“Yesterday, coming back from the party…
I was feeling restless.” Sarah continued.
“So Remi suggested that we should personally apologize to you.” I listened quietly.
That made sense.
Sarah and Remi probably thought I had left because I was uncomfortable.
They were just trying to make things right.
But then Sarah’s next words made my entire body freeze.
“But when we went down to the parking lot…” She hesitated slightly.
“I saw you getting out of the car with your boyfriend.” My mind went completely blank.
For a moment, I felt like the ground had disappeared beneath my feet.
The car.
The parking lot.
Alexander.
Everything suddenly came back.
I could already feel the panic rising.
Because now I understood why Sarah had been so certain.
From her perspective…
It wasn’t strange.
Anyone would have made the same assumption.
And the worst part?
She wasn’t completely wrong.
How was I supposed to explain that the man she thought was my boyfriend was actually Alexander Callahan?
My boss.
He had been inside my apartment.
At night.
Drinking coffee I made for him.
The situation sounded even more suspicious when I put it into words.
I opened my mouth.
Then closed it.
What could I even say?
I stared at Sarah for a few seconds.
My mind was running through countless possibilities.
There was no way I could tell her the truth.
Not the actual truth.
Because the actual truth sounded impossible.
There was no explanation I could give that wouldn’t create more questions.
So I did the only thing my panicking brain could think of.
“Yeah…” I forced a small smile.
“You saw us.
That was indeed my boyfriend.” The moment I said it, I almost wanted to disappear.
but Sarah’s expression immediately relaxed.
She believed me.
And somehow, that made me feel both relieved and guilty.
“And I didn’t flee from the party.” I quickly added, trying to build a story before my brain stopped cooperating.
“My boyfriend suddenly called me, so I had to leave.” I gave a small awkward laugh.
“I’m sorry.
I should have told you beforehand.” It was probably the weakest excuse I had ever made.
But judging by Sarah’s face…
It worked.
The suspicion disappeared from her eyes.
Instead, she looked relieved.
“Oh.” She smiled brightly.
“That makes sense.” I silently thanked whatever luck was on my side.
Then Sarah’s expression suddenly changed into curiosity.
“I couldn’t see his face properly.” She leaned slightly closer with an excited smile.
“But from far away, I could tell he must be handsome.” I froze.
Then I couldn’t help it.
A small awkward laugh escaped from me.
Sarah really was something else.
She went from worrying about me to analyzing my imaginary boyfriend’s appearance within seconds.
“He is…” I stopped myself.
I almost said something.
Almost.
I just smiled awkwardly.
Before she could ask anything else, her phone suddenly started ringing.
She looked at the screen.
“It’s Remi.
“She immediately answered.
A few seconds later, she looked back at me.
“I have to go.
She probably needs help with something.” I nodded.
“Okay.” Sarah walked toward the door but stopped before leaving.
“Meave?” I looked at her.
“I’m glad you weren’t upset yesterday.” Her words were sincere.
“I was really worried.” I smiled softly.
“Thank you, Sarah.” She waved goodbye and finally left.
The moment the door closed behind her…
I released a huge sigh of relief.
My back rested against the door.
That was close.
Too close.
The next morning, I stood in front of my wardrobe longer than usual.
My eyes landed on the clothes Paige had bought me yesterday.
Normally, I would have chosen something simple.
But today…
My hand reached for the outfit Paige had insisted on buying.
A soft butter-yellow crepe mini dress with a structured sheath silhouette.
The dress was elegant without being too much, with a modest round neckline that gave it a professional touch.
Over it, I wore a tailored single-button blazer in a warm cream shade that perfectly complemented the soft color of the dress.
I paired it with long heels and let my hair fall freely in soft waves instead of my usual tied-back style.
For the first time in a long while…
I actually took my time doing my makeup.
Nothing too dramatic.
Just enough to make me look more polished.
When I finally finished, I stood in front of the mirror.
And stared.
Was this really me?
I looked…
Different.
Not like a completely different person.
But like a version of myself I rarely allowed others to see.
The thought made me uncomfortable.
I had never dressed up this much for work before.
Would everyone think I was trying too hard?
Would it look strange?
My hand reached toward my wardrobe, considering changing back into something simpler.
But then I looked at the clock.
I was already running late.
I let out a small breath.
No time to overthink.
Besides…
Paige had chosen this for me.
And she would probably be disappointed if I never wore anything she bought.
I picked up my handbag and gave myself one final look.
“It’s just clothes.” I whispered to myself.
Just clothes.
Nothing else.
With that thought, I left my apartment and headed toward Westbridge.
As soon as I entered the building, I headed toward the elevators.
Just like every morning…
The area outside was crowded.
A huge number of employees were waiting for the elevators, all trying to reach their departments on time.
It was always like this during the morning rush.
Usually, I avoided going inside with so many people.
Not because I disliked them.
I just preferred the quiet.
Taking the stairs had become my habit.
But today, before I could turn toward the staircase, the elevator doors opened.
People immediately started filling inside.
I was about to wait for the next one when a man standing near the entrance noticed me.
Without saying anything, he shifted slightly and created enough space for me to enter.
