Lucca's POV
While I was driving home from work, my phone suddenly rang. The caller was Dominic. I sighed, then touched the screen in front of me since my phone was connected to my car.
"What?" I asked, annoyed.
"I made a mistake," he said, his voice serious.
"A mistake about what?" I asked, still focusing on the road.
"Let's go to the bar. I'm gonna call Damian."
I sighed. "Where?"
Dominic mentioned the name of the bar and its address. I turned my car around and headed there. I needed liquor right now. It had been two days, yet my assistant still hadn't gotten any information about Celina Morgan's daughter.
When I arrived, it wasn't a typical bar that just anyone could enter. It was sophisticated, and only the rich could afford this place. I stepped out of my car and approached the entrance. I told the guard that Dominic had reserved a VIP room for us. He nodded and let me in.
The ambiance was impressive. Colorful disco lights filled the middle of the dance floor. Standing tables were occupied by groups enjoying their food and liquor. I went up to the third floor, where Dominic and Damian were. When I arrived, the two of them were already drinking.
"Lucca, my friend," Dominic called out, sounding drunk already.
The room was soundproof. When I closed the door, the music outside disappeared.
I grabbed a beer and gulped it down in one go.
"Whoa. What are you doing?" Damian asked, surprised by how quickly I finished it.
"Do you have a problem, Lucca?" he asked again.
I ignored him and took another shot. Damian glanced at Dominic.
"You. You said you wanted to tell us something. What is it?" he asked, trying to be patient with the drunk man.
"Seraphina," Dominic said.
Hearing her name caught my attention.
"What about her?" Damian asked.
"I teased her earlier, and it made her mad. I just joked that I could be her boyfriend and that I wanted people to gossip about us. But she got even angrier when I hugged her."
Damian's eyes widened, while I remained calm and pretended not to be interested.
"I did it for fun. I didn't know it would be such a big deal to her."
"Now you've created a barrier between you and her," Damian said. "I thought you liked her. Why would you tease her?"
"I do like her," Dominic replied, staring at the ceiling. "She's different from other women I've met. She's naïve and innocent."
I shook my head. He teased her, yet he was the one affected.
"Just apologize to her," Damian concluded, but Dominic shook his head.
"I'm sure she won't forgive me."
"If you knew she'd get mad, then why did you do it?" Damian asked in frustration.
"Because I wanted to see her real emotions," Dominic explained. "She's reserved and quiet. She doesn't let anyone see her thoughts or feelings."
"Then you deserved it," Damian said. "Why call us and dump your thoughts on us when you're clearly at fault?"
Dominic sighed deeply. He definitely couldn't drive himself. He was completely wasted. He drank beer like a thirsty wolf. I stayed silent, drinking my own beer. His problem wasn't that serious. Mine was far worse, and dealing with it every day only made life harder.
Dominic's behavior was irritating. If I were Seraphina, I would be angry too. What puzzled me was that Dominic was never this childish with other women. He always showed confidence, and women usually crawled for his attention.
After only a few minutes, Dominic was already lying on the sofa, completely drunk. He had finished all the bottles in no time. Damian and I stood there silently, staring at our devastated friend.
"What was he thinking when he teased Seraphina?" Damian asked.
I didn't answer. I hadn't witnessed the scene earlier—how could I comment?
"I just wanted to get close to her. That's why I did it," Dominic murmured in his sleep. "I didn't know it would make her even angrier."
Damian and I exchanged a glance but said nothing. From that single look, we both understood what Dominic meant. It was a childish act. Hard to believe he was even the CEO of a company.
***
Seraphina's POV
I arrived at work late. I hadn't slept well at all. Insomnia hit me again. Mira looked at me with concern.
"You look stressed. What happened?" she asked.
"Nothing," I said, ending the conversation. I opened my laptop and started replying to emails, but Mira didn't stop.
"There's gossip about you and the CEO," she said, instantly ruining my morning. I looked at her; her face was full of worry.
"The headline is the CEO and a marketing department employee," she added.
I sighed deeply. Those who had seen the hug probably told their colleagues.
"Are you affected?" Mira asked.
"No," I replied and focused on typing my response.
"I was just curious why Sir Dominic did that to you," she said, still watching me. If our department head caught us not working, it would be Mira's fault.
"I don't know," I answered truthfully. I didn't understand why he acted so childish. When I first met him, he was kind and caring. But what was done was done. Even if I didn't want to be involved in gossip, it had already spread.
While I was busy replying to messages, our department head approached me and whispered, "Come to the CEO's office."
I was startled. What is he up to now? Would he not stop messing with me?
Even though I didn't want to go, I had no choice. I was his employee.
I took the elevator to the 15th floor, where the CEO's office was located. When the doors opened, I saw his assistant. He nodded at me, and I bowed in response. He didn't say much and let me enter the office.
Dominic was sitting in his swivel chair. He smiled at me, but there was sadness in his eyes. The dark circles beneath them were visible. He hadn't slept.
"Thank you for coming," he said.
I glanced around the office. It was big and elegant, but I checked the corners, wondering if there were CCTV cameras.
He stood up and walked toward me. "I'm really sorry for what I did yesterday. I was childish, and I hurt you."
I wanted to tell him that it didn't just hurt. It made me cry, but I stopped myself.
"Can you forgive me?" he asked.
I stared at him with a blank expression. I didn't want him to see what I was feeling or thinking.
"People are gossiping about us. Mira told me," I said calmly.
"I'll stop it," he replied.
"You created a mess that wasn't even worth it. You gave people false information about us. You even called me through our department head. Do you think the gossip will end there? It'll only create more," I said, explaining how much trouble he had caused.
