Jane's POV – "The Teasing Committee"
The second I shut the door behind me, I knew I was in trouble.
Not the "forgot to buy toothpaste" kind of trouble.
The "two pairs of eyes are watching you like you just committed a federal crime" kind.
Jake was sprawled across the couch with a bag of chips, one eyebrow arched so high it was in danger of leaving his forehead entirely. Tomika, perched on the armrest like a cat, was grinning like she'd been waiting for this moment her entire life.
"Well, well, well," Jake drawled, crunching loudly. "Look who got chauffeured home like a princess."
Tomika gasped theatrically. "By Levi, no less."
My bag thudded to the floor. "It's not what you think."
Jake shoved another chip into his mouth. "Oh, I think it's exactly what I think. The man was smiling when he drove off. Smiling like he'd just won the lottery."
Tomika leaned forward, eyes glinting. "So… when's the wedding? I want dibs on maid of honor."
I groaned. "You two are ridiculous. He's just a friend. He happened to be nearby and offered me a ride."
Jake smirked. "Yeah, sure. And I just happen to 'accidentally' finish all the ice cream in the freezer."
Tomika snorted. "Jane, please. That man is into you. I could feel it from the gate."
I dropped onto the couch beside her. "Even if he was—which he's not—it doesn't matter. I'm not interested in… that."
Jake tilted his head. "Not interested, or scared someone else might be jealous?"
That earned him a throw pillow to the face.
Tomika grinned, undeterred. "Uh-huh. Keep pretending, Miss 'I'm Not Interested.' Just don't be surprised if both Mr. Levi and Mr. CEO start circling at the same time."
I snorted. "Please. Zayn? He's incapable of love. Especially for someone like me."
Tomika just gave me a knowing look, and Jake chuckled under his breath.
Somehow, I had the uncomfortable feeling that neither of them believed me.
Zayn's POV – "The Meeting That Didn't Exist"
The conference table was lined with senior instructors and department heads, each taking turns discussing training updates, client contracts, and the next certification cycle.
I should have been focused.
This company was built on precision—our name carried weight in the instructor training world. A missed detail here could spiral into a reputation issue later.
But the words were blurring together.
"…module redesign for the aviation program…"
"…client feedback from the offshore safety course…"
The voice faded into background noise. My gaze had locked on the one image in my mind I couldn't shake:
Jane.
Laughing.
In Levi's car.
It had been less than twenty-four hours, but the scene replayed in relentless loops. The easy way she leaned toward him, her smile—God, I'd never seen her smile like that here. Not for me.
A slow, hot frustration twisted in my chest. I told myself it was ridiculous. Irrational. She was an employee. An assistant. My assistant.
And yet, for the first time in years, I found myself struggling to follow a meeting—my meeting—because all I could think about was who she might be smiling at right now.
"Zayn?"
Alex's voice cut through the haze. He was watching me with that irritatingly sharp gaze he wore when he knew I wasn't paying attention.
I forced my jaw to unclench. "Continue."
He smirked slightly, but didn't comment.
The presentation rolled on. I didn't hear a word. My mind was elsewhere—parked in front of that building yesterday, watching Levi's car drive away with my secretary inside.
I told myself I didn't care.
The knot in my chest told me I was lying.
Alex's POV – "The Obvious Secret"
The meeting wrapped up, chairs scraping the floor as everyone filtered out with their notes and coffee cups.
Everyone except Zayn, who was still sitting there like the discussion had been conducted in Morse code.
I'd seen him space out before, but not like this.
This was different.
I leaned against the edge of the table, arms crossed. "You going to tell me what that was, or should I just guess?"
He gave me the CEO glare—the one that usually sent department heads scrambling—but I'd known him too long to care.
"You were somewhere else the entire meeting," I continued, voice casual. "And unless the offshore safety course suddenly involves runway models, I'm guessing it wasn't work that had your attention."
He didn't answer, which told me more than if he had. Zayn's silence always spoke volumes.
My mind ticked back to yesterday.
I'd caught a glimpse of his car lingering by the exit… and the way his eyes had locked on Jane walking to someone else's car.
Some guy. Tall, easy smile. Not the kind of person who looked like he belonged in Zayn's world, which was probably why it bothered him so much.
"Careful," I said lightly, though my gaze didn't waver. "You keep glaring holes into the back of her head, people are going to notice you're human."
He finally stood, gathering his notes like the conversation never happened. But the faint, rigid set of his jaw told me I'd hit the mark.
Yep. I'd be bringing this up over drinks again.