Saim slowly bent down and extended his hand.
Rozze hesitated for a fraction of a second, then lifted her hand toward him.
Suddenly, he stepped closer.
Too close.
Rozze's eyes widened as she instinctively leaned back, her balance slipping. Gasps echoed around them. Saim leaned in, his face inches away from hers, his gaze locked into her eyes. A faint smile curved on his lips.
Rozze couldn't look away.
His hand slid to her waist, firm yet controlled, while his other hand tightened around hers. With a single fluid motion, he pulled her upright.
The hall lights dimmed.
One spotlight remained—only on them.
For a brief moment, the world disappeared. They stood frozen, staring at each other, as if caught in a scene not meant for public eyes.
Then—just as suddenly—Saim released her.
He stepped back, turned, and walked out of the hall without a word.
Rozze remained rooted to the spot.
Jiya rushed to her side and held her hand.
"Are you okay?"
Rozze blinked, finally returning to herself.
"Huh? Yeah… I think so."
Jiya frowned, confused. "Did he say something to you?"
Rozze shook her head. "No… nothing."
"Come on," Jiya said softly. "We should leave."
Inside the car, Saim drove in silence. Jack sat beside him, loosening his tie.
"What was that back there?" Jack asked. "It felt like fire… and love at the same time."
Saim kept his eyes on the road.
"Not love. Just basic humanity."
He tilted his head slightly, a smirk forming.
"You know I'm a good man."
Jack lowered his voice.
"Then why didn't you save her when she fell down the stairs earlier?"
Saim chuckled.
"Because everyone was watching."
Jack glanced at him. "Then why pick her up like that? You could've just helped her up normally."
Saim laughed.
"What's the point of being handsome if you don't flirt a little?"
Jack shook his head, smiling as he looked out the window.
"I forgot… you're a playboy too."
"I'm not," Saim replied calmly.
Their voices overlapped.
"Let's go."
In another car, Jiya drove while Rozze stared out the window.
"I'm hungry," Rozze said quietly.
"You didn't eat either, right?" Jiya replied.
"Let's go to that old noodle shop."
The shop was crowded. Rozze opened the door, and Jiya followed.
An elderly woman smiled at them.
"It's very full today, girls."
"There's nowhere to sit," Rozze said.
"I really want noodles from here," Jiya insisted.
The woman pointed behind the shop.
"There's a table near the pond. Two people are already sitting there—if you don't mind."
Jiya grinned.
"If they're handsome, we definitely don't mind."
They froze when they reached the table.
Saim and Jack.
Rozze and Jiya sat down, awkward smiles on their faces.
"Boss… we didn't expect to see you here," Jiya said.
Saim continued eating calmly.
"I'm not your boss here."
Rozze leaned toward Jiya and whispered, We should leave.
"They can hear you," Jiya murmured back with a smile.
The aunt arrived with noodles.
"See? I told you they're handsome."
The girls smiled politely.
As they ate, Jack explained, "I grew up nearby. These noodles taste exactly the same as they did back then."
"Really?" Jiya's eyes lit up. "I lived here too!"
"Maybe you were my junior," Jack said.
"Maybe," she laughed.
Across the table, Rozze and Saim ate in silence. Their eyes met—then quickly looked away.
When Saim finished, he raised his hand.
"Auntie, four juice cans please."
He slid two toward the girls.
"From me."
Jiya smirked.
"Don't worry, we won't reveal your secret even if you didn't offer."
Saim opened his can.
"We shared a table. That's all."
So we're strangers again, Rozze thought.
Outside, as they prepared to leave, Rozze turned back to pick up her phone—
And bumped straight into Saim.
She froze.
Do people with the same face really exist in this world?
And can they be this… dangerously attractive?
"Stop staring," Saim said lightly.
"I know I'm handsome."
"I'm sorry," Rozze said quickly. "I called you arrogant earlier."
"I don't even remember," he replied.
Then he stepped closer.
"Very beautiful," he whispered.
Rozze stepped back—until her foot caught on a chair. She fell forward.
Saim caught himself with one hand on the table, hovering over her.
Their eyes locked.
"By the way," he said softly, "you have something of mine."
"What?" she asked, breathless.
"My phone."
She looked down. He straightened up, handed her her phone, and walked away.
Rozze exhaled sharply.
"What… was that?"
Later, in the car—
"She's not even that beautiful," Saim muttered.
Jack looked up from his phone.
"Miss Rozze?"
"Yeah."
"She's your employee."
Saim smiled faintly.
The next morning, in the lift—
"You paid yesterday, right?" Jiya asked.
