Nathan stood in front of the tall glass door, staring at the "Veritas Luxe Holdings" logo like it was judging him. His shirt was clean, sort of. Hair combed—kinda. And the fake confidence? Well, that was hanging on by a thread.
The security guy waved him through. Elevator dinged. Floor 31.
Evelyn's office.
Big boss level.
He swallowed hard as the door clicked open.
There she was.
Evelyn Moreau, sitting at her black glass desk like she ruled the city from there. Her posture perfect. Her eyes sharp like they could slice steel. No smile. Just... watching.
He stepped in, a little stiff. The room was too quiet. Even the AC sounded like it was holding its breath.
"You're early," she said, still typing.
"Yeah, well," Nathan said, forcing his voice not to crack, "figured showing up early might make me look like I have my life together. Or desperate. Either way—I'm here."
She looked up. Her expression unreadable. "Sit."
He sat. The chair creaked under him, because of course it did. It was probably some super fancy thing from Italy and here he was, sinking into it like a sack of bricks.
"I reviewed the edits," Evelyn said after a pause. "They're efficient."
Nathan raised a brow. "That... is that your way of saying not terrible?"
She didn't answer. Just gave him that silent, one-eyebrow look.
And then—
[NEW SYSTEM PROMPT – SIDE QUEST: Make Evelyn Smile in the Next 5 Minutes]Reward: ???Hint: Charm. Tease. Maybe flirt just a little.
Nathan blinked fast. "What the—"
"What?" Evelyn asked.
"No! I mean—nothing. Just… I talk to myself sometimes. Habit." He cleared his throat. "Specially when I'm nervous. Or when I'm in front of intimidating women who run giant companies and have the power to crush my soul with one eyebrow."
She tilted her head. "You think I'm intimidating?"
"You're literally judging my life's work without saying a single word."
She didn't smile. But she didn't shut him down either.
Timer: 4:45…
Nathan took a risk. "You ever get tired of being… this perfect?"
Evelyn blinked. "Excuse me?"
"I mean like," he gestured around, "everything here screams 'control.' Even your pen is sitting at a perfect 90-degree angle. I bet even your tea knows better than to slosh around in its cup."
Her lips twitched. Just slightly. Like her mouth almost betrayed her brain.
"Are you always this strange?" she asked.
"Only when I'm trying to impress someone who id deciding my future," he said.
She raised an eyebrow again. But this time, there was something warmer in it. Less 'boss,' more... curious?
Timer: 3:31…
"I used to run a team too, back in the day," he said, voice softer. "Not this fancy, not this clean. But I remember always pretending like I knew everything. Inside though? I was always ten seconds away from screaming."
She didn't speak, just nodded slightly. Maybe she knew that feeling too.
He continued. "Now I've stopped pretending. I run on caffeine, vibes, and leftover hope. And maybe that's what makes me useful now."
The room was quiet again. But not awkward quiet. Just... real.
Timer: 2:52…
Then he leaned forward a little. "I also still own a tie. It's probably wrapped around a dead blender somewhere. If you need full formal Nathan, I can go dig it out."
That got her. She exhaled like a soft laugh had tried to escape her chest but only made it halfway.
"God, you're such a mess," she muttered.
He grinned. "Thank you."
She looked down for a second. And then it happened—
A real smile.
Tiny. Barely there. But it was real.
[Side Quest Complete – Reward Unlocked: ??? Hidden Bonus Stored]
[Relationship Thread – Evelyn Moreau Updated]Affection: 31% (+8%)Trust: 22% (+4%)Evelyn's interest in your actions has increased. She is… amused. And watching closely.
Nathan didn't say anything about the screen. He just sat there, enjoying the moment like it was some rare prize.
Then her tone shifted—back to business.
"Tell me more about your Crisis Handling idea," she said. "You mentioned staff cleanup and vendor audit?"
"Yeah," he nodded, leaning forward. "I put in suggestions to rotate vendor contacts, pull up any with prior legal flags. Plus, I added two dummy names in case someone tries to leak it."
"Smart," she said, tapping her keyboard. "Continue."
And so they got into it—deep into the files. Talking systems, backup plans, rebranding details. For a full 40 minutes, it was all business again. But now... it felt different.
Like maybe he had earned a bit of space here.
When the meeting wrapped up, Nathan stood to leave. She stood too.
She looked at his shirt collar. "Next time, iron that."
He smirked. "Would it help if I didn't?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Depends."
"On what?"
"If you're trying to charm me again."
He didn't respond. Just smiled and nodded.
As he walked out the door, his system blinked softly in the corner of his eye.
He was doing something right.
Maybe more than just business.
Next Chapter Teaser – Chapter 9: Red Wine and Red Flags
Evelyn calls Nathan for a "casual" dinner at her private penthouse—not a restaurant, not an office.
He arrives expecting polite talk and mild tension.
But the lights are low. Music is soft. She answers the door barefoot and sipping red wine.
And that's when the system hits him again:
[SIDE QUEST – Get Evelyn To Say: "Stay A Little Longer"]Reward: +50 Tycoon Points | ??? Bonus: Emotional Thread Reaction (Unlocked)Hint: Be bold. Be smooth. Touch without touching.
Nathan gulps.
This isn't business anymore.
This is something else.
Something far more dangerous.