"That's why I'm here, to ask for your forgiveness. I won't do it again."
I nodded.
"What does that nod mean? Am I forgiven?" he asked.
"Just don't do it again. Because next time, I won't forgive you."
To my surprise, he tried to hug me. I stepped back to avoid his touch.
"I'm sorry if I was being clingy," he said.
I made a face to show my annoyance. He chuckled.
"Are we still friends? Did you mean what you said yesterday?"
"I don't put words in my mouth that I'm not serious about. I don't like jokes."
That was when I realized how different we were. He was bubbly, energetic, and expressive, while I was the opposite. I never even showed Mira how deeply I cared about her.
Yes, I was annoyed. Yes, he made me cry yesterday. I planned to avoid him, but here I was, standing in front of him. I accepted my fate. He couldn't be avoided. The more I tried, the more he would pursue me. As a friend, I reminded myself. I wasn't assuming anything more.
"I really mean it. I'm sorry," he said seriously.
I nodded. "Let's just forget about it."
"Are we still friends?" he asked again.
Being friends with him had benefits. One of them was helping Mira get closer to Damian—her crush. But that also meant spending more time with Dominic, something I wasn't entirely comfortable with.
"Why are you making that face?" Dominic asked, offended.
"Yes. We're still friends," I said, trying to change the subject.
He smiled widely, instantly forgetting his offense. He offered his hand for a handshake. I stared at it for a moment, remembering our first encounter when I didn't know he was the boss. I shook his hand with my right, keeping my left hand, the one with the ring, behind my back.
After that, I returned to our department. As soon as I arrived, the department head called me into his office. I knew it, more gossip.
"Sir," I greeted as I entered.
He smiled. "I didn't know you were close to the CEO." His smile felt creepy to me. He wasn't strict, but it didn't feel genuine.
"Not that close," I answered honestly.
"You're very humble. I heard otherwise from the CEO."
I tried not to frown. What did Dominic tell him to make him smile like that?
"What else did he say, sir?" I asked.
"That you're close to him, and that I shouldn't overwork or stress you. I called you here to tell you I'll lessen your workload."
I frowned. Did I ever ask for that? He was the one stressing me out.
"You don't have to do that. I didn't befriend him to lessen my work. Please don't follow that order," I said.
"But what if he asks me?" he said, making puppy eyes.
I wanted to puke, but I stayed calm. He was too old to act cute.
"I'll talk to him. If you'll excuse me, I still have emails to answer," I said, bowing slightly.
"Okay. Go back to work."
I nodded and returned to my workstation. Mira immediately abandoned her work to interrogate me.
"What did the CEO say? Why did the department head call you?"
I sighed. "The CEO apologized. I forgave him, and we're friends again. As for the department head, the CEO told him to lessen my workload but I declined."
"Whoa," Mira said, forming her lips into an O.
"I told you he likes you," she concluded.
"Too early to say," I replied. "Anyway, let's go back to work. I still have a lot of emails to answer."
Mira nodded and went back to work. The day felt more tiring than before. It was exhausting dealing with people who had different personalities. It was easier for me to work alone, to not be appreciated, not be noticed, than to be seen because of someone I was connected to.
Lunchtime came, and Mira and I decided to buy food from the convenience store. The canteen wasn't really an option for me since it was always crowded. We went inside and chose our lunch. I picked lasagna and ham-and-cheese bread. I didn't buy any drinks since I would just have water. Mira, on the other hand, picked many items, so many that I doubted she could finish them.
"Can you finish all of those?" I asked.
"No. I'm going to share them with you," she said.
Mira was thoughtful and generous. She always thought about me, what she could share, what I might need. Sometimes, the guilt lingered too much because I couldn't reciprocate her efforts.
After paying, we went back to the office and ate lunch at our desks.
"I want to eat at that Japanese restaurant again," Mira said. "I like their food. It's authentic."
I took a bite of my ham-and-cheese bread before answering.
"When?" I asked.
"Tomorrow for lunch?" she suggested.
I nodded in agreement.
After I finished my lasagna and bread, Mira offered me some chips and sweets. I declined since I was already full, but she insisted and told me to eat them during our afternoon break.
After eating, we went to the restroom to do our routine. Before brushing my teeth, I went into a cubicle. While I was there, Mira was outside brushing her teeth.
"Really? The CEO hugged the girl who I didn't even know existed?" I heard someone say.
I froze, shocked. They were clearly talking about me.
"She's not even that beautiful. What do you think she did to get the CEO?"
What? Did they really think I lured him? When it happened the other way around?
"Hey!" I heard Mira's voice. It sounded like she was about to confront the gossipers. Afraid she'd get into trouble, I immediately came out and saw Mira standing in front of two women. They were shocked when they saw me and tried to leave, but Mira stopped them.
"You got the wrong information," Mira said firmly. "My friend didn't lure the CEO. The CEO lured my friend. And you said she's not beautiful? Coming from you?"
Mira mocked them and deliberately looked them up and down. The two women didn't respond and quickly left the restroom, clearly intimidated. Mira was furious.
"Don't waste your energy on them," I said and started brushing my teeth.
"How can I not?" she replied. "They were gossiping right in front of you. And saying you're not beautiful?" She shook her head. "They should look at themselves in the mirror."
I laughed softly and finished brushing my teeth before answering. "I'm not beautiful."
"And who said that?" she snapped. "You are beautiful."
As time went by, I appreciated Mira more. I loved how she showed me the care and affection a true friend could give. I wished I could return the same kindness to her. I wished that one day, I would be the one showing her the same love and care she always gave me.