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The next morning, something felt different. Cassy couldn't explain it. It wasn't the office. It wasn't the people.
It was him. Caleb Garcia. He was the same as always—cold expression, sharp eyes, perfectly controlled voice. But something about the way he looked at her now… It lingered longer. Just a second too long. And that second changed everything.
—
"Cancel my 2 p.m. meeting," Caleb said without looking up.
Cassy checked his schedule quickly. "That's the investor follow-up meeting."
"I know."
She hesitated. "It's important."
His eyes lifted. Sharp. Quietly warning. "I said cancel it."
Cassy paused. Then nodded. "Understood." But she didn't move immediately.
Caleb noticed. "…What?"
Cassy chose her words carefully. "If I may ask," she said softly, "is there a reason?" Silence. The air thickened instantly.
Adrian, sitting nearby, slowly stopped typing. Everyone in the office felt it—the shift.
Caleb leaned back slightly. "You're asking questions now?"
"I'm trying to understand," she replied gently. A beat.
Then— "It's personal," he said flatly. That ended the conversation. But not the tension.
—
Later that afternoon, Cassy found herself in the copy room, organizing documents alone. She exhaled quietly. Too close to the line, she thought. Too close to him. She shouldn't ask questions. Shouldn't care. Shouldn't feel curious when he looked at her like that.
But she did. And that was dangerous.
—
"Still working?"
Cassy startled. She turned.
Caleb stood in the doorway. Hands in his pockets. Expression unreadable.
Her heart betrayed her again with a small skip. "Oh—yes. I was just finishing—"
"You should've left an hour ago."
Cassy blinked. "I wanted to complete everything first."
Caleb stepped inside. Slowly. The door clicked shut behind him. The sound felt heavier than it should have.
"Why do you insist on overworking yourself?" he asked.
Cassy hesitated. Then smiled faintly. "Because if I don't… things fall apart."
Caleb's eyes narrowed slightly. "That's not a reason."
"It is for me." Silence. Longer this time.
He stopped a few steps away from her. Close enough that she could feel his presence clearly. Too close again.
"You don't trust people," Cassy said quietly. It wasn't a question.
Caleb didn't deny it. "People are unreliable," he said.
Cassy studied him for a moment. "And yet you hired me."
That made him pause. Just slightly. "I didn't have a choice," he said.
Cassy tilted her head. "You always have a choice."
A flicker. Something sharp crossed his expression. "You don't understand my world," he said lowly.
Cassy nodded slowly. "Then teach me."
The room went still. Completely still. Even Caleb froze for a second. That wasn't what people usually said to him. No fear. No hesitation. Just… stay and teach me.
He looked away first. "Finish your work," he said coldly. But his voice wasn't as firm as before.
Cassy nodded. "Yes, sir." She turned back to the copier. But neither of them moved the same after that.
—
Caleb stood there for a moment longer than necessary. Watching her. Thinking. Feeling something he didn't want to name.
Then he finally left. But even after he was gone… The air still felt like him.
And Cassy knew— Whatever this was… It was no longer just a job.