Just as I started scheming how to make this man feel something real—actually fall for me—my grandpa suddenly summoned me.
"Gramps! My darling, I missed you!" I said, dramatically ignoring the serious business partners sitting nearby.
My grandpa, even in his seventies, still looked handsome and sharp—grey hair, beard, and all. "You ungrateful brat," he growled. "I asked you to go to Coldmere Enterprise for business. What the hell did you end up doing?"
I ran a hand through my hair, trying to play it cool. "What are you talking about? We..we were talking business. Yes."
He gave me a long, piercing stare before saying, "Whatever. Tomorrow's the day we finalize the collaboration. You're coming, too. Dress well, and don't bring me any more shame."
I shot back a glare. "Why the hell should I go?"
"You'll know soon enough," he said with a sly grin.
I knew this old man was up to something. Bored anyway, I decided to tag along for the meeting.
I stepped inside wearing my crisp, perfectly tailored light pink suit.
The long table was full of serious business people, with my grandpa sitting at the head. But honestly? My eyes lit up the moment I saw Karthiel sitting there too, right beside Grandpa. While others greeted me politely, I was too focused on rushing over to Karthiel's side, wanting to sit next to him.
Then Grandpa's stern voice cut through.
"Where do you think you're going, Evaric? Come sit with me," he ordered, making me pout. Of course, Karthiel showed zero interest, acting like he didn't even know me. So cold. I sighed and nodded, sitting next to Grandpa. At least we were face to face. I kept sneaking glances at Karthiel, who was focused on the meeting—elegant as ever, his presence commanding the room.
Everyone seemed eager to talk to him, but he showed real respect for Grandpa—understandable, since Grandpa had been in this industry long before even my mom was born.
After a long stretch of business talk—which I barely heard because I was too busy staring at Karthiel—Grandpa suddenly spoke, and my heart nearly stopped.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, "I appreciate you all being here. Honestly, I wanted experienced people like you because, as you know, I'm getting older. I can't run this empire forever. And I only have one grandson."
He paused, looking right at me. "So, I want you all to give my dear grandson advice about the business world, so he can step up after I leave."
The room nodded in understanding. I was shocked. "What?! No! You didn't even ask me! You know I don't want to be this CEO who just signs papers and stuff," I protested, only to get a smack on the head from him.
"Then what else do you want to do, huh? You're wasting your time doing nothing. No interests, no hobbies. So why not just take charge of my business? You're only 26, but your hair is greyer than mine," he said.
My eyes went wide in shock and embarrassment.
"Ah, No, What the hell, Grandpa? This is called fashion—it's silver, not grey. What are you even saying?" I felt like crying, holding my precious soft, silver hair. My reputation was totally shattered.
Everyone laughed.
Karthiel showed no reaction—cold as ever—but I only cared about one thing.
That he saw me like this. How embarrassing!
"Anyway," Grandpa said, glaring at me as I sank into my seat, "I hope you all can cheer my grandson up and get him interested. I spoiled him too much, so he's like this."
"Grandpa, I love you, but don't you love Grandma? Why don't you just join her already?" I teased.
"Shut up, brat. Learn some manners," he snapped. "I do want to join her, but I can't leave you unsettled and alone. First, I want you to take up the business and marry someone worthy. Then I can join her in peace."
The marriage part caught my attention.
"Uh-huh, yes, Gramps. I do have someone I want to marry," I said, glancing at Karthiel, whose eyes finally snapped to mine.
"Shut up! Build yourself up, then marry," Grandpa said seriously, making me sigh.
Later, the business folks gave me lectures before leaving. Like me, Grandpa liked Karthiel a lot and pulled him aside for a private talk. I almost hugged him for giving us alone time.
Afterward, Karthiel's assistant left, and soon it was just us. I happily sat beside him.
He asked, "What are you doing?"
"Sitting beside you, though I'd love to sit on your lap more," I said casually.
Karthiel didn't comment and began dropping important business info—short, sharp, expensive sounding—but sorry, I was mostly watching his lips.
Finally, between his words, I spoke up.
"Let's go to my place today. I want to be with you so bad."
"First business," he said, serious.
I sighed and nodded.
But he actually waited for me outside.
I happily asked him to get in the car.
I blasted romantic songs, showing off my driving skills to impress him, though he didn't glance my way once—just stared ahead. "So, Karthiel, is there anything you like doing?"
"Work," he replied.
"Yes, but like in free time?" I pressed.
"Still work," he said.
I sighed. Yep, definitely a robot.
