In the quiet corridors of a company built on secrets, power, and ambition, Eric and Lena find themselves caught between surveillance and revelation. As one mistake leads to another secret, and shadows close in, a daring moment of 'pretend' may just reveal something real…
The echo of Lena's heels clicked sharply in the dimly lit hallway as she led Eric toward the records room. Her jaw was tight, her eyes scanning with a hunter's precision. Eric followed closely, the silence between them buzzing with unresolved tension and something far more dangerous—unspoken attraction.
Just as Lena reached for the handle, her phone buzzed. She checked it—her pupils tightened. "Security's changing their patrol pattern. We have five minutes," she said in a low, clipped tone.
Eric nodded. They slipped inside.
The room was small, lined with outdated filing cabinets and a dusty terminal humming in the corner. Lena moved quickly, her fingers typing with practised ease.
"We're not supposed to be here," Eric said, eyeing the camera in the far corner.
"It's a dead one," Lena replied, not looking up. "But they'll notice the door was accessed."
Moments later, Lena's breath caught. "Here."
Eric leaned in. The screen showed internal HR documents and off-the-record financial transfers. Several accounts linked to a name that should never have appeared—Vice President Raymond Slater.
The same man who'd once smiled during board meetings while quietly orchestrating firings, cuts—and worse.
"He's funneling bonuses to dummy corporations," Lena whispered.
Eric's voice was low. "And using Lena as a proxy in some of the filings."
Her face went pale.
A noise snapped both their heads toward the hallway.
Footsteps.
"Shit," Lena muttered. Eric acted on instinct—he pulled her toward the wall between two filing cabinets.
The footsteps drew closer.
Without thinking, Eric turned to Lena. "Just play along."
"What—"
Too late.
Eric placed a hand against the cabinet above her head, leaning in close. His body caged hers in, lips inches from her own. From a distance, anyone would see a couple stealing a moment.
Her eyes widened. "Are you insane?"
But she didn't push him away.
The door creaked open.
Lena's breath hitched as she gripped his shirt reflexively, her eyes flicking to the gap between the cabinets and the open doorway.
Footsteps paused. Then retreated.
Silence returned.
Lena didn't move.
Neither did Eric.
The proximity burned.
Eric finally spoke, voice barely above a whisper. "We're clear."
She shoved him—gently. "Next time, give me warning."
He smiled. "Next time?"
Her eyes narrowed, but there was a glint of something else in them now. Wariness—and intrigue.
Unbeknownst to either of them, down the hallway, a figure leaned back against the wall, biting her thumb nail.
Sasha.
She had wandered into the records floor while chasing a different rumor, only to glimpse Eric and Lena in that precarious embrace.
Her eyes sparkled. "Now what have we here…"
She didn't go to security. She went to her own office. And began digging.
"Eric Chen," she whispered. "You're not just another IT drone."
And Lena? The stone-faced executive?
Sasha smiled. She'd always loved a good scandal.
Especially if it could be useful.
Just as Lena adjusted her blouse and tried to regain composure, the door to the stairwell burst open with a loud clang.
"Yo! Eric, you down here?" came a loud, familiar voice.
Eric nearly groaned. "Perfect timing…"
Lena muttered, "Who the hell—"
A tall man with dreadlocks, oversized hoodie, and mismatched sneakers strolled in with a grin like he owned the place.
"Ah-ha! There you are, man. I was wondering why your signal disappeared from the internal chat," said Blackie, Eric's unofficial sidekick and the company's most chaotic but brilliant backend dev.
He noticed Lena and paused. His grin widened like a kid who just walked into a soap opera.
"Ooooh… I see what's going on." He made an exaggerated finger-gun gesture. "Boss lady and my boy, sneaking in some after-hours synergy, huh?"
Lena crossed her arms, glaring. "You must be the infamous Blackie."
"That's me." He extended a hand with theatrical charm. "And you must be the terrifying ice queen my boy here's been dodging all week."
Eric muttered, "You're not helping."
Blackie winked. "I never am. But listen—while you two were, uh, exchanging corporate strategies, I noticed something on the surveillance reroute."
He pulled out his phone, tapping quickly. "Security logs have been altered. Someone's trying to cover the original patrol rotation—exactly the window you were banking on."
Lena's face darkened. "So someone knew we'd be here?"
"Or they wanted us to be," Eric said slowly. "Either way, we were bait."
Blackie nodded. "Also, I saw a certain someone poking around."
Eric and Lena stiffened.
"Sasha?"
Blackie raised his brows. "Bingo."
Lena cursed under her breath.
Eric's thoughts raced. If Sasha had seen them, everything could fall apart. Unless… she had her own reasons to stay quiet.
Cut to another floor.
Sasha sat at her desk, twirling a pen. On her screen: Eric's personnel file. Clean. Too clean. No previous infractions. No relationships. No red flags.
Too perfect.
Then Lena's file. Restrictive. Private folders encrypted beyond her access.
She leaned back, biting her lip, a sly smile forming.
She wasn't planning to report them. Not yet.
There was something fun about watching two high-level operatives trying to outmaneuver each other while pretending nothing was going on.
Besides, if Eric was clever enough to get under Lena's skin, maybe… he was clever enough to be useful.
Back in the server hallway, Lena straightened her coat.
"We can't stay here. We need to act fast."
Eric nodded. "You trust me now?"
She didn't answer. But she didn't walk away either.
Her eyes lingered on him for a moment too long.
Then, curtly: "Meet me in Conference Room D tomorrow morning. I'll handle the rest."
She turned and left.
Blackie nudged Eric with an elbow. "So… is this where you tell me you're falling for your terrifying boss?"
Eric sighed. "She's not terrifying. Just… complicated."
Blackie smirked. "Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Romeo."
As they headed for the stairs, none of them noticed the small, blinking light from behind the inactive security camera—now fully active, streaming footage to a remote location.
And somewhere, someone was watching.