I looked at him for a second.
It was a small gesture, but I appreciated it.
“Thank you.” I quietly said before stepping inside.
The moment I entered…
I immediately noticed the change.
The elevator was already crowded, but now several eyes turned toward me.
I tried not to pay attention.
Maybe it was because of the outfit.
Unlike my usual simple office clothes, today I actually looked like I had made an effort.
I stood quietly near the corner, hoping the elevator ride would end quickly.
But apparently…
That was impossible.
“Are you new here?” A voice suddenly asked.
I looked toward a man standing nearby.
“Yes.” I politely answered.
A few seconds later, another person joined the conversation.
“Which department are you in?” I opened my mouth to answer.
But before I could…
Someone else looked at me and asked, “Wait, are you from ESSPU?” The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere changed.
“Oh.” The curiosity on their faces became even more obvious.
“ESSPU?” A few people exchanged looks.
The casual conversation that had started moments ago suddenly turned into questions.
“How did you get assigned there?” “Is it true there are only a few members in that department?” “Are the rumors actually true?” I didn’t even know how to answer most of them.
And strangely…
The same people who had been trying to talk to me a moment ago suddenly became more careful.
Almost as if knowing my department changed their opinion of me.
The elevator finally reached my floor.
I silently thanked it.
As the doors opened, I stepped out quickly.
The moment I entered the ESSPU corridor, the noise from the elevator disappeared behind me.
I let out a small breath of relief.
I opened the door to my department.
The first thing I noticed was that all four of them were gathered around the table.
But unlike the usual serious discussions I had become familiar with…
This time they weren’t talking about reports or investigations.
They were laughing.
Actually laughing.
I stopped for a second.
It was strange seeing them like this.
Alexander, Damian, Adrian, and Julian.
For a moment, they didn’t look like the intimidating executives everyone in Westbridge talked about.
They looked like ordinary friends.
But the moment they noticed me…
Everything stopped.
The laughter disappeared.
The conversation came to an abrupt halt.
All four of them turned toward me.
And then…
They looked at me.
Not just a glance.
They actually looked me up and down.
My steps slowed.
Okay.
I knew it.
My outfit was attracting too much attention today.
Heat immediately rushed to my face.
Maybe Paige had gone too far.
Maybe I should have changed.
I tried to ignore their reactions, but then my gaze accidentally met Alexander’s.
And for some reason…
I froze.
He was looking at me too.
I don’t know why, but I couldn’t immediately look away.
Maybe because of last night.
Maybe because I was still embarrassed.
Maybe because I was trying to figure out if he was uncomfortable around me after what happened.
But before I could understand anything from his expression— “Happy birthday, Meave.” Julian’s voice suddenly broke the silence.
I blinked.
“What?” I looked at him in confusion.
“It’s not my birthday.” The moment I said that, Julian looked at me with an amused expression.
“Oh.” He leaned back casually.
“You dressed so pretty today, I thought it was your birthday.” My face became even warmer.
Was that supposed to be a compliment?
Or was he teasing me?
Knowing Julian…
Probably both.
“I just wore something different.” I said, trying to act normal.
Julian smiled.
“Or maybe you decided to impress someone.” My eyes widened slightly at his assumption.
Impress someone?
I immediately felt my face heating up.
Before I could even think of a reply, Damian spoke from beside him.
“The only person who needs to impress everyone is you.” Julian turned toward him, looking offended.
“For your kind information, I don’t need to impress anyone.” He placed a hand over his chest dramatically.
“People automatically get attracted to me.” Damian simply stared at him for a second.
Then he rolled his eyes.
He walked back toward his desk, clearly done with Julian’s confidence.
I couldn’t help but smile slightly.
I finally walked back toward my desk and placed my things down.
As I settled into my seat, Adrian, who was sitting nearby, turned slightly toward me.
“You are looking beautiful, Meave.” I froze for a moment.
Adrian smiled gently.
“Yellow really suits you well.” Unlike Alexander…
Adrian was the kind of person anyone could easily fall for.
He was kind.
Patient.
Warm.
Handsome.
The type of person people naturally felt comfortable around.
If someone asked me what the perfect boyfriend material looked like, Adrian would probably be the closest example.
I had sometimes wondered…
Did I actually have a crush on him?
The thought had crossed my mind more than once.
Maybe it was because he was always considerate toward me.
Maybe it was because he made my first days at ESSPU less intimidating.
Or maybe…
It was simply impossible not to be drawn toward someone like Adrian.
I was about to thank him properly for his compliment when— “Meave.” A familiar voice interrupted.
My thoughts immediately stopped.
I turned toward the source.
Alexander was looking at me from his desk.
For a second, I just stared.
Then I quickly realized he was calling me.
“Coming.” I said softly.
The small moment I had with Adrian disappeared as I stood up and walked toward Alexander’s table.
As I moved away, I could feel my earlier thoughts fading.
Adrian was easy to understand.
With him, everything felt comfortable.
But Alexander…
Alexander was different.
He was difficult to read.
Difficult to approach.
And somehow…
Those few seconds of silence with him yesterday had left me more confused than anything else.