The morning sun filtered through the high glass windows of the CEO's office, casting long shadows across the room. Aiden sat behind his desk, his usual calm, composed mask in place. The world saw him as the perfect executive — decisive, cold, and untouchable. But today, his fingers drummed restlessly against the dark wooden surface, betraying the anxiety running beneath that polished exterior.
He'd barely slept.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Olivia — the way she'd looked at him on the rooftop, her voice calm but firm as she said she'd be leaving after the fashion week. He hadn't realized until then just how much her presence had seeped into his routine — into him. The thought of walking into this office and not hearing her quiet knock or seeing her focused expression had kept him wide awake all night.
The soft click of heels against marble broke his train of thought.
"Mr. Ashford?" Olivia's familiar voice came from the doorway. She stood there with her usual polite smile, holding a folder close to her chest. "I brought the final reports for the fashion week and the supplier follow-up documents. I also came to… inform you that I'll be finishing my duties today."
Aiden's gaze lifted slowly.
There it was — that gentle tone. Professional. Detached. As if everything they'd shared over the past weeks — the laughter, the late-night dinners, the quiet conversations on the rooftop — were nothing more than part of her job.
He exhaled quietly and leaned back in his chair. "I see," he said, voice calm, controlled. "Then, before you go, there's something I think you should look at."
He opened the drawer beside him and pulled out a thick folder — her contract. He placed it on the desk between them and tapped on a section with his pen.
Olivia blinked, confused. "What's this?"
"Your employment agreement," Aiden replied evenly. "Clause 12 — the duration term."
She leaned forward, reading, and her eyes widened. "Five years?" She looked up sharply. "I've already worked for three—"
"Exactly," Aiden interrupted smoothly, a faint smirk tugging at his lips, though his tone remained cold. "That means you still owe us two years of service, Miss Bennet."
Olivia stared at him, speechless for a moment. "You… You're joking, right?"
Aiden's eyes met hers — deep, unreadable, but laced with something softer beneath the ice. "I don't joke about contracts."
"But—" she stammered, trying to collect herself. "But the agreement was under special terms. When I returned after resigning, you said it was just for the fashion week project."
"That was my verbal agreement," he replied, tone low, "but the legal document still holds. And since you never terminated it properly…" He tilted his head slightly, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes. "You're still mine, contractually speaking."
Olivia's face flushed a bright shade of pink. "Yours?" she repeated, almost choking on the word.
Aiden caught himself, his composure cracking for a split second before he cleared his throat. "I meant—still an employee of Ashford Corporation."
She crossed her arms, glaring at him. "You could've just said that instead of making it sound like—like I'm some kind of property!"
For a moment, Aiden almost smiled. Almost. "If you want to leave, Miss Bennet," he said after a pause, his voice dropping lower, "you'll have to pay the penalty fee. It's quite high. Or—" His eyes softened slightly. "You could stay. Under… improved conditions."
Olivia frowned. "Improved?"
He turned the page, revealing an amendment letter he'd prepared. "A promotion to Senior Project Manager. A thirty-percent salary increase. Flexible hours. And…" He hesitated for a fraction of a second, his gaze locking on her face. "No unnecessary overtime. I'll make sure of it."
Olivia blinked, stunned. She hadn't expected this from him — the man who once doubted her, questioned her integrity, and kept his emotions tightly under control. Seeing him trying — in his own awkward, indirect way — almost felt surreal.
"I'll… need time to think," she said softly, her voice lower now.
Aiden nodded once, his expression unreadable again, but there was a flicker of disappointment in his eyes. "Of course. Take your time."
Olivia turned to leave, clutching the folder tightly. Her heartbeat was faster than she wanted to admit. When she reached the door, she paused for a second, glancing back. Aiden was already looking down at his desk, pretending to review some files, but his fingers were tense around the pen.
She exhaled quietly and left.
By the time she reached home that evening, her mind was a storm.
She threw her bag onto the couch, kicked off her heels, and sank onto the bed with a deep sigh. "Five years," she muttered, staring at the ceiling. "Who even makes a contract that long?"
Her phone buzzed. It was Emily.
"Hey, Liv! I'm near your place. You said you wanted to talk?"
"Yeah, come up," Olivia said, grateful for the distraction.
A few minutes later, Emily burst in, cheerful as always. "So, what's going on? You sounded serious."
Olivia sighed, holding out the folder. "Aiden showed me this today. Apparently, I'm still bound to a five-year contract."
Emily took the papers, flipping through them. "Wait—so you still have two years left? Oh wow… and what's this?" She pointed at the amendment Aiden had added. "Promotion, raise, flexibility, reduced overtime—girl, this is actually good!"
Olivia gave her a look. "Emily."
"What? I mean, yeah, he's cold as ice most of the time, but come on! This is like the dream offer! You're getting a better position and fewer headaches."
Olivia frowned, tugging at a pillow. "It's not about the offer. It's about him. He—he doubted me once, remember? He was the reason I left in the first place."
Emily's smile softened. "True. But people change, Liv. Maybe this is his way of saying sorry."
Olivia bit her lip, looking away. "You think?"
Emily nodded. "Honestly, I think he doesn't want you to go. Not just as his assistant — but personally."
"Emily," Olivia warned, cheeks heating.
Her friend laughed. "Okay, okay, I'll stop. But seriously, even if he's a workaholic iceberg, you two actually make a good team. Think about it."
After Emily left, Olivia lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling again. Her mind refused to quiet down.
She remembered the look on Aiden's face earlier — the slight nervousness in his eyes when he explained the privileges, the way his voice faltered when she didn't answer right away. It was rare to see him like that. Vulnerable. Human.
"He actually looked nervous," she whispered to herself, a small, incredulous laugh escaping her lips. "Aiden Ashford… nervous? But he looks …. kind a cute."
Then she frowned. "Still, what a jerk. He's the one who doubted me in the first place, and now he's acting like this."
Her voice softened as she turned to her side, pulling the blanket up. "But maybe… he really means it this time."
Her thoughts tangled and blurred until sleep finally claimed her.
Meanwhile, across the city, Aiden stood by his window, the city lights stretching endlessly below. The clock read 1:47 a.m., but he hadn't even tried to sleep.
Nothing distracted him from the same nagging thought.
What if she says no?
He'd never had to ask anyone to stay before. People begged to work for him, not the other way around. But Olivia… she was different. She challenged him, confused him, softened him in ways he didn't expect.
He leaned against the glass, eyes half-lidded, exhaustion finally creeping in. "If she leaves," he murmured, "the office will be… quiet."
Too quiet.
He didn't realize how much he'd grown used to her presence — her voice breaking his focus with a polite "Mr. Ashford?", or when she called him 'Aiden', her sarcastic remarks when he was being difficult, her steady calm when things went wrong.
Aiden exhaled slowly and looked down at the faint reflection of himself in the window. "Olivia, you'd better say yes tomorrow."
But deep down, even he wasn't sure if he was ready for her answer.