The halls of Vierra Holdings buzzed with an unusual kind of energy. Kirah's absence the day before had ignited a storm of whispers and speculation. For some, it was a break from her hawk-eyed attention to detail; for others, especially those who had tasted her sharp tongue and witnessed her ruthlessness when it came to ethical standards, her absence felt like a celebration.
"Why won't she fall sick when she thinks she's the queen of the office?" muttered one executive as he sipped from a coffee mug he hadn't earned.
"I heard she was flirting with some guy at the party," another snickered, peeking around a corner. "And then the Boss saw her. I bet he fired her on the spot."
"Serves her right if it's true," a woman from the accounting department chimed in. "Always acting like she's above everyone."
Rumors were like wildfire—burning across departments, twisting and stretching the truth until they hardly resembled what had actually occurred.
But none of them knew. None of them could even begin to guess.
*Naya's apartment*
Across the city, the sun was already past its morning arc when Kirah finally opened her eyes. Her body was sore in ways that made the night before flash through her memory in fragments ,..Dominic's commanding voice, his intense touch, the way he made her body sing in ways she never imagined. It wasn't just physical; it was spiritual, soul-splitting.
She turned and saw Naya, her best friend, still in the kitchen, preparing toast.
"You're finally awake," Naya smirked. "I was beginning to think you'd given up on adulting."
Kirah sighed, pulling the sheets closer to her body. "I was going to go in early today. Really, I was."
Naya leaned against the kitchen counter with a knowing look. "But now you're hesitating again. Don't let those gossipy, jealous people scare you off. You're Kirah. You don't cower. You rise."
"I'm not scared of them," Kirah muttered.
"Then what is it? Dominic?"
Kirah nodded silently.
Naya walked over and sat at the edge of the bed. "Listen. That man... he's obsessed. He may not show it, but you took him by surprise. You're not like the others. You were his challenge and guess what? You didn't just survive; you left a mark. Now get your fine ass in the shower and show them who's boss."
Kirah managed a smile and slowly got up. Her limbs still ached slightly, but her spirit felt steadier. She could do this. She had to.
*Vierra Holdings*
Vierra Holdings stood tall, glittering like the gem it was in the heart of the business district. Inside, the murmur of conversation dipped into an uneasy silence as Kirah stepped through the main doors.
Her heels clicked purposefully against the marble floor. Every step announced her presence. Every eye in the hallway, break room, and open office turned toward her.
Whispers halted. Screens flickered back on. Folders were opened in nervous haste.
Kirah didn't flinch. She didn't greet anyone either. She made her way directly to her office, back straight, face unreadable.
Behind her, one of the senior analysts whispered to another, "Damn... she really came back."
"Yeah, and with that face like she owns the damn place. Damn her"!
"I wonder if the Boss knows she's here."
---
Dominic sat in his glass-walled office, overlooking the open floor. His jaw clenched slightly as his eyes locked on the movement below.
Kirah.
She was back.
She looked… incredible.
Even though he kept his expression blank, his insides were a storm. He wanted to rush downstairs, grab her, and kiss her until she remembered everything about two nights ago. Her softness. Her tightness. Her moans.
But no.
She had told him not to overthink it.
So he wouldn't.
At least, that's what he told himself.
He leaned back in his chair, adjusting his cufflinks, but his gaze didn't leave her. His secretary came in with a few files, but he barely glanced at them.
"Sir," she said cautiously, "Kirah's back. She came in a little late."
He nodded once. "Good."
The secretary hesitated. "Shall I call her in for a report?"
"No," he said too quickly. Then composed himself. "Let her catch up first."
He watched her the way a hawk watched prey but this wasn't about domination. This was about desire, possession. He didn't want her for a night. He wanted her in his world, in his life, beneath him, beside him. He wanted to make her scream his name again but also see her name printed on the corner of his contracts as co-signatory.
That tight, perfect body was seared into his memory. Her gasps, the way her eyes fluttered when he touched her, how her whole being trembled when he entered her. Virgin. Untouched. His.
And now she was here.
Acting like nothing had happened.
He hated that.
But he respected it.
And it made him want her more. Just that he wasn't going to chase her anymore.
" I'm usually the hunted not the hunter".
At least that's what he has known himself to be all his life only if it'll be applicable to Kirah.
---
Back at her desk, Kirah took a deep breath. She opened her system, began checking the reports, reviewing schedules, and diving into the numbers that came naturally to her.
But in the back of her mind, she felt it those eyes.
Dominic's eyes.
He was watching her. She didn't have to look to know.
And the truth was... she liked it.
Despite everything, despite the class difference, the rumors, the power imbalance she wanted him too.
Maybe, just maybe, this was the beginning of something neither of them saw coming.
"I really don't fucking know how to behave right now..shit"!
She confessed as she's prepares to enter his office.