He ignored the shock painted across her whole face, walked to his desk, loosened his tie just a fraction, and acted like his pulse wasn't jump-roping.
He picked up his glass of water, took a slow sip, eyes glued to his screen like he hadn't just had the weirdest, most chaotic interaction of his day.
After a few minutes, he stood and said flatly,
"It's dinner time. Let's go home before my mom starts scolding."
Andrea, exhausted from every emotion possible today, just nodded and followed him out.
They reached the car.
"Phone," she asked softly.
"No."
Then he added with a shameless grin,
"Small children shouldn't use phones. Idiot."
Andrea gasped, offended, but too tired to throw hands.
By the time they reached the villa, Andrea was practically sleepwalking. The lights were warm, the place smelled like lavender, and her eyelids were giving up on life.
His mother called from the dining room,
"Dinner! Come quickly!"
He went to freshen up—just splashed water on his face like a dramatic K-drama hero and came back out.
Andrea did the same. She looked like a wilted flower someone finally watered.
They sat at the long dining table.
And then—
like someone had switched ON her survival instincts—
Andrea saw the food.
Real food.
Hot food.
Comfort food.
She didn't even pretend to act classy—she devoured it like it was the last supper.
His mother's fork paused mid-air.
"Honey… did he not feed you anything while you were outside?"
Andrea nodded rapidly, mouth still full.
"No! He didn't even buy me a candy!"
The CEO froze like WiFi had gone out mid-work meeting.
His mother smacked the table.
"YOU DID WHAT?"
She glared at him. "She's a guest! Feed her properly!"
Andrea felt something warm bloom in her chest—
a feeling she hadn't felt since she left her home.
Family warmth.
Comfort.
Someone caring for her without expecting anything.
She glanced at the CEO's mother, who was fussing, scolding, and ordering the servers to pile more food onto Andrea's plate…
And Andrea couldn't help but think,
"His mother… she's actually a sweet lady."
Dinner ended with Andrea full, warm, and dangerously close to yawning herself into another dimension. The CEO's mother kept patting her arm, insisting she eat "just one more bite," until even Andrea's soul whispered, Madam, please… mercy.
When Andrea finally put down her spoon, the mother shooed the servers away and said,
"Go rest, sweetheart. You look exhausted."
Andrea nodded gratefully and stood—
but the CEO suddenly rose too.
"Come with me," he said.
Her shoulders tensed. "Again? Where now? To scold me? To steal more things? To insult me for breathing too loudly?"
He ignored every word and started walking away.
Andrea groaned but followed, dragging her feet behind him like a rebellious toddler. They walked through a quiet hallway lined with family portraits—some cute, some serious, some where the CEO looked like a demon child.
She absolutely stared at those.
They reached a lounge room with tall windows and a soft lamp glowing. The night breeze slipped in through the open curtains.
He turned to her, crossed his arms, and said,
"Sit."
"I don't want to," she mumbled, leaning on the doorway.
He raised an eyebrow.
"Andrea."
That one-word voice—the CEO special—the one that made her spine behave—
Yeah, that voice.
She sat instantly, cursing herself in her mind.
He took the seat opposite her, looking too calm for someone who'd ruined her entire life in one day.
After a few seconds of silence, he spoke.
"You were… quiet at dinner."
Andrea blinked.
"Because I was eating."
He narrowed his eyes a little. "And because you were tired."
She looked away. "Obviously. You dragged me around like a suitcase."
A very tiny smirk tugged at his mouth.
He tried to hide it.
Failed.
"I didn't drag you," he said. "You followed me."
Andrea gave him a glare that could melt steel.
"No, sir. You kidnapped me with style."
He ignored that too.
Classic.
Then he leaned back slightly, tapping a finger on the armrest.
"You'll stay here for the week. Behave properly. Don't wander. And definitely don't talk back to people like you did this afternoon."
She crossed her arms.
"I'll talk back to whoever deserves it."
"You mean me?"
"If the shoe fits."
He let out a breath—half annoyed, half amused, half what demon has possessed this girl.
Then his eyes flicked toward her hands.
Her fingers were still faintly smudged with pencil.
"You were sketching," he said.
Andrea instantly flinched.
"That was NOTHING. Just lines. Lines that accidentally looked like something. My hobby. Not yours. Don't touch."
He didn't reach for anything this time, but the spark in his eyes said he remembered every stubborn moment—the paper she hid, the notebook he took, the anger she breathed like oxygen.
"Andrea," he said quietly,
"you're terrible at hiding things."
Her heart skipped.
She felt like he can see through her.
So she snapped back, "Good. Because I'm not hiding anything."
He hummed—like he knew she was lying but didn't feel like arguing.
The room grew softer, quieter.
For the first time in the whole insane day… nothing hurt.
Nothing was shouting.
Nothing was falling apart.
Just her… and him… in the dim light… breathing the same tired air.
Finally, he stood.
"Go to sleep. Tomorrow will be… busy."
