Jane's POV – "The Unexpected"
Wednesday Evening
The second the elevator doors opened on the ground floor, my entire body sighed. my heels pinched, my back ached, and my head still buzzed with confusion over Zayn's erratic behavior all day. One second he was being his usual intimidating self, the next he was asking her if she got home safely—then pretending he was talking about some stupid reports.
i hadn't told anyone about it. Not even Amira.
Because honestly, what was she supposed to say?
That the coldest man in the building suddenly cared about her commute?
That he said her name too softly this morning?
That he stared at her sometimes, not cruelly—but as if he didn't understand what was going on inside him either?
i shook my head as i stepped out into the fading orange of evening. The last bit of sun was sinking past the tall buildings, casting long shadows across the street.
i reached into my bag, already preparing for the chaos of trying to get a taxi at this hour—
And then froze.
There he was.
Leaning casually against the hood of a silver car parked a little down the street. Button-down sleeves rolled up, a warm grin forming the second i spotted he.
my heart did something strange.
"Hey, sunshine," Levi called, pushing off the car and walking toward me like they'd done this a thousand times.
"Levi?" I blinked. "What are you—?"
He tilted his head. "Is that how you greet your favorite taxi service now?"
i laughed before i could stop myself.
He opened the passenger door for me like a gentleman. "Figured I'd spare you the stress today. Plus, I thought maybe we could grab something to eat? No pressure though. I just... wanted to see you."
i hesitated. Not because she didn't want to. But because for a moment, it felt like she was in someone else's life—someone whose days didn't end with humiliation and confusion, but instead with someone waiting. For her.
I climbed in.
As Levi moved around to the driver's side, i caught a glimpse of the building in the side mirror.
High up, on the 2th floor... Zayn's office.
i didn't know why I looked.
But a part of me wondered if he was watching.
And why that mattered.
Zayn's POV – "What He Had No Right to Feel"
The parking lot was nearly empty.
Most of the staff had trickled out over the past hour, shadows slipping into cars, headlights blinking on like lazy fireflies. i rarely left this late, but today—i lingered. For no reason. Or so i told myself.
But then she walked out.
Jane.
Her steps were slower today. Tired, maybe. Or just… unaware that someone was watching.
She didn't look around. Didn't notice him, standing near the far side of the lot, partly shielded by the row of tinted cars. She didn't have a reason to. After all, he was Zayn Anderson — emotionally unavailable, professionally terrifying, and infuriatingly composed.
But then a silver sedan pulled up.
And Levi stepped out.
i felt it immediately — the clench in my jaw, the tightening of something far beneath my ribs. The damn guy was smiling, relaxed in that easy, infuriating way. Like he belonged there. Like he knew she'd come walking straight to him.
And she did.
Her face lit up in a way Zayn had never seen when she was around him. She said something, and Levi laughed. Open, carefree. A laugh i could never produce — not even for myself, let alone someone else.
i should've walked away.
i should've looked away.
Instead, i stayed rooted, fists balled at my sides. my suit jacket felt too tight suddenly, like it was choking the air out of my chest.
This wasn't supposed to matter.
Jane Williams was just a secretary.
Just another name on payroll.
But the way she tilted her head when Levi spoke, the softness in her eyes, the comfort she allowed herself to feel around someone else — it made me feel a dangerous kind of possessiveness rise in me.
i didn't want to feel it.
i had no right to feel it.
But there it was.
Searing, irrational, and boiling just under my calm exterior.
They got in the car. Jane didn't look back.
i exhaled slowly, jaw flexing.
No, she didn't see him.
But part of him wished she had — just to know how closely I was watching.
How much i noticed.
How much it bothered me.
And how much i hated that it did.
Levi's POV – "The Way She Looks at Me"
She stepped out of the building, the harsh lines of fluorescent office light falling away from her shoulders as she walked into the dusk. Her bag was slung on one side, her steps uneven from exhaustion, but her eyes… they found him like they'd been searching all day.
i smiled before she could even reach me.
That look—half relief, half disbelief—did something ridiculous to his chest.
i leaned against the car like I've been waiting forever. Truthfully, i have. Not just today. Since last Friday. Since her name tumbled out of her mouth like a secret she wasn't sure she should share.
Hey sunshine
Levi? she blinked what are you _is that how you great your favorite texi service now I asked
i opened the passenger door for her with a slight bow, teasing. "Allow me to escort the lady to freedom. Snacks and a Levi-certified playlist included."
That laugh—the real kind, the one that wasn't for show—burst out of her, and it was worth every minute I have waited in the heat.
She got in the car, not noticing the tension threading my spine.
Not seeing the silhouette watching from the far end of the lot.
But i saw it.
Tall. Still. Sharp enough to cut glass.
Zayn.
I didn't react. Not visibly.
But the instinct flared. That low burn of awareness. Of rivalry.
i slid into the driver's seat, kept my voice calm. "So, what's your post-survival dinner plan?"
"Sleep and maybe cry in my pillow," she said, adjusting the seatbelt.
I chuckled, eyes flicking to the rearview mirror just once. Zayn was still there. Still watching. Possessive.
Interesting.
I didn't like games.
But if Zayn wanted to play, he'd just made the first move.
The car hummed to life.
Jane leaned back and closed her eyes like she'd finally exhaled for the first time all day. No idea about the CEO-shaped storm cloud they'd just driven away from.
She didn't know it yet, but she wasn't alone in this anymore.
And i?
I had no plans of backing down.