Just as Alyssa unlocked her phone to book a ride, a white luxury sedan glided to a smooth stop in front of her.
The back window hummed down, and Eric’s face emerged.
He smiled.
“Going home?” he asked, his voice smooth as silk.
Alyssa blinked, caught off guard.
“Yes, Mr. Eric.”
For a brief moment, she hesitated and forced a polite smile.
“Hop in”
“Thank you, Mr. Eric, but I’ve already booked a ride.”
It wasn’t entirely true.
She hadn’t confirmed the booking yet.
The excuse simply came out instinctively.
She didn’t know why he kept showing up.
First, he came to Sunlight Company just to see her.
Then he offered her a contract with his firm.
Now this.
It didn’t make sense.
She didn’t want anything to do with him.
Besides, he’s now her boss.
Keeping a little distance seemed like the safest choice.
Eric tilted his head slightly, studying her with those sharp, knowing eyes.
“Didn’t Alex tell you someone would be picking you up?”
At the mention of Alex, her mind snapped to one person.
Mr.
Alexander.
No way.
It can’t be.
Her stomach dropped.
Don’t tell me… the person Mr.
Alexander was talking about… was Mr.
Eric?
The second richest man in Country A.
Eric watched the realization flicker across her face.
A soft chuckle escaped him.
“You don’t want to draw attention by standing there staring at me like that,” he said, amused.
“So… are you going to stand there, or will you hop in so we can start moving?”
He paused and moved closer as if he was about to whisper something to Alyssa.
“Besides, Mrs. Blackwood… you of all people should know that your husband hates lateness.”
Mrs.
Blackwood?
That wasn’t her name.
No one had ever called her that.
Then it hit her.
That was Mr.
Alexander’s surname.
Before she could respond, Butler Lucas stepped out of the car and opened the rear door for her, his posture impeccable.
Alyssa hesitated, then slid into the backseat.
The door closed with a soft, expensive thud.
She turned to look at Eric, who was sitting beside her, calm and composed, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.
“I was expecting someone else,” she said, her voice quieter than she intended.
“Not you. Alex didn’t tell me he was friends with you. And he definitely didn’t tell me you were coming to pick me up.”
Eric smiled again, that same easy, unreadable expression.
“You were surprised, weren’t you?”
“Of course I was.”
And she meant it.
She was surprised.
Confused.
And more than a little uneasy.
No wonder he helped me earlier, she thought.
I thought he had a thing for me.
But now she realized—he was just doing a favor for a friend.
Nothing more.
She watched as Butler Lucas turned the car down a familiar street.
How do they know the lane to my apartment?
Her eyes flicked from Lucas to Eric.
Eric had his eyes closed, one hand resting casually on his cheek, his head leaning against his palm.
He looked relaxed.
Untouchable.
The streetlights blurred past, casting long shadows across her face.
I really have to be careful around him, she thought, her fingers tightening around her bag.
I can’t leave any flaws.
I can’t afford to be exposed.
The car glided to a silent stop outside a tall, modest building.
The engine hummed once, then died.
~☆~
Eric opened his eyes.
He watched Alyssa as she unbuckled her seatbelt and reached for the door handle.
There was something about the way she moved—careful, guarded, like a woman used to looking over her shoulder.
A small smile tugged at his lips.
He stepped out of the car and followed her, his footsteps light but deliberate.
His hands slid into his pockets as he trailed her silently through the building’s entrance.
Alyssa walked towards the elevator.
She had barely taken another step into the elevator when she heard footsteps behind her.
Curious, she turned around.
Eric stood a few feet behind her, one hand in his pocket, his expression unreadable.
Her heart stuttered.
“You shouldn’t have followed me in, Mr. Eric,” she said, her voice firmer than she felt.
He took a step closer.
The air between them thickened.
“Call me Eric, Alyssa.”
He said calmly.
His voice was low.
Alyssa felt cold, like a shiver that started at the base of her spine and crawled up her neck.
