/Jake/
Yesterday was... a rollercoaster.
I asked a total stranger to be my fake boyfriend in front of my ex.
He actually went with it.
Leo helped me shut Alex down—at least for now. Hopefully, that means Alex will back off for a while.
And just when I thought I'd never see that mystery man again... there he was.
At the convenience store.
Standing at the counter like some freshly unwrapped Greek god in a hoodie.
I still cringe thinking about how I handled it.
Why did I run like I'd committed a felony and he was the hot detective chasing me down?
All for a piece of candy.
Yup. My favorite one, too. Left it at the counter like a dramatic idiot.
Well.
What's done is done. Time to stop obsessing over past humiliation and start focusing on today.
I said that to myself—out loud—while flipping my sad little breakfast pancake.
Today was going to be simple. Ordinary.
Zero drama. Zero unexpected Leo sightings. Just vibes.
I started planning my day like I always do:
– Get to the office on time.
– Bring four lattes for my seniors.
– Follow my schedule.
– Avoid attention.
– Do not attract unnecessary trouble.
That's my motto. No more chaos.
After breakfast, I jumped into the shower, got ready, and picked out a suit in soft, pale green.
Formalwear always made me feel like I had control over my life—so naturally, I had a whole section of my closet dedicated to it.
After an hour-long drive and four oversized coffees, I finally arrived at the office.
Huge was an understatement—this place was a skyscraper-sized labyrinth. You could probably fit half the city in here without anyone even bumping shoulders. Every department had its own section, and all of them existed under this one massive roof.
I stepped into the elevator and rode it up to my floor: Editing.
The heart of visual magic—where raw footage transforms into polished gold.
I handed out coffees like a well-caffeinated intern fairy, greeted my coworkers, and logged into my computer.
Just as I was settling in, I heard murmuring behind me.
Serious murmuring.
I turned in my chair to find a group of colleagues huddled together, whispering like middle schoolers during a school assembly.
"You know we're getting a new boss today," one of them said.
"Yeah, I heard. Big shot. Supposed to be intense."
"I think his name is… Leo Ashford?"
The moment the name dropped, I froze.
Leo.
Ashford.
My brain short-circuited. The man's face flashed in my head like a lightning bolt made of horror and hoodie-clad awkwardness.
I didn't wait for clarification—I bolted from the group and made a beeline to the Sales Department on the 20th floor.
And there she was.
Zara.
My best friend.
Leaning casually against the railing, probably plotting how to save the world using sarcasm and iced coffee.
My heart pounded so hard it could've run to her on its own without the rest of me.
"Hey," I wheezed. "Is it true we're getting a new boss?"
She raised an eyebrow, sipping from her cup like she already knew the answer and my next three questions.
"Yeah… Don't you remember?"
I blinked.
No. No I did not.
Her expression turned from curious to deeply unimpressed.
"Don't tell me… You forgot."
"I didn't forget," I said quickly. "It just… slipped my mind."
"Right," she said, completely unconvinced. "You forgot our mystery man is now our new boss. That's not drama, that's destiny with office lighting."
I could hear the murmuring growing louder down the hallway, inching closer like a slow-moving panic attack.
"Looks like our boss is here," Zara said, practically bouncing.
Why was she so excited? Like she was about to meet a celebrity. Meanwhile, I was two seconds away from trying to crawl in the vents and pretend to clean them.
How could she be this calm while I was seriously considering faking my own death?