The dining room buzzed with the morning energy as the King family ate their breakfast. Leonard, ever the orchestrator of family matters, cleared his throat and looked at Andrew.

"I’ve been thinking," Leonard began, pausing for effect. "It might be a good idea for Eva to start working with you at the company."

Eva, in the midst of sipping her coffee, nearly choked. She glanced at Andrew, who remained stoic, but his eyes flickered with something unreadable. "Work at the company?" she asked, her voice tinged with surprise. "I don’t think that’s a good idea."

Andrew, his fork resting on his plate, raised an eyebrow but stayed quiet, clearly intrigued by where this conversation was going.

"Why not?" Leonard persisted. "It will be good for you both. You'll spend more time together, and it'll give you a chance to learn more about our business."

Eva hesitated, unsure if this was another test—another layer to the game she had started. She wasn’t ready to work so closely with Andrew in a professional setting, especially not when their personal life was already such a mess. But before she could protest further, Andrew broke his silence.

"Even if she is my wife," he said coolly, looking directly at his father, "I can’t give her special privileges."

Eva blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected Andrew to defend the principles of the company. Part of her had thought he’d fight the idea just to be difficult, but his response was different—measured.

"She needs to attend an interview," Andrew continued, smirking slightly as his gaze slid toward Eva. "No one should enter through connections, not even family."

Leonard frowned, clearly not a fan of Andrew’s strict stance. "That won’t be necessary. She’s your wife, after all."

But Eva, to Leonard's surprise, nodded in agreement with Andrew. "No, he's right," she said quietly, but firmly. "If I’m going to work at the company, I want to do it the right way. I’ll attend the interview."

Andrew’s smirk deepened, as if pleased by her response. Their eyes locked across the table, and for a moment, the tension between them shifted. It was no longer the fiery battle of wills—it was something else. An unspoken challenge passed between them, and Irene, who had been quietly watching the exchange, raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Interesting," she thought, wondering how Eva and Andrew managed to communicate so much without saying a word.

"Alright then," Leonard sighed, though he still seemed reluctant. "If that’s what you both want."

Eva nodded, feeling a small surge of confidence. "I’ll prepare for the interview and be ready today."

As breakfast wound down, Evander strolled in with his usual breezy attitude, catching everyone’s attention. "Morning, everyone!" he said, his voice loud and cheerful as he greeted the family.

Evander's playful grin quickly turned into a flirtatious wink aimed at Vanessa, much to Leonard’s annoyance. "Good morning, Mrs. King," he added with exaggerated charm.

Leonard rolled his eyes, his patience wearing thin. "Evander, stop bothering my wife. Go find your own girlfriend."

Evander feigned hurt, dramatically clutching his chest. "Ouch, Leonard. That stung."

Irene burst out laughing, not missing a beat as she teased him. "Yeah, good luck with that, Evander. With your face, you'll be lucky if you get any girlfriend."

Evander threw her a mock glare, but there was no denying the spark in his eyes when he thought of Mia. He smiled to himself but kept it hidden behind his usual banter.

"Alright, alright," Evander said with a chuckle. "Let me drop you off at school, Irene, before you say anything else to hurt my fragile ego."

Irene snorted. "You're the one who needs a thick skin. Let's go." She grabbed her bag and waved at the table, following Evander out the door.

As soon as they were gone, Leonard turned to Andrew, resuming his stern fatherly tone. "Make sure you take Eva to the company with you today. No excuses."

Andrew looked over at Eva, who was nervously adjusting her napkin. "You have 15 minutes to get ready," Leonard instructed, but Andrew, always looking for a way to make things difficult, interrupted.

"Ten minutes," he said sharply, his eyes fixed on Eva with a challenging glint. "Or I’ll leave without you."

Eva’s eyes narrowed at the deliberate provocation. "Fine," she snapped back, her stubbornness matching his own. "Ten minutes it is."

With that, she stood from the table, her heart racing as she hurried to her room. She could feel Andrew’s eyes on her as she left, but she refused to look back. "I won’t give up that easily," she thought, her resolve hardening.

Ten minutes later, Eva stood by the front door, ready and determined. Andrew glanced at his watch, raising an eyebrow. "Impressive," he commented dryly. "For once, you're on time."

Eva shot him a quick glare. "Let's just go."

The car ride to the company was filled with silence, but the tension was palpable. Eva glanced out the window, taking deep breaths to calm her nerves. Today would be another test—working together was bound to create new friction, but she had to show Andrew she wasn’t a pushover.

As they arrived at the King Enterprises building, Andrew parked and turned to her. "Remember," he said coolly, "just because you passed breakfast doesn’t mean this will be easy."

Eva held his gaze, determined not to let him intimidate her. "I never asked for easy."

And with that, they walked into the building side by side, the game between them only just beginning.