Chapter 3

When I finished, I stared down at the gorgeous, mouthwatering steak and lobster spread, nodding in deep satisfaction.

Right as the lunch break hit, I grabbed the container and tiptoed toward Julian’s corner office.

The moment he saw me, he flinched, instinctively taking two steps back.

I cautiously approached his massive desk, set the lunchbox down, and gave him a flawless ninety-degree bow.

"Mr. Hayes, I am so sorry. I truly had no idea you were allergic to mangoes. Please accept this peace offering."

My extreme solemnity seemed to freak him out. His voice wavered.

"Can you... stand up?"

Then, like the world's most attentive waitress, I handed him his forks, popped open the lid, and poured him a drink, having carefully labeled the cup with a sticky note that read "ORANGE JUICE".

Julian watched my five-star service with utter bewilderment, but the aroma rising from the steak quickly reeled him in.

Heh. My cooking is Michelin-level, buddy. Resistance is futile.

I watched proudly as he swallowed hard—and then produced a little silver testing needle from his drawer.

............

Is there really zero trust left between human beings?

He poked through both dishes, the rice, and the juice. Once he confirmed the needle didn't change color, a satisfied smirk spread across his face, and he finally dug in.

"Not bad. It's actually really good. You're forgiven. But I still remember what you said about my abs and your dog."

Some billionaire. A cricket has a bigger heart than you.

I secretly rolled my eyes while keeping a placid customer-service smile plastered on my face.

After standing by and serving him until he was stuffed, Julian patted his mouth with a napkin and actually gave me a thumbs-up.

Thank god. Crisis averted.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I started clearing the desk.

Julian leaned back in his leather chair, his gaze boring into me without blinking. It gave me the creeps, so I sped up my cleaning.

"Ann, this was all calculated, wasn't it?"

Just as I grabbed the trash bag to leave, Julian spoke up again, slipping right back into that cringey, gravelly vocal fry.

Out of basic politeness, I paused and asked what he meant.

Julian flipped his hair with theatrical confidence, threw me a greasy wink, and used a voice that sounded like a flip-flop was lodged in his throat to try and charm the pants off me:

"First, you insulted my abs to get my attention. Then you engineered a 'coincidental' dinner run-in. You handed me that mango juice knowing full well about my allergy just to set up this whole homemade meal apology today. Am I right? You really put a lot of effort into chasing me."

Lord... someone call an exorcist.

It took every ounce of my willpower not to chuck the trash bag straight at his head.

To nip his delusions in the bud once and for all, I locked eyes with him, radiating cold, unbreakable conviction.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hayes. I'm into girls."