Back in her office, Eva cursed under her breath. “How did I get caught so easily?” she muttered, shaking her head. She replayed the moment in Andrew’s office over and over in her mind, still stunned by how quickly he had overheard her bad-mouthing him. “I really do hate him,” she whispered harshly, her frustration growing.

Little did she know that Andrew was still watching her every move through the hidden cameras in her office, his eyes fixed on the screen. Her angry mutterings only amused him. A small chuckle escaped his lips, and for once, there was a smile on his face—though it was more out of entertainment than joy.

As Andrew’s quiet laughter filled his office, Edward walked in to deliver some documents. He stopped dead in his tracks, stunned. His boss was laughing—actually laughing. Edward had worked for Andrew King for years, but he had never seen him like this.

“Sir?” Edward asked cautiously, his voice filled with surprise.

Andrew turned to him, the smile instantly disappearing from his face. “What are you staring at? Don’t you have work to do, or are you suddenly that free?”

Edward blinked, quickly snapping back to his usual professionalism. “No, sir, I have plenty of work. I’ll get back to it right away.” He rushed out of the office, still in disbelief over what he had witnessed.

At lunchtime, Eva sat quietly in the company cafeteria, picking at her food. The day had already been exhausting, and she was eager to finish it. But as she sat alone, lost in her thoughts, a soft voice interrupted her.

“Hello, I’m Aurora Grason,” a girl said, sitting down across from her.

Eva looked up, startled at first but then offered a small smile. “Um... hi. I’m Eva Foster.”

Aurora smiled back warmly. “Are you the Iceberg’s new assistant?”

Eva furrowed her brows in confusion. “The Iceberg?”

Aurora laughed lightly. “Mr. King. He’s always so cold to everyone around here.”

Eva found herself laughing too, nodding in agreement. “Yeah, that sounds about right,” she said, relieved to find someone who shared her feelings about Andrew.

As the two women laughed together, a man approached their table. “Rory,” he called, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

Aurora looked up and smiled. “Kai, this is Eva. She’s Mr. King’s new assistant.”

Kai stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening as he took in Eva’s appearance. “Well, who is this beautiful woman?” he asked, his tone playful as he winked at her.

Eva blushed slightly but introduced herself properly. “I’m Eva.”

“Kai Williams,” he said, extending his hand. “And I sympathize with you. Working for Mr. King is no easy task. You’ve got your work cut out for you.”

The three of them chatted for a while, and Eva found herself genuinely enjoying the company. It was a relief to have normal human interaction—something she hadn’t realized she’d been missing so much.

As she finished her lunch and prepared to return to work, Kai leaned in and grinned. “Eva, you’re stunning. I think I might be in love.”

Aurora laughed and nudged him playfully. “Calm down, Kai. Don’t scare her off.”

Eva smiled at the teasing, feeling lighter than she had all morning. She waved goodbye to them and made her way back to Andrew’s office to deliver some files for him to sign.

When she entered, Andrew was hunched over his desk, but he looked up as she walked in. “Did you have lunch?” he asked, his tone colder than usual.

Eva hesitated, sensing the tension in his voice. “Yes... it was nice.”

Andrew’s expression darkened, his jaw clenching slightly. “Looked like you were having fun,” he said, his tone dripping with disapproval.

Eva blinked, confused by his sudden shift in mood. “What’s his problem now?” she wondered.

“Who was that guy?” Andrew demanded, his voice even colder now.

Realization dawned on Eva, and she stifled a sigh. He can’t possibly be jealous, can he? She composed herself before answering. “His name is Kai. I just met him and Aurora. We all made friends.”

Andrew didn’t seem satisfied by her explanation. His eyes narrowed as if deep in thought before he barked, “Come here.”

Eva froze for a second, her heart skipping a beat. She hesitated, not sure what he was planning, but slowly walked closer. In one swift motion, Andrew grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto his lap. She gasped, her body tensing as she tried to pull away, but Andrew held her in place, his eyes locked on hers.

“Look at me,” he demanded, his voice low and intense.

Eva squirmed, but after a few seconds, she gave up and met his gaze. There was something in his eyes she couldn’t quite decipher—something possessive, but also something else, something deeper.

“No going near boys,” Andrew quipped, his voice commanding. “Do you understand?”

Eva’s mind raced. Is he serious? She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “This is the same man who had some random woman sitting on his lap last time I was here,” she thought bitterly. It was absurd.

Andrew’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. “Answer me.”

“Okay,” she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

He stared at her for a moment longer, his eyes drifting from her face to her lips, before he finally released her. “Good,” he said coldly. “No skirts either. Just pants from now on.”

Eva quickly stood, her heart still racing from the bizarre encounter. She practically ran out of his office, but as she reached the door, she heard his faint laughter echoing behind her. It sent a shiver down her spine.

Back in her office, Eva collapsed into her chair, completely flustered by what had just happened. She buried her face in her hands, trying to make sense of it. “Oh my God! What was that?” she muttered to herself, still feeling his touch on her skin.

She shook her head, determined not to let herself fall for his games. “Eva, you cannot have feelings for him. He’s an idiot. He can have women all over him, but I’m not even allowed to talk to another guy? What a joke.”

Her frustration built as she recalled the way he’d pulled her onto his lap as if he had any right to be possessive over her. “I spoke to one guy, and he’s mad? What about him?” she muttered angrily. “I won’t listen to him.”

Meanwhile, Andrew watched her through the hidden cameras, his lips curling into an amused smirk. “You think you can defy me, Eva? Let’s see how long that lasts,” he whispered to himself, already plotting his next move.

Just as he was about to switch off the camera feed, his phone rang. It was Evander.

“Any news on Jessica?” Andrew asked, his tone sharp and businesslike again.

“No leads yet,” Evander replied, his voice tense. “She’s still off the grid.”

Andrew sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Keep searching,” he said before hanging up, his thoughts returning to Eva. He couldn’t afford to let his guard down. Not with her—and certainly not with the shadows of the past still looming over him.