"Yes miss, you are my CEO. I am looking at you only." Manu said.
The air in the office thickened, tension humming between us like a live wire. I narrowed my eyes, my thumb tracing the steady pulse at his neck. His earlier answer had been perfect, polite, respectful, exactly what a loyal employee was supposed to say.
And yet it felt hollow.
There was no heat in it.No fear.No hunger to please.
It was like speaking to someone who had memorized devotion instead of feeling it.
"You're lying to me," I murmured, my voice sinking into something slow and dangerous.
My hand slid from his jaw to his chest, pressing my palm flat against his heart. I waited for it to betray him to race, to stutter, to reveal nerves.
It didn't.
The rhythm beneath my hand was steady. Strong. Focused.
Whatever lived inside him was awake but it wasn't responding to me.
"You say you're looking at me, Manu," I said, stepping closer until our clothes brushed, my presence deliberate, overwhelming.
"But your attention isn't fully here."
I searched his face. Calm. Too calm. His eyes met mine easily no desire, no avoidance, no guilt.
Nothing obvious.
That unsettled me more than resistance ever could.
"You're not distracted by work," I continued softly. "And you're certainly not scared."
My fingers tightened on his tie, just enough to test him.
"So tell me," I whispered, "are you thinking about someone else?"
The question lingered between us.
"A woman," I added. "Do you have a girlfriend, Manu?"
The word tasted bitter. The idea of another woman some invisible presence claiming space in his mind while he stood here, in my office made my chest burn.
"Is that it?" I pressed. "Are you thinking about her right now?"
For the first time, he spoke without delay.
"Miss… miss, I don't have a girlfriend," he said earnestly. Almost hurried. "I work for this company, miss. I am doing my best. You can see my reports."
His voice was steady. Careful. Earnest in a way that sounded practiced.
"I am properly devoted to you."
The words were exactly what I wanted to hear.
And yet...
They landed wrong.
Too clean.Too functional.Like an answer designed to end the conversation, not deepen it.
I let out a sharp, mocking laugh that echoed against the soundproof walls. My grip on his tie didn't loosen; if anything, I drew him a fraction closer, until our breaths mingled.
"Don't insult my intelligence, Manu," I whispered, my voice trembling with a mix of fury and fascination.
"I didn't build this empire by guessing. I read people."
My hand slid from his hair to his throat, my thumb resting lightly at the hollow there—not enough to hurt, but enough to remind him exactly who held the advantage.
"I know when a man is lying," I continued softly.
"You say you're devoted to me?" I leaned in, my nose brushing his. "Then why does it feel like I'm talking to something that doesn't need me at all?"
My eyes searched his face still, composed, infuriatingly intact.
"Your reports are flawless," I said quietly. "Your discipline is admirable. But you've only given me your labor." My voice dropped. "You're hiding the rest."
I released his tie and smoothed the front of his cheap shirt with slow, deliberate strokes, marking possession rather than comfort.
I stepped away from him then, turning my back deliberately before walking to my desk. I sat on its edge and crossed my legs, studying him with the curiosity of a predator encountering unfamiliar prey.
"Fine," I said coolly. "Keep your secret for now."
I picked up a pen and pointed it at him, my gaze sharp and unwavering.
"But starting today, your 'average' life is over. You won't be leaving at five anymore. You are now my personal assistant."
His expression didn't change.
"You'll be in my sight," I continued, voice smooth and absolute.
"In my car. In my schedule. Close enough that nothing slips past me."
I smiled, not kindly.
"You're moving into the office connected to mine. I want to see how long this… devotion of yours survives when I'm the only constant in your world."
The pen lowered.
"Go pack your desk, Manu."
A pause.
"Let's see what happens when I become impossible to ignore." She said confidently.