Goosebumps erupted across her arms.
What was that?
There was something in his eyes.
A flicker of something dark.
It vanished as quickly as it appeared, but she saw it.
Danger.
Her instincts screamed at her to run.
Maybe I’m overthinking it, she told herself, forcing her breathing to steady.
He’s just being friendly.
Mr.
Alexander sent him.
It’s fine.
She swallowed.
“Okay… Eric.”
The corner of his lips lifted slightly.
They stepped into the elevator together.
The doors slid shut, sealing them in a small, mirrored box.
Alyssa stared at the glowing floor numbers, acutely aware of his presence beside her.
The elevator stopped on the second floor.
She stepped out first, walking down the narrow hallway until she reached her door.
She punched in the password.
The lock clicked open.
She pushed the door wide and stepped inside, holding it open for him.
The lights flickered on, revealing her small but cozy living room.
Soft colors.
A few plants.
Books stacked neatly on a shelf.
She turned to face him.
“Welcome to my little space.”
Eric stepped inside, his eyes sweeping across the room with quiet curiosity.
He didn’t say anything at first.
He simply walked past her, his gaze drifting from the curtains to the bookshelf to the framed photos lined up on a side table.
Alyssa watched him for a moment, then excused herself.
“I’ll be right back.”
She disappeared into her bedroom, leaving him alone in the living room.
Eric stood by the window, looking out at the city lights.
Then his attention shifted.
He walked to the side table and studied the photographs.
Alyssa with friends.
Alyssa at a café.
Alyssa laughing.
One photo in particular made him stop.
He picked it up, his eyes narrowing.
Then he pulled out his phone, snapped a picture of it, and typed a quick message. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
A smile curled at the corner of his mouth as he hit send.
Perfect.
~☆~
The conference room was frozen.
Not a single person moved.
Not a single breath seemed to escape.
The temperature had dropped, or maybe it was just the weight of silence pressing down on everyone’s chest.
The man at the front of the room, sweat glistening on his forehead had been presenting for three hours straight.
His voice had started to crack twenty minutes ago.
Now it was barely a whisper.
He had run out of words.
He had run out of confidence.
And still, Alexander said nothing.
The man’s eyes darted to the head of the table, where Alexander sat like a statue carved from ice.
His hands were folded.
His expression was unreadable.
He hadn’t blinked in what felt like an eternity.
The presenter looked at Alexander’s assistant, Finn, who offered a small, tight smile.
A gesture meant to reassure but it did nothing.
Say something, the man begged silently.
Fire me.
Yell at me.
Anything.
But Alexander remained silent.
Then—
A phone beeped.
The sound cut through the silence like a blade.
Every person in the room stiffened.
Heads turned.
Eyes widened.
A ripple of panic spread through the seated executives.
Who was stupid enough to leave their phone on?
They exchanged frantic glances, each one silently denying ownership.
The tension became suffocating.
Then the phone beeped again.
Alexander’s hand moved.
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his phone.
The room gasped.
Not audibly but the shock was palpable.
Every jaw tightened.
Every spine straightened.
Mr.
Alexander never touched his phone during meetings.
Never.
Finn’s eyes went wide.
He had worked for Alexander for five years.
He had never—never seen him check a phone in a conference room.
Alexander unlocked the screen.
His eyes scanned the message and his brow furrowed.
Without a word, he stood up.
The chair scraped against the floor.
The sound was deafening in the silence.
He walked toward the door.
Finn scrambled to his feet, his polished composure cracking.
“Sir, you have a meeting in twenty minutes with the—”
“Cancel it.”
Alexander didn’t slow down.
Finn stopped mid-stride.
“Cancel it? Sir, that’s the—”
“I said cancel it.”
Alexander’s voice was low and final.
“I’m going home.”
Finn stood frozen in the hallway, watching his boss disappear around the corner.
Home?
He blinked.
Did his boss just say home?
Alexander Blackwood had not said the word “home” in three years.