"Ava, girl, where are you?!"
Nataliya screamed into the phone.
Ava tried to speak, but then took a breath and said, "Bro, I tried to reach the office, but again, my alarm didn't buzz…"
Ava tried to lie because putting the blame on an alarm wouldn't be so bad, right?
"Stop lying, girl! I know you better than your mom, you idiot. Arrive quickly! The devil manager is here, and today he will kill you if he spots you entering the office late."
"I'm on my way. Try to distract him, pleaseeee, Nati!"
Ava started running again. After fifteen minutes, she finally entered the office building and then bumped straight into someone.
She glanced at the person and immediately froze.
Of all people, she had to bump into the exact problem Nati had warned her to avoid…
The damn devil manager.
David Peterson.
"Wow…" David said, staring at her. "Miss Avalia Alex is late again. Wow… girl, that's the eighth time this month."
"I'm sorry, sir. I won't be late again…"
But the devil was always a devil. How could he forgive his enemy, Avalia?
He replied coldly, "Miss Alex, your apology is rejected because these excuses are getting lame. You're always late, and every time, you say, 'I won't be late again.' So tell me, when is this actually going to stop?"
Avalia tried to suppress the expression on her face because if she showed even a hint of annoyance, he would scold her even more.
After a thirty-minute lecture, the devil finally stopped and let Ava go to her department.
She walked into her office, sat beside Nati, and sighed.
"The devil gave me a thirty-minute lecture today," she said.
"I almost fell asleep… soooo boring."
Nati stared at Ava for a second.
Then she burst out laughing.
"You almost fell asleep? Girl, you were standing there for thirty minutes while he verbally murdered you. I was praying for your soul."
Ava dropped her forehead onto the desk.
"I hate him."
"You say that every day."
"Because every day he gives me a new reason."
Nati leaned closer.
"So… what did you do this time?"
"Nothing."
"That's a lie."
"I was late."
"Again?"
Ava slowly lifted her head.
"Don't judge me."
"I'm not judging you. I'm studying you. You're a fascinating case of how one human being can survive without functioning properly."
Ava grabbed a pen and threw it at her.
Nati caught it.
"Violence won't fix your attendance problem."
"Neither will your face."
"Rude."
Before Ava could reply, the office door opened.
Both girls immediately went silent.
David Peterson stood there.
Of course.
Because apparently the universe had personally decided Ava didn't deserve peace.
His expression was as cold as ever.
"Miss Alex."
Ava straightened.
"Yes, sir?"
"Conference room. Ten minutes."
Her stomach dropped.
Nati's eyes widened.
Ava whispered, "What did I do?"
Nati whispered back, "Probably exist."
David's eyes narrowed.
"Is there a problem?"
"No, sir!" Ava answered immediately.
"Good."
He turned and walked away.
Ava stared at his back.
"I swear that man can smell fear."
Nati sighed.
"Just go."
Ava grabbed her notebook.
"Wish me luck."
"Good luck."
"And if I don't come back?"
"I'll take your coffee machine."
"You're a terrible friend."
"I know."
Ten minutes later, Ava stood outside the conference room.
She took a deep breath.
Then another.
"Okay, Avalia. You can do this."
She pushed the door open.
David was sitting at the head of the table.
But he wasn't alone.
A man sat beside him, dressed in a dark suit, his sleeves perfectly folded at the wrists.
His posture was straight.
His expression unreadable.
And beside his chair sat a large brown dog.
Ava blinked.
A dog?
In a conference room?
She looked at David.
Then at the dog.
Then at the stranger.
David cleared his throat.
"Miss Alex, you're staring."
Ava immediately looked away.
"Sorry."
The stranger didn't say anything.
He simply watched her.
Quietly.
Like he was trying to figure out what kind of disaster had just walked into the room.
David gestured toward the chair.
"Sit."
Ava sat.
David opened a folder.
"I want you to meet someone."
The man finally spoke.
"Aaron Adams."
His voice was calm.
Deep.
Controlled.
Ava looked at him.
"Aaron…"
"Yes."
She nodded awkwardly.
"Nice to meet you."
"Likewise."
There was a pause.
A very uncomfortable pause.
Then the dog suddenly stood up.
Atlas walked straight toward Ava.
She looked down.
"Oh my God."
Atlas sniffed her shoes.
Then her coat.
Then her hand.
Ava smiled.
"Hey, handsome."
Aaron's eyebrow lifted slightly.
Atlas wagged his tail.
Ava crouched down and scratched behind his ears.
"You're much nicer than everyone else in this building."
Aaron looked at her.
"That's not difficult."
Ava froze.
Did he just—
She looked up.
His face was completely serious.
David cleared his throat.
"Can we focus?"
Ava stood up.
"Right. Sorry."
David continued.
"Aaron is joining the company as the new operations director."
Ava's eyes widened.
New director?
Great.
Another terrifying man.
Because apparently one devil wasn't enough.
David continued.
"He'll be working closely with several departments."
Ava nodded.
"Okay."
"And unfortunately for you, Miss Alex…"
David paused.
Ava already knew she wasn't going to like the next sentence.
"…your department is one of them."
Her smile disappeared.
"Unfortunately?"
Aaron looked at her.
For the first time, the corner of his mouth moved slightly.
Almost a smile.
Almost.
Ava noticed.
"You find this funny?"
Aaron shook his head.
"No."
"You're smiling."
"I wasn't."
"You were."
"I wasn't."
"You definitely were."
David slammed the folder shut.
"Enough."
Silence.
Ava looked down.
Aaron looked at her.
Atlas sat between them.
And somehow, in the middle of the most awkward introduction of her life, Ava had one strange thought.
This man is weird.
Aaron had a completely different thought.
She's loud.
Neither of them knew it yet.
But this was the first time their parallel lines had crossed.
And judging by the look on David's face…
It was going to be a complete disaster.