted to spend more time with you, you'd never even know."
Kael smirked, narrowing his eyes.
"Is that a challenge?"
Auren leaned in a little, as if to say something important… but instead just reached for her cup, nearly brushing his shoulder.
"That's a fact," she said, taking a sip.
He studied her for a couple of seconds, then shook his head with a smile.
"You're far too interesting, Auren."
She just hummed, but for some reason, his words sent a warm shiver down her spine.
Kael didn't take his eyes off her, his gaze almost pinning her in place.
"You know…" he ran a finger lazily along the rim of his cup, then reached out, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "You look cute when you try to act indifferent."
She froze for a second before tilting her head to shrug off his hand.
"And you look way too confident when you think you can get under my skin so easily."
He smirked, lightly brushing his fingertips against her cheek.
"Really? Because I think I've already rattled your calm a bit."
She turned to him sharply, ready to reply, but he leaned in slightly, making her pause. Their faces were dangerously close.
"You're playing with fire, Auren," he said softly, with a hint of threat.
She met his gaze, where shadows danced, and suddenly smiled, accepting the dangerous game.
"Did you forget? I've been in this game for a while, Kael."
He narrowed his eyes, clearly pleased with her answer, then slowly reached for her hand, wrapping his fingers around her wrist. His grip was gentle, but his warmth seeped under her skin.
"Then maybe we should make it more interesting?" he murmured, running his thumb along the inside of her wrist.
Auren pressed her lips together but didn't pull away.
"You really think you can beat me?"
He grinned and, instead of answering, tugged her a little closer.
"Already am."
Her heart skipped for a second, then pounded harder, thudding in her chest. The heat of his palm on her wrist, his low, velvety voice, the dangerous closeness…
But she wouldn't show it.
A lazy smirk curved her lips as she tilted her head, meeting his gaze with playful defiance.
"Already? Don't you think you're celebrating too soon?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"So I should try harder?"
"Oh, if you think I give up that easily, you'd better rethink your strategy," she said, leaning in just enough for him to feel her warm breath near his cheek.
They were challenging each other, testing to see who would break first.
Kael narrowed his eyes, his fingers tightening slightly around her wrist—not forcefully, but playfully, as if testing her limits.
"So I should be more persistent?"
Auren, with an innocent smile, slowly ran her finger along his wrist in return.
"Only if you're ready to lose."
He chuckled quietly, his eyes sparking with excitement.
"We'll see, Auren. We'll see."
Kael wasn't going to stop.
He squeezed her wrist a little more, closing the distance to a dangerous minimum, his gaze flicking to her lips again.
"You play fair," his voice was low, almost purring, "but I don't think you're as confident as you pretend."
His warm breath brushed her cheek, and for a moment, Auren felt her insides flip. Her body betrayed her—her breathing deepened, her heart raced—but no, she wouldn't give in so easily.
She exhaled slowly, letting the corners of her lips twitch into a smirk.
"Don't you think you're rushing things, Kael?"
With a smooth twist, she freed her wrist from his grasp and stood up slowly. He didn't stop her, only watched lazily as she stepped back.
"Too late," she added, giving him a lingering look. "I think it's time for me to sleep."
She turned, but before leaving, threw over her shoulder,
"Unless, of course, you've already lost."
Kael narrowed his eyes, a mocking smile tugging at his lips.
"Sure about that?"
But Auren said nothing—just disappeared into the darkness of the hallway, leaving him with that faint sting of defeat.
And if Kael realized anything at that moment, it was that this game was far from over.
He kept his gaze on the spot where she'd been just moments ago.
She left so easily, so confidently, as if she'd felt nothing.
But he knew that wasn't true.
Her breathing, the quick, faint pulse in her wrist when he held her… She'd felt it too.
Kael sighed and leaned back, tilting his head.
"Damn…" he exhaled, closing his eyes.
This girl was a challenge for him. He was used to people either pleasing him or fearing him. But she… she smirked, flirted, played with him, yet never yielded.
He smiled faintly, closing his eyes again.
He didn't realize he'd been thinking longer than he should.
His gaze shifted to the empty cup she'd left, and irritation stirred in him. Not because she left, but because something was taking root inside him—something he couldn't explain.
Flirting was a game he'd mastered. He knew how to charm, spark interest, keep the focus on him. But with Auren… it was different.
He liked teasing her. Liked catching her subtle reactions, noticing when she tried to stay cool but was betrayed by her breathing or her gaze. Liked knowing that she played like this only with him.
But what did it mean?
He recalled her lips curling into that smirk, the confident way she'd pulled her hand free.
Kael suddenly realized he didn't want anyone else to see her like that.
He ran a hand over his face with a short chuckle.
"Looks like I'm really in trouble."
Tension built in him, unfamiliar and unsettling. He'd never let himself dwell on such things before, but now…
What next?
What would he do about this feeling?
Pretend nothing was happening? Hard, when every word, every look, every touch from her burned right through him.
Push her away? But he knew he didn't want to anymore. He'd gone far enough today—there was no turning back.
Continue the game?
He smirked, shaking his head.
"What if I'm not even playing anymore?.."
The thought was frightening… and far too enticing.
His eyes flicked to the empty cup again.
And what about her?
What did Auren think of him?
She responded to his flirting, played along—but how sincerely? Did she do it because she was truly interested, or just because she didn't want to show weakness?
She was different. Not like the ones who sought his favor for money, status, or power. Auren didn't try to please him, didn't fear opposing him. She didn't make moves toward him, but she didn't back away either.
But what did she really want?
She must know getting involved with him wasn't the smartest idea.
Kael smirked, leaning back.
"Status? No. I'm not the type to care about that, especially if it's Auren—the girl I liked watching as a kid. Workplace rules? I don't care. I made the rules; I can break them."
He sat there, lost in thought, unable to push away her image.
"She's the kind of fire that smolders quietly, slowly sinking into you. You don't even realize it's consumed you until it's too late. She's dangerous… not because she can destroy me, but because she makes me feel. And that feeling… It's foreign to me. I'm not used to it. And yet, when she's near, I can't stop myself from diving into it."
He closed his eyes, trying to focus.
"She's changing me, and it scares me. I'm used to controlling everything—myself, my emotions, the world around me. But with her, it's different. Everything slips out of control. And the scariest part is—I'm not sure I want to put it back the way it was. To be cold, detached, like before. Or… maybe I can't anymore."
His gaze swept over the dark room again. For some reason, everything in him felt different now.
Kael took a deep breath, trying to shake off the thoughts.
"Enough," he told himself quietly, closing his eyes. "I won't think about this now. Let things be. I'll do what time tells me to do."
Leaning back, he felt the headache return. He didn't have the strength for this kind of thinking. He wasn't ready yet to decide what would happen to him, to her, to what he felt.
"Maybe this headache isn't for nothing…" he thought with a faint smile. "Time will put everything in its place."