While driving, the silence got awkward, so I just started blabbering to fill the space. "You know, there's a lot I do in my free time—though honestly, I hardly do anything. So pretty much every time is free time for me. I'd rather eat and watch TV all day and night than play games, party all night, flirt, and get myself into trouble. Then my best friend saves me, and my grandpa gives me one to two-hour lectures."
I laughed, picking up speed a little.
"There was this one time I crashed one of Grandpa's favorite cars from his collection into a vending machine. Grandpa was really mad. Made sure I got a full check-up at the big hospital just to be safe, then gave me a solid five hours of lectures—two about my safety, and three about his car. Humph!" I was pretty sure he wasn't listening—until he surprised me by asking,
"You and Mr. Old Winterose have a good relationship."
"Of course we do," I said, steering around a corner. "I'm his beloved one and only daughter's son. He spoiled her, and now that she's gone, he's spoiling me. We've always been close, but after my parents died in that accident, he became even more attentive and loving though he scolds me a lot, too."
Karthiel kept his eyes on the road but gave a soft hum, then asked, "How old were you when your parents had the accident?"
"Ten," I replied, casual as ever.
"You don't sound sad," he said, with a hint of sarcasm, finally glancing at me.
I shrugged. "There's nothing to be sad about. Grandpa didn't even let me cry when we got the news. Took me shopping that same hour, then to Disneyland the next day. So why would I cry?" He just nodded.
I continued, "Also, I caused a ton of trouble there. Scared a guy in a Mickey Mouse costume so badly he crashed into an ice cream stall. Made a huge mess, almost got me banned. But Grandpa handled it.. and then lectured me some more." I pouted. Then, to my shock, I heard a low chuckle.
I slammed the brakes hard and glanced over at Karthiel. There he was—smiling softly, lips twitching in a quiet laugh. His face looked more relaxed, calmer.
Like he actually enjoyed my ridiculous stories more than he expected.
"Am I so funny? Are you falling for me already?" I asked, eyes sparkling.
His face snapped cold and blank. "Drive."
"How cold," I pouted and started driving again. What I didn't notice was the way he was staring. I glanced over. There he was—calm, cold as ever—but his eyes lingered. Not just looking, watching.
Like he didn't mean to, like he didn't even realize it. But there was something in that gaze—quiet, unreadable, and way too soft for someone who claims he doesn't do love. Either his stare was real. Or I was being totally delulu.
We arrived at my apartment—a masterpiece I designed myself. Floor-to-ceiling windows, sparkling silver furniture, shaded walls, every corner giving off that perfect mix of cute and elegant.
A place made to flex.
Karthiel seemed uninterested as he sank onto the couch, loosening his tie.
I hurried inside and grabbed us cold drinks.
He eyed our matching mugs—one with Mickey Mouse, the other mine—with a raised eyebrow.
"What? Couples need matching mugs. That's a universal thing."
He sighed, tired of my antics.
"We're not a couple."
"We will be," I said, sipping my drink with a wide grin. He only sighed again and took a slow sip.
"So, when are we making out?" I asked after we finished our drinks. He didn't say a word.
Just slowly loosened his tie, eyes fixed on me. Then, without hesitation, he leaned in—his lips pressing against mine in a kiss that was firm, deep, and completely in control. Not rushed. Not messy.
As always, his touch made me weak.
We spent the day wrapped in passion. My body was sore, marked, and exhausted—but when night fell, I was excited to cook. Karthiel took a shower and then strolled into the kitchen—wearing only jeans, hair messy, eyes glistening, muscles and eight-pack abs on full display.
I tried not to drool and focused on cooking.
"What are you doing?" he asked, voice deep and husky.
"Making sushi," I said, excited.
"Why?"
"Because it's the only thing I've learned to make perfectly. I'm still learning to cook, and since it's one of your favorites, I tried my best!"
"How do you know it's a favorite?" he raised an eyebrow.
Panic hit me. "Uhm, can I say I saw it in a dream?" I asked awkwardly. He gave me a skeptical look. I can't just tell him that I've been stalking him... Can I?
His gaze made me swallow hard.
"Fine. I happened to see you eat sushi at a banquet, so I guessed it was your favorite," I admitted. Half truth—after all, I'd done my research, and people said he did eat sushi often.
"You mean the banquet where you were stalking me?" he teased.
My eyes went wide. "What? No! How'd you—wait, you knew? I thought I was as sneaky as a ninja."
Just then, a low chuckle escaped him. I glanced at Karthiel, who was looking away now, lips twitching, eyes softer and amused.
I furrowed my brow—was that a hint of red at the tip of his ears? Wait, was I seeing things? I tried to focus, clearing my thoughts, when he suddenly turned and said,
"So, are you done?" His voice was cold again.