"You didn't?" Rozze frowned.
The lift doors opened. Jack walked out without looking at them.
"That was Jack, right?" Jiya asked.
"Yes."
"Why did he ignore us?"
"People change," Rozze replied.
"And the boss made it clear—we're strangers."
In the meeting room, tension filled the air.
"This design access delay," Saim said coldly, "was from last month, right?"
"Yes, sir," the finance head replied. "Before you joined."
Saim looked at Rozze and Jiya.
"IT was handling it?"
"Yes," Jiya said hesitantly.
"Then why the delay?"
Rozze explained calmly.
Saim cut in sharply.
"Planning system load is IT's responsibility."
The room went silent.
"IT wasn't fully at fault," he continued, calmer now.
"But follow-ups were weak."
"Make sure this never happens again."
The meeting was dismissed. Chairs scraped softly against the floor as people began to stand and gather their files.
Rozze and Jiya walked out together, files tucked under their arms.
Jiya broke the silence first, lowering her voice.
"You were right," she said. "People really do change. And today, I saw two perfect examples in a single day."
Rozze glanced at her. "How so?"
Jiya rolled her eyes.
"Didn't you notice our boss? This morning, he was breathing fire at us like we'd committed a crime. And last night?" She shook her head. "All sweet, polite, and… strangely caring."
Rozze gave a faint, thoughtful smile.
Jiya suddenly stopped walking and turned toward her, eyes wide with mock seriousness.
"Wait. What if he has multiple personalities?"
Rozze frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"You know," Jiya said eagerly, "those stories where one person has different versions of himself—one angry, one romantic, one timid… and a few others just for confusion."
Rozze slowed her steps, thinking.
"Hm. It's… possible," she said after a pause. "But so far, we've only seen two sides."
"Exactly!" Jiya said. "That's the problem."
Just then, Jack walked past them, hands in his pockets, perfectly timed.
Without slowing down, he added casually,
"Well, if it helps, I've only seen two personalities too."
Jiya looked at Rozze, pointing subtly in Jack's direction.
"See? Same issue. Yesterday he was one thing, today he's something else entirely."
Rozze shook her head, and both of them laughed softly as they continued walking—
the echo of their laughter fading down the corridor, while the mystery of one man only seemed to grow deeper.
In tha Rozze's cabin
Rozze read the message once more, then placed her phone face down on the table.
Why is he so fast with everything?
She frowned slightly.
He joined so quickly… introduced himself so quickly… and now he's already pushing work at the same speed.
She exhaled and opened her laptop again.
Fine. I'll stay late today.
Time slipped by unnoticed. The sky outside darkened, and evening quietly settled into the office.
A soft knock broke the silence.
Jiya stood at the door.
"Are you done? Shall we leave?"
Rozze didn't look up. "You go. I need to prepare a report."
"What report?" Jiya asked, stepping inside.
"Last quarter's access review," Rozze replied. "Based on today's meeting."
Jiya hesitated. "You'll do it alone?"
"Yes," Rozze said calmly. "I can handle it. That's why I didn't bother anyone."
"Do you want help?"
Rozze shook her head. "No. Go home. I'll manage."
Jiya gave her a long look, then nodded and left.
A while later, Rozze picked up her laptop and stepped out of her cabin. She moved to the coffee area, the office now almost empty. While the machine brewed, her fingers continued to work, eyes fixed on the screen.
She took a sip, then sat at the small table, still typing—
coffee in one hand, work in the other.
Elsewhere, Saim shut down his computer and walked out of his cabin. He glanced at his phone while moving through the corridor.
The report still hasn't come, he thought.
His steps slowed slightly as he looked around the dim office.
Coffee. Files. Silence.
Saim appeared.
"You're still working?"
"Yes, sir."
"You did this alone?"
"Yes."
He handed her coffee.
"Made it myself. Not everyone gets that."
Another personality, Rozze thought.
The cup slipped. Coffee spilled on her hand.
"Ouch—"
Saim immediately blew on her hand.
"Careless."
"I'm fine," she said, pulling away.
"We're going to the hospital."
"No need."
He shut her laptop.
"Go home. Report tomorrow."
"You don't need to care," she snapped.
He laughed coldly.
"Don't think you're special."
She pushed him away and left.
In the parking lot—
Footsteps.
Someone behind her.
A man in black.
She ran.
Headlights blinded her—
Everything went dark.
THUD.
===============================
Sometimes, the most dangerous thing isn't the person chasing you—
it's the one who knows exactly when to save you.