Eva sat quietly in the car beside Andrew, trying her best not to look at him, but her gaze drifted to his hands resting effortlessly on the steering wheel. Damn it, his hands are so attractive, she thought before scolding herself. Eva, be a good girl and stop drooling over him!

Andrew noticed her sneaking glances but didn’t realize she was mentally waging war with herself about not getting attached to him. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice smooth but curious. “Why are you avoiding me?”

Eva shook her head. “I’m not. I’m being normal.”

“Whatever you say,” Andrew replied, though he didn’t sound entirely convinced.

They stopped at a red light, and Eva felt like the silence between them was suffocating. Andrew looked at his phone, scrolling through something, while Eva tried to steady her wild thoughts by staring out the window.

Unbeknownst to her, Andrew’s gaze wandered from his phone to her. His eyes lingered on her soft lips, recalling how badly he wanted to taste them again. As his gaze drifted lower to her deep neckline, he caught a glimpse of her blue bra peeking out beneath her top.

Andrew gulped, feeling heat crawl up his neck. She’s driving me insane, he thought, gripping the wheel tighter. Distracted, his hand slipped, accidentally thumping the steering wheel.

Eva jumped slightly. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I was just... distracted,” Andrew muttered, swallowing hard as his gaze dipped briefly to her neckline again.

Eva noticed the light turn green. “The light’s green. You can drive.”

Andrew grunted, gripping the wheel as he focused on the road, but every second of the ride home felt like torture. When they finally arrived, dinner was a quiet, awkward affair, with both of them lost in their own thoughts. As soon as Andrew finished eating, he disappeared upstairs to his room.

Inside the bathroom, he leaned against the shower wall, cold water cascading over him. “Fucking hell,” he groaned as he ran his hands through his hair, tension coiling in his body. His thoughts returned to Eva—her lips, her soft skin, the way her bra peeked out just enough to tease him.

Andrew let out a frustrated groan, punching the wall lightly as he found release under the cold water. “Soon,” he muttered under his breath, panting heavily. “Very soon, Eva. You’ll be mine.”

After his shower, he paced the length of his room, debating whether or not to go to her. Just to check on her... he reasoned with himself, but deep down, he knew that wasn’t the real reason.

“Fuck it,” he muttered and made his way quietly to Eva’s room.

He slipped inside, moving silently toward her bed. Eva was already asleep, curled up under the blanket. Andrew smiled to himself, his heart strangely full at the sight of her peaceful face. Gently, he pulled the blanket down to uncover her face.

“Sweetheart,” Andrew whispered, brushing strands of hair away from her face and tucking them behind her ear. His touch lingered on her soft skin.

Eva stirred, her brow furrowing as she shifted in her sleep. “Hmm...” she mumbled. Andrew’s heart pounded as he ducked beside the bed to avoid getting caught.

Eva opened her eyes halfway, looking around the room groggily. “Weird... I feel like someone’s here,” she whispered to herself before closing her eyes again and drifting back to sleep.

Andrew let out a quiet breath of relief and slipped out of the room, smiling at the thrill of getting so close to her. Soon, Eva. Very soon.

The next morning, over breakfast, Eva asked the maid if she knew when Leonard and Vanessa would be returning from their trip.

Andrew, overhearing the conversation, answered, “They won’t be back for a while. Why? Do you need something?”

“No,” Eva replied, stirring her coffee absently. “I was just curious. It feels like they’ve been gone a long time.”

Andrew watched her with a small smile but said nothing more. They soon headed to the company, and throughout the car ride and morning, Eva couldn’t help but notice something different about Andrew.

Why does he seem... calmer today? she wondered, sneaking a glance at him.

Andrew caught her looking, and she quickly turned back to her files, cheeks flushing.

“Eva.”

“Yes, sir?” she answered quickly, grateful for the distraction.

“Call Edward and James,” Andrew ordered, his tone all business now.

Eva nodded and made the calls. Soon after, Edward and James arrived at the office, ready for a meeting. Just as they gathered around Andrew’s desk, two people entered the room whom Eva had never seen before.

The man had a rugged, confident look with piercing green eyes, while the woman carried herself with an air of elegance, her fiery red hair framing her sharp features. They exuded an aura of competence and danger.

“Who are they?” Eva whispered to Edward.

Andrew stood, a faint smirk on his lips. “Allow me to introduce my subordinates.”

The woman stepped forward first, her gaze sharp. “Selene, also known as Magma,” she said with a nod.

The man followed, giving Eva a small smile. “Darren, also known as Cyprus,” he added.

Eva smiled politely. “Eva Foster. It’s nice to meet you.”

Andrew’s expression darkened slightly. “King. Eva King,” he corrected again.

Eva rolled her eyes but said nothing as Andrew explained the plan.

“First,” Andrew began, “Edward, you’ll meet with Natalie. Seduce her if you have to—do whatever it takes to get her guard down.”

Edward nodded, though he looked slightly uncomfortable at the task.

“Second,” Andrew continued, “Selene will run a background check and monitor Natalie’s travel records. I want every detail.”

Selene smirked. “Consider it done.”

“Third,” Andrew added, “Darren will follow Natalie at a safe distance, keeping track of her movements when she’s with Edward.”

Darren gave a small nod of acknowledgment.

Then Andrew turned to Eva, his gaze locking onto hers. “And you... You’ll stay with me.”

Eva blinked, surprised. “With you?”

“Yes,” Andrew said matter-of-factly. “James will go to Adrien and oversee the design process. But you stay by my side.”

Eva frowned, trying to figure out why Andrew was insisting on this arrangement. She could feel his possessiveness simmering just beneath the surface. Why does he always have to be like this?

Andrew’s gaze softened slightly. “This is important, Eva. We need to be coordinated.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, and Andrew dismissed the team to prepare for the plan. As they filed out of the office, Andrew leaned back in his chair, watching Eva closely.

She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re doing it again.”

“Doing what?” Andrew asked, though the corner of his mouth twitched with amusement.

“Controlling everything,” Eva said, exasperated.

Andrew stood, walking slowly toward her until he was inches away. His dark eyes locked onto hers, and his voice dropped to a low whisper.

“I control everything, Eva,” he murmured. “Especially when it comes to you.”

Eva’s breath hitched at the intensity in his gaze. Her heart raced as Andrew leaned in just slightly, his lips hovering near her ear.

“Stay close, sweetheart,” he whispered. “This game is just getting started.”

And with that, Andrew turned away, leaving Eva standing there with a fluttering heart and the sinking feeling that this game was going to be anything but simple.