It had been two weeks since Olivia Bennett officially returned to Ashford Co.
Surprisingly, she found herself more relaxed than she had ever been before.
The workload was steady, but the chaos that used to come with Aiden Ashford's unpredictable involvement was missing. He no longer hovered over every tiny task or questioned every minor decision like he did before. This time, he was calmer—still cold and focused, yes—but he seemed to have learned to trust her judgment.
And Olivia couldn't deny that it made her days smoother.
She didn't have to run around chasing signatures or double-checking reports at midnight. Her team was efficient, the department heads were responsive, and for once, everything was running like a well-oiled machine.
When she reached her office that morning, she set her bag down and froze.
There it was again—right in the center of her desk.
A cup of coffee, still steaming, with a faint curl of heat rising from the lid.
Her lips twitched into a small smile.
It had become their quiet ritual since the day she agreed to come back. Every morning without fail, that cup would be there—sometimes with a post-it note, sometimes without.
Her mind drifted back to that first day after she had said yes to returning.
She had entered the office early, nervous and cautious. The air had been thick with awkwardness then—neither she nor Aiden quite sure how to act after everything that happened between them.
And when she'd walked into her office, there it was.
A single cup of coffee.
Still hot. Freshly made.
She had frowned at first, assuming someone else might have placed it there. But when she'd gone to Aiden's office later that morning, he had casually mentioned, "You forgot your morning coffee yesterday. I thought I'd fix that."
She'd blinked. "You… brought it for me?"
He'd simply nodded. "Take it as an apology."
Olivia remembered how she had taken a sip and almost choked on how sweet it was. There was so much sugar that she half-joked she could feel her teeth melting.
The next day, it had been slightly better.
By the end of the week, it was perfect.
And from that day to this one, Aiden Ashford—the cold, composed CEO who never even carried his own coffee mug—brought her one every morning without fail.
It was strange. But also… kind of sweet.
Today's cup was her favorite—rich, balanced, perfectly warm. She lifted it with a quiet sigh and smiled to herself before turning on her laptop.
Her day flew by in a blur of spreadsheets, phone calls, and email follow-ups. It was nearly 4 p.m. when her phone buzzed, flashing an international number across the screen.
She frowned and picked up.
"Hello, this is Olivia Bennett from Ashford Co."
A crisp, accented voice replied, "Hello, Miss Bennett. This is Sophia, the secretary of Mr. Han Dae-jin, CEO of Euphoria Maison."
Olivia blinked in shock. "I—I'm sorry, did you say Euphoria Maison?"
"Yes, ma'am," the woman confirmed, her tone polite and professional. "Our team recently viewed the Ashford Co. fashion week showcase. Mr. Han was extremely impressed with your brand's execution and creative vision. He would like to discuss a possible collaboration for our upcoming Spring Collection."
Olivia shot up from her chair. "A collaboration?"
"Yes, ma'am. Mr. Han is currently in your country for the next few days. If your CEO is available, we would appreciate an in-person meeting soon. Please let us know what time works best for you both."
Olivia's heart raced. "Of course! I'll speak with Mr. Ashford immediately and call you back with a confirmed schedule."
After a few more details, the call ended.
For a moment, Olivia stood there frozen, her mind whirling with excitement.
Euphoria Maison!
They were one of the most prestigious European-Korean luxury houses in the world—known for their exclusivity and their refusal to collaborate with anyone. For them to reach out first was unheard of.
She grabbed her files and all but ran out of her office.
When Olivia burst through the door of Aiden's office, she didn't even bother to knock.
Aiden, who had been quietly reviewing documents, jumped at the sound of the door slamming open. His pen slipped from his fingers as his sharp eyes snapped up toward the intruder—only to find Olivia standing there, slightly out of breath, her face bright with excitement.
"Olivia," he said, his voice low with a mix of surprise.
Olivia ignored him completely, striding straight to his desk and leaning forward with both hands on the surface.
Aiden froze. Her sudden proximity made his brain stutter.
Her hair brushed forward slightly, her perfume—subtle and familiar—filled the air. For a brief second, his usually composed thoughts went completely blank.
She was smiling, eyes sparkling in a way he hadn't seen in months.
He blinked slowly, trying to catch up. "…What happened?"
"Guess who just called me?" she said, her voice full of excitement.
He stared at her blankly. "…Who?"
"Euphoria Maison's CEO's secretary!" she announced. "They want to collaborate with us for their next Spring Collection!"
Aiden's eyes widened. "What?"
Olivia nodded eagerly. "They said they saw our fashion show and were impressed. They want to set up a meeting while their CEO is still in the country."
For a long moment, Aiden just sat there, processing her words.
"Euphoria Maison," he repeated slowly. "Are you sure?"
"Yes!" Olivia said, unable to hide her grin. "I confirmed twice."
Aiden leaned back in his chair, his usually stoic face flickering with genuine surprise. "That brand doesn't collaborate with anyone. They haven't in nearly a decade."
"I know," Olivia said, her excitement bubbling. "Which means this is huge! They must've really liked the work we did at the fashion week. Our presentation paid off."
Aiden stared at her, a quiet look of pride crossing his eyes. She was glowing — absolutely radiant in that moment, all confidence and enthusiasm.
It made something inside his chest tighten unexpectedly.
"What did you tell them?" he asked after a moment.
"That I'd discuss it with the CEO," Olivia said, straightening up, "and get back to them with a confirmed meeting time."
He nodded slowly, shifting into work mode again. "Good. Set a time as soon as possible. Preferably tomorrow afternoon."
Olivia nodded firmly. "I'll arrange it."
With that, she turned on her heel and left the office, her heels clicking lightly on the floor.
Aiden watched her go, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth before he quickly hid it behind his usual composed mask.
The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of phone calls and emails. Olivia managed to confirm the meeting time for the next day at 3 p.m. Mr. Han's secretary was thrilled with the prompt response, and the brand's PR manager even offered to send over preliminary design concepts for review.
When Olivia walked through the hall later, the entire design department seemed to buzz with the news. By the time she reached her office again, she had a dozen messages from excited staff asking if the rumors were true.
She didn't answer. She just smiled quietly to herself, took another sip of her coffee, and looked out the window at the late afternoon sun.
The city stretched out below, glowing with light — much like her mood.
For once, she felt proud. Not just because the company was succeeding, but because she could see the results of their hard work — her work — shining clearly.
And somewhere in the back of her mind, she thought about Aiden again — the way his eyes had widened, the flicker of pride he hadn't managed to hide.
It was strange.
How someone so cold could make her feel so… warm.