Lionel returned to his apartment, pondering over the day’s events. His body ached as he slumped onto the couch. The apartment was his den—not too big, not too small. It was home, even if he lived alone. Sometimes, Drake crashed in the guest bedroom when he got too drunk.

Lionel often wondered how they even became best friends. They were complete opposites. While Lionel worked hard, avoided trouble, and supported his family, Drake partied with girls, dodged responsibilities, and constantly gave his father a headache.

His phone buzzed, snapping him out of his thoughts. It was a message from Katherine. She’d sent a list of employees and asked him to forward it to HR to have them fired—for going behind her back and helping the rival company.

Lionel sighed deeply, thinking about her. He wasn’t sure whether to believe the rumours surrounding her or to simply ignore them and enjoy his work. One thing was certain though—he was insanely attracted to Katherine Xavier.
***

Fifteen Days Later

Lionel had officially completed fifteen days at Xavier Corp as Ms. Xavier’s assistant—according to his new friends on the third floor. He had somehow managed to befriend a group: Mark, Nick, Cole, Sheila, and Britney. They decided to throw him a party for making it two weeks without getting fired. They even had a running bet that he wouldn’t last a week.

“Guys, I really don’t need a party and stop betting on me,” he scowled.

“Aww, look at his nose, Cole,it’s red! He’s mad at us,” Britney teased, further irritating him.

“Britney! You’re not helping. Now get out of my office, I’ve got work to finish, or I’ll be fired just like the others,” Lionel snapped. But instead of leaving, they all burst into playful rants about how cute he looked when he was angry.

“But you’re too adorable to ignore when you’re mad, Lio! Look at your face—you’re a walking tomato. Please let me just squeeze your cheeks once,” Sheila said with a grin. She always tried to pinch his cheeks, no matter how much it annoyed him. It was her way of flirting.

“Sheila! Touch me again, and I’ll kick everyone out of my office. And I’m not going to that stupid party at that stupid club. Can’t you see I don’t fit in?” Lionel huffed. Clubs and parties weren’t really his thing.

“No way, bro. You’re coming whether you like it or not. Or we’ll drag you there ourselves,” Mark smirked.

“I’m looking forward to the dragging part,” Cole added with a grin.

“You people have ten seconds to get off this floor, or you’ll be dragging him to a ‘got fired from the job’ party.”

The sharp voice silenced the room instantly. Everyone turned toward the doorway.

Katherine stood there, arms crossed.

Within seconds, everyone rushed out of Lionel’s office, careful not to bump into their terrifying boss.

Katherine, despite her beauty, was downright terrifying when she was angry. And right now, she was furious. Her ears had turned red, her jaw clenched. She didn’t even know the name of the woman who touched Lionel’s face, but she made a mental note to find out. She wanted to break that woman’s hand. Maybe both.

Lionel’s days began at 5 a.m. He brought her coffee to her penthouse every morning. Katherine was a heavy sleeper and absolutely not a morning person. Lionel had gotten used to her snapping at him harshly each time he woke her up, but he’d also started enjoying their morning interactions. It was exhausting… but amusing.

Carter had given him the passcode to her penthouse. The old man gave off warm, fatherly vibes, and Lionel liked him. Carter had been supportive these past two weeks, especially when Katherine snapped without reason.

And another thing—Katherine could swear like a sailor. He hadn’t seen that coming.

Despite the chaos, Lionel was glad for the opportunity to work under her.

“Are you done admiring my beauty?” Katherine asked, snapping him back to reality with a smirk.

“I wasn’t admiring your beauty, Ms. Xavier. ” he smiled politely.

“Ouch. So, you’re saying I’m not beautiful? That might be the biggest insult I’ve heard, Mr. Lawson.” She feigned a wounded look but smirked anyway.

Though she gave him a hard time at work, she flirted subtly now and then.

Over the past few days, something had subtly shifted between them. Between stolen glances, teasing remarks, and shared late nights at the office, the air around them had grown warmer, charged, almost. Katherine found herself smiling more often, while Lionel grew bolder with his comebacks. What started as harmless banter had slowly turned into something neither of them could quite name, but both had come to expect. They flirted openly now her with sly smirks and veiled compliments, him with dry wit and a gaze that lingered a little too long. 

Lionel rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous chuckle escaping him. “That’s not what I meant… I just—” He paused, finally looking her in the eyes. “You already know you’re beautiful, Ms. Xavier. You don’t need me to say it.”

Katherine tilted her head, her smirk widening. “Hmm. That sounded dangerously close to a compliment.”

“Maybe it was,” he said, a little more confident this time.

The air between them shifted. Charged with something unspoken but undeniable. Their teasing banter hung like a fragile thread, ready to snap.

She locked the door behind her, raising an eyebrow.

She stepped closer, not imposing, but deliberate her voice lower now.

“Do you want me to stop flirting?”

Lionel opened his mouth, but his words caught in his throat.

“You’re not saying no,” she murmured, searching his eyes. “But I need to hear it from you.”

Lionel’s heart pounded. “No... I mean—no, I don’t want you to stop,” he said finally, barely above a whisper.

Katherine smiled—not victorious, but soft. She lifted a hand to his cheek, giving him every chance to pull away. When he didn’t, she leaned in and kissed him. Slow. Measured. Testing.

Lionel responded after a second, almost shyly. Then with more confidence. He pulled her closer by the waist and kissed her back.

When they broke apart, she whispered, “Now that’s more like it.”

Lionel laughed nervously. “Am I in trouble now?”

She smirked. “Depends. Are you going to pretend this didn’t happen, Mr. Lawson?”

“Not a chance,” he grinned.

And just like that, she turned on her heel and left the office, completely unbothered. While Lionel stood frozen, hot and bothered.

As the door clicked shut behind her, Lionel stood frozen. He wasn’t sure if he’d just passed a test or walked into a beautifully dangerous trap.

Either way, there was no going back.