She frowned. "Busy with what? More kidnapping? More shouting? More insulting my height?"
He didn't respond.
He was already walking away.
Just before stepping out of the room, he paused, glanced over his shoulder, and said in a low voice—
"Don't be late for breakfast."
Then he disappeared down the hallway.
Andrea sat there speechless.
"…What kind of villain gives morning instructions like that?"
she muttered to herself.
Andrea took the longest shower of her life—
the kind where warm water melts stress like chocolate on a hot pan.
For the first time in days, she actually felt… alive.
She changed into the soft nightclothes the CEO's mother handed her—a lavender pajama set that smelled like expensive fabric conditioner and peace.
Feeling weirdly happy, she skipped out of her room like a child escaping homework.
Just as the door clicked shut behind her—
the CEO walked past her, utterly expressionless, and entered the attached bathroom in his room.
Andrea shrugged.
Not her problem.
She was on a mission: ice cream.
And she succeeded.
One tub secured.
One spoon secured.
Life? Good.
She hummed on her way back, already planning which cartoon to watch.
She opened the door to "her" room…
…and froze.
THE CEO WALKED OUT OF THE BATHROOM.
Only a towel around his lower body.
Another towel in his hand, rubbing his wet hair.
Drops of water sliding down his jaw, chest, abs—
ABS SO SHARP THEY COULD FILE A COPYRIGHT CLAIM.
Andrea's soul left her body.
Her jaw dropped to the Earth's core.
Her eyes widened to IMAX 8K Ultra HD.
She forgot how to breathe AND how to hold her ice cream properly.
He had his eyes closed, rubbing the towel through his hair—completely unaware his half-naked self was causing a biological disaster in Andrea's brain.
Her thoughts were screaming:
What is THAT physique?
Is he made of marble?
Why is this illegal level of hotness allowed in society?
Touch. Must. Touch. —NO ANDREA STOP.
He opened one eye.
Just ONE.
And that was enough to catch her staring like she'd discovered a rare wildlife species.
A smirk slashed across his face, wicked and annoyingly confident.
"Have you seen enough?" he drawled.
"You're thirstier than half the women outside."
Andrea's brain rebooted.
"W–WHAT—NO—I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING!"
She spun around, nearly dropping her ice cream.
Behind her, he chuckled low,
"Really? Because you looked at things people would pay millions to see."
"SHUT UP!" she yelled, already storming out.
She marched to the hall, plopped on the sofa, and angrily shoved ice cream into her mouth while watching cartoons like her life depended on it.
Meanwhile, the CEO returned to his room, fully dressed now, typing away on his laptop—
but every few minutes, he smirked to himself like a man who just won a war.
After what felt like forever, Andrea marched back into her room, still offended, still flustered.
She pointed at him dramatically.
"Get out. Out. OUT. This is my room."
He didn't even look up.
"We're sleeping together."
Andrea shrieked so loud the windows almost cracked.
"SLEEP TOGETHER?"
Andrea's scream practically shook the furniture.
"SLEEP TOGETHER?! Are you insane?! Are you possessed?! Did your brain fall out in the shower?!"
The CEO didn't even blink.
He closed his laptop slowly…
turned…
and looked at her like she was a noisy kitten.
"Yes," he said calmly. "We're sleeping in the same room."
"NO—WE—ARE—NOT!"
He stretched his long legs like he owned the entire universe.
"You think I'll let you roam around my villa at night? Who knows what chaos you'll create."
"I DON'T CREATE CHAOS."
"You tried to escape through the terrace door ten minutes after arriving."
Andrea opened her mouth… then closed it.
Okay. Maybe… tiny chaos.
"But that doesn't mean—"
He raised a brow.
She shut up immediately.
"Thought so," he said.
Andrea crossed her arms.
"Fine. Sleep. On. The. Floor."
"I don't sleep on floors."
"Why? Your butt too expensive?"
"Correct."
She almost threw a pillow at his face.
"Ok then YOU sleep on the bed and I sleep on the floor."
"No."
He looked her dead in the eyes.
"You'll catch a cold. Then you'll cough every two minutes. Then I'll get annoyed. And then you'll annoy me more for getting annoyed."
"…What kind of logic is that?!"
"CEO logic."
"I HATE CEO LOGIC!"
He smirked, victorious.
The bed was huge.
Like "fit an entire K-pop group" huge.
But still, Andrea stood there with her arms up like she was about to fight a lion.
"You stay on your side," she warned.
He nodded.
"Done."
"And don't come near me."
"I have no interest."
"And don't touch me."
"Trust me," he said with an eye roll, "I'm not dying to hold your tiny gremlin body."
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A GREMLIN?!"
He laid down, completely done with her existence.
Andrea angrily threw herself on the other end of the bed, hugging her pillow like it owed her money.
Both turned their backs to each other.
Silence.
…
…
One minute later
"Stop breathing so loudly," she snapped.
"I'm literally just alive."
"Well stop being alive then."
He exhaled dramatically.
"Ridiculous girl."