Andreas stared at the empty space where Snow had been. The half-eaten dessert, the lingering scent of her subtle, organic perfume – they were the only proof she'd ever been there. His mind replayed her final words, "Mr. Charm," spoken with a chill that hadn't been present moments before. Her eyes, filled with a fleeting look of something akin to fear or pain, haunted him. What had happened? One moment, they were connecting on a level he hadn't experienced in years, and the next, she'd vanished like a phantom.
He paid the bill, leaving an excessive tip, and walked out of 'The Gilded Spoon' with a new, unsettling feeling: confusion. For a man who prided himself on always being in control, on reading every situation and every person with laser precision, Snow White was an enigma. He pulled out his phone, a rare frown etching his features. "Grumpy," he barked into the receiver, "I need everything you can find on a 'Snow White.' Specifically, a 'Bianca White' who runs a tech startup called 'EdenTech.' And I need it by dawn."
Meanwhile, Snow was practically running, her elegant dress feeling like a cage. The cool night air did little to calm the frantic beating of her heart. Andreas Charm. How could I have been so stupid? The name alone conjured images of power plays, ruthless competition, and the very kind of corporate sharks who had nearly destroyed her once. She saw his father, a man notorious for his cutthroat business practices, and instantly understood the pressure Andreas would be under. He wasn't just a CEO; he was a Charm. And Charm Global was a beast she wanted no part of.
She burst through the door of EdenTech, startling her "Dwarves" who were still hunched over their glowing screens, fueled by cold coffee and late-night coding.
"Snow? You're back early!" Sleepy, who usually dozed at his keyboard, straightened up immediately, sensing her distress.
Happy, ever the optimist, chirped, "So, how was the prince? Did he sweep you off your feet?"
Snow just shook her head, walking to her desk and collapsing into her chair. Her carefully constructed walls, fortified over years, felt suddenly fragile. "He's not a prince," she muttered, her voice tight. "He's a Charm. Andreas Charm."
Silence fell over the office. The "Dwarves" exchanged worried glances. They knew Snow's history, the deep scars left by the betrayal from her stepmother figure and the corporate wolves who had circled her when she was most vulnerable. The name "Charm" was a thunderclap in their quiet, protected world.
"Charm Global?" Sneezy, always prone to anxiety, gulped. "But... they're enormous! They could swallow EdenTech whole without even burping!"
Doc, the pragmatic leader of the group, approached Snow's desk. "What happened, Snow? Did he... did he try anything?" His voice was low, protective.
Snow finally looked up, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and something else – a flicker of the unexpected connection she'd felt. "No," she said softly. "Nothing like that. He just... he listened. He was actually interested in EdenTech. And I didn't even know who he was until the very end. I thought he was just... Andreas." She wrapped her arms around herself, a shiver running through her. "It felt real. For a moment. And then..." She trailed off, the weight of the realization settling back in. "Then I remembered who he was. And who I am."
The "Dwarves" gathered around her, a silent circle of support. They knew the fragile peace Snow had built, and the specter of her past returning, especially in the form of a Charm, filled them with dread.