The office was quiet.
Too quiet.
Everyone had left for the evening, except Nyra. She was still at her desk, eyes scanning lines of code, making tiny adjustments that made everything hum better. Her headphones muted the hum of air conditioning and the city outside. She liked this part the world slowed down.
Except for him.
Adrian leaned against her doorway, arms crossed, one foot brushing against the frame.
"You're still here," he said, voice casual, but with that edge she couldn't ignore.
"Deadlines," Nyra replied, not looking up. "I'm finishing a project before tomorrow."
He stepped closer. "Finishing it?" He raised an eyebrow. "You've already done the hard part. I helped with the rest."
Nyra froze, one finger hovering over the keyboard. "You… helped?"
"Yes," Adrian said simply. "First time you let me win."
Her lips twitched. That was a first. Adrian Vale never lost, never admitted anything remotely close to a mistake. And now… somehow, he had one over her.
"Thank you, I guess," Nyra muttered. Her tone was casual, but there was a flicker of curiosity in her eyes.
"You guess?" he teased. His smirk was dangerous, the kind that made a perfectly rational woman question her calm. "I think this calls for something a little… more meaningful."
Nyra looked up, instantly alert. "Meaningful how?"
Adrian's smirk widened. "A kiss would suffice. Professional gratitude. Consider it… an incentive for collaboration."
She blinked. Then laughed. A short, sharp bark of disbelief.
"You're insane," she said.
"Maybe," he admitted. "But I'm the one who won tonight."
Nyra shook her head, trying to focus on her screen. "I am not giving you a kiss."
He leaned just slightly closer, enough for her to notice the faint scent of cologne. "Not even a tiny one? For winning?"
Her fingers tapped the keyboard nervously. "I… can't. Workplace… inappropriate."
"Rules are for the weak," he said softly. Then he straightened, smiling, walking back toward the doorway. "Think about it. I'll check tomorrow."
Nyra exhaled slowly, trying to recover from the weird adrenaline spike that had nothing to do with coding.
When she finally left the office later that night, her mind was buzzing not from work, not from problem-solving, but from the way he had just cornered her playfully and left her wanting more control than she usually allowed anyone to have.
Adrian watched her leave from his office, calm, composed… but with a small, satisfied smile.
For the first time, ValeTech had become personal and Nyra had felt it.