Entering the room filled with high-end design computers, Tiana stood in awe.
"Use that," Ethan said, pointing to a workstation.
"Yes, sir!" she replied with a mock salute, dropping her bag beside the desk.
She quickly booted up the system and began transferring her files—only to discover that all her data was already saved on the very computer he'd assigned her.
"You could've just told me, you jerk," she muttered under her breath, glancing at him.
Ethan stood by the wall, casually sipping wine, his gaze fixed on her.
"Remember, that's one hour minus the time you wasted earlier. You've got fifty minutes now," he said smoothly.
"This jerk," Tiana fumed silently. "He probably doesn't even have anywhere to be with all this 'hour' nonsense."
With a small huff, she took off her drawing pen hairpin, setting it down on the desk.
"Besides… he remembered that? Talk about petty!"
Meanwhile, Ethan noticed the change in her stylus pen hairpin.
He looked away, dismissing the observation.
"There's no use getting caught up in trivial matters," he thought coldly, wine glass in hand.
Just then, his phone buzzed. As he stepped out of the room, he answered the call.
"Ethan, I'd like you to reconsider Lux, please," Aaliyah's voice pleaded on the other end.
Tiana's ears perked up at the name. Her posture subtly shifted, a small, intrigued smile appearing on her lips.
Ethan noticed the change immediately and let a faint smirk tug at his own.
"Reconsider him?" he repeated, his voice cool. "That would only spoil him further."
He swirled his wine as his eyes drifted toward Tiana, who had noticeably slowed down her work.
"So I'd advise not encouraging him in his little rebellion," he added, pointedly.
Just then, their eyes met—Tiana had been trying to sneak a peek at Ethan. then she beamed at him as she wave.
"Oops!"
As the conversation continued, Ethan stepped out onto the balcony just a few steps from her workstation. A playful grin curved on Tiana's lips.
"Oh Lux… I wonder what your expression will be when I become your beloved uncle's girlfriend," she giggled under her breath.
"Will you keep pestering me? Or will you finally back off—especially now that you two are playing nice again?"
Her smile soured.
"Not likely! That jerk threatened my career over an uncle he's currently beefing with. Talk about manipulative trash."
She groaned, her anger bubbling back up.
"Ugh! Why is his face still popping into my head?"
She pressed her hands against her temples.
"Is he mentally attacking me now or what?"
Meanwhile, Ethan watched her every move from the corner of his eyes.
"Are you even listening?" Aaliyah's voice cut through his observation.
"Ahem… I am. Please, continue," he said, masking his distraction with a brief smile.
As the call ended, he hung up and walked back into the room—just in time to see Tiana adjusting her hair.
She had gathered it up into a tie, trying to keep loose strands away from her face.
Unconsciously, Ethan's eyes followed the movement. He watched as she bit down lightly on her hair tie, holding it in place with her lips.
His gaze lingered—not just on the tie, but on her lips, then the small details of her hair. The curve of her cheek. The quiet concentration in her expression.
"This loose hair is getting in the way," she muttered under her breath.
Still leaning with unreadable calm, Ethan's gaze moved again—from her tied-up hair, to her eyes, to her lips… and back again. He watched her frown slightly at her sketch, then smile faintly, then wrinkle her nose at something she didn't like. Her every shift was like a silent performance.
"She's unaware how much she reveals when she's not speaking,"
he thought, eyes still scanning.
Just then, his gaze to land on her silhouette as she took off her outer coat.
"It's starting to get hot," she muttered casually.
Her fitted skirt and long-sleeved shirt hugged her figure just right—modest yet undeniably flattering.
Ethan's eyes lingered for a moment, unreadable.
"She clearly has more on her mind than just revision."
He set his drink down, exhaling softly.
"But little girl..."
He moved to sit down, legs crossed, his gaze cool but focused as he studied her again.
"You're playing with a fire you don't understand."
Meanwhile, Tiana frowned. She hadn't even completed a first proper revision yet for him to review.
"Do you need me to do your work at this point?" Ethan asked dryly.
"Of course not, sir," she beamed with forced cheer.
But in her thoughts: "Actually… that would be really nice."
A few minutes passed. She finally completed her first revision and turned it to face him.
"Too flashy."
"Okay?" she muttered under her breath, then flashed a smile like a pageant contestant.
She moved to the second revision.
"Too dull."
"Alright. I'll do better," she nodded, lips twitching with suppressed irritation.
By the third revision…
"Looks like a combination of a trash pile."
Tiana's mind short-circuited.
"That was brutally unnecessary!" she screamed inwardly, but on the outside, she still smiled—tight-lipped, twitching eye and all.
Fourth one, as he glanced at his watch at the hour she gave her pass, then followed by a message on his watch.
"Alright, I should stop teasing her," he thought, looking at her from his sofa.
Tiana prayed internally as she brought the fourth revision.
"If he rejects this, then operating on getting him to go on a date with me will have to be a bold request!"
At this point, she'd mixed desperation with strategy.
She turned her screen to him.
He glanced at it briefly, his expression unreadable as always.
But then—
"Now that's telling your story," he said calmly.
Her eyes widened.
"Yay!" she squealed inside her head, though outside she smiled like someone just got accepted into Harvard.
"Thank you, sir! Thank you!" she repeated frantically, practically bouncing.
Ethan watched her from the couch, swirling the last sip of wine in his glass.
"She wasn't even tracking the time I gave her. What a dense actress,"he thought, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Alright sir, now that you've accepted this last sketch, I'd like to take you out as a token of appreciation. My treat!"
She beamed beside him.
"I'm a picky eater, so I don't eat out."
"This damn liar!"
She thought, masking her displeasure.
"But weren't you the one I saw at a restaurant with your family last time?"
She questioned, acting obliviously unsure.
"That's because that chain of restaurants belongs to my family."
"Boasting, but okay. Understandable,"
She thought, unhinged but wearing her friendly smile.
"But seriously, how rich are they?"
Tiana thought, studying him just relaxing.
"Well mister rich guy, I'm broke. But I'm not backing down yet!"
"I still don't mind. Besides, the one who hasn't thanked the creation has yet to thank her Creator."
She beamed proudly with that religious statement.
Meanwhile, he watched her with detachment—not to mention her sudden religious move—but one thing was certain: her acting was entertaining him.
"I'll see when my schedule is less busy."
"How about tonight?!"
She eagerly blurted out.
But Ethan's next gaze only made her wish for immediate disappearance.
"Sorry! Just let me know when you're less busy, sir."
Her embarrassment was well masked with a beaming smile.
After getting dropped off, she landed on her bed face-first, swinging her legs and arms like a child throwing a tantrum.
"What was that, Tiana?!"
"How about tonight?"
She muttered in embarrassment.
"Seriously? You might as well pick up and go."
A few minutes later, cuddling her huge teddy bear as she peeked out through its arm,
"But one thing was sure today though—there was an improvement."
She smiled.
She was aware of Ethan's gaze and how she was subconsciously luring him to look during her revision. She felt the energy, her heart pounding and barely keeping her calm.
"Not even you could resist my beauty, even with that expression of yours!"
She scoffed proudly.
"Anyway, time to go shopping for my upcoming date with him."
She immediately got up, flushed at today's successful trap.
"Girlfriend scheme part two activated!"
She cheerfully looked at herself in the mirror.
"Now let me hit up Hannah for outfit advice. Miss dating expert!"