"Almost," I hummed. "Don't worry, I won't use anything you don't like. I know your likes and dislikes, kinda well." I muttered, concentrating on stirring the sauce.
"Yeah, because you stalked me," he teased back.
"Hey! I didn't! It was strictly research—everyone wants to know the one they love better," I pouted, mumbling on about how I did—or didn't—stalk him.
He stared at me for a long moment, then suddenly stepped closer—so close I could feel his breath. Before I could even process it, his hand landed on the counter next to me, and his lips pressed against mine—deep, firm, and unrushed.
I blinked as he lightly licked my lips, then backed away. "Do you, perhaps like kissing?" I asked, wide-eyed.
He didn't answer.
Instead, he pointed at the stove, making me refocus on cooking—though I didn't notice his eyes lingering on me, still deep, focused, and maybe even a little amused.
Like he was realizing something he never planned on feeling.
After finally finishing the sushi, I fed Karthiel with chopsticks. To my surprise, he ate it—and gave a low, approving hum.
"That's good, right? I knew it! I'm the best," I said, beaming. "I'll send you breakfast tiffins from now on, actually, every day, whenever I try new dishes, okay?"
I stepped closer, hoping to catch any soft emotion in his eyes. "You'll eat my cooking, won't you?"
"Depends," he said smoothly, wiping his lips after finishing. I just looked down, smiling at his cold answer. Karthiel watched me silently.
The next morning, I woke early, happily packing fresh sushi with cute faces drawn on them to send to Karthiel. I wanted to deliver it myself—I missed him terribly after he left last night; he didn't stay because of work.
But Grandpa ruined my plans. He was serious about teaching me business, so he sent Marcus to take me urgently to the USA for work training. I was mad but couldn't stop him—Grandpa only wants what's best for me. We bicker a lot, but I love him. I managed to postpone my trip just enough to meet Karthiel.
"No, Marcus, you need to understand—I have to meet my future husband before I leave. What if he gets sad?" I said, rushing to my car. Marcus sighed but sat beside me, keeping an eye on everything.
At Coldmere Tower, I happily walked into the CEO's office. Karthiel was seated, typing on his laptop.
"What are you doing here?" His voice was cold, uninterested. His eyes made my heart ache, but I kept my composure.
"Look, I brought you tiffin like I promised," I smiled. "Also, Grandpa's sending me to the USA for work. We won't meet for a month or more."
He showed no reaction.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced myself to sound casual. "Anyway, I'll call you every day and tell you about my day, you'll pick up, right?"
"I'll see," he replied, eyes cold as always.
I sighed, gave up, and smiled as I stepped closer. "Make sure you eat well, and maybe miss me," I said, gently kissing his cheek.
"I know you don't care, but I do. I'm already anxious thinking about not being close to you for a month. So, I'm going to recharge while I'm gone, okay?" I cupped his handsome face gently and kissed his lips softly. "One more," I whispered, planting quick pecks one after another, not giving him time to respond. He held my gaze for a moment, as if he'd had enough of letting me have my fun. Then he stood, pressing his lips to mine in a deep, fiery kiss—showing me those little pecks would never satisfy him.
His mouth dominated mine—firm, commanding—making me go numb and weak. He pressed me against the desk, kissing harder until I was breathless. But I didn't stop—I kissed back, fingers tangling in his hair, inhaling his manly scent that gave me butterflies.
Then a knock at the door shattered the moment. We broke apart, eyes locked. I knew he wasn't satisfied; he wanted more. He even looked a bit annoyed but kept his cool as he stepped back, professional again.
"You should get going," he said.
I bit my lip and nodded softly. "Okay."
Turning slowly, I felt his gaze burn into my back. Then I spun back around, wordless, and threw myself into his arms.
"I need a little more recharge," I whispered, nuzzling my face into his neck, feeling a warmth and comfort that was hard to explain. Karthiel didn't say or do much—I wasn't expecting him to—but then, surprisingly, he wrapped his hands gently around my waist and patted my back awkwardly, like he wanted to encourage me, to make me feel safe.
I giggled, cupping his face and pressing a quick kiss to the tip of his nose. "You can really be cute sometimes," I smiled. He stared at me, like he wasn't used to hearing that—but he looked pleased. Gently, he raised a hand and patted my hair, smoothing stray strands.
"Be good and focus on learning. Don't cause more trouble for your grandpa," he said.
"Okay, roger that," I grinned.
Karthiel watched me for a moment longer, then his lips curved up into a tiny, rare smile.