On the third day, the tension reached its peak when Jack’s assistant approached Aleyne and informed her that the CEO wanted to see her in his office. Her heart skipped a beat, and she felt a cold wave of fear wash over her. This was it. He was going to reprimand her, or worse fire her. She had seen this coming, but the thought of actually facing it made her knees weak. Aleyne took a deep breath, trying to steady herself as she made her way to Jack’s office. The walk felt like an eternity, and by the time she reached the door, she was trembling. She hesitated for a moment before knocking, her hand shaking slightly.
Jack’s voice from inside: calmly "Come in, Aleyne."
With a deep breath, she pushed the door open, stepping inside the office. The door clicked shut behind her, and she stood there, heart pounding, as she awaited her fate. As Aleyne stood frozen just inside Jack's office, her mind raced with a whirlwind of thoughts. She slowly turned to close the door, feeling like she was sealing her own fate. The heavy click of the latch echoed in the room, amplifying her sense of impending doom. Aleyne's Thoughts: “I’m dead. Any minute now, he’s going to fire me. And then I’ll have to go home and die all over again in front of my aunt. Oh, God, why can’t I just jump out of this window and escape? Wait… this is only the second floor. Who dies from jumping out of a second-floor window? Silly me. But seriously, how am I supposed to face this lion at work and the crocodile at home?!” Lost in her spiraling thoughts, Aleyne didn’t notice that Jack had quietly risen from his chair. He moved closer, his footsteps so soft that they barely made a sound on the polished floor. Her mind was still running wild when she suddenly sensed his presence right in front of her. Startled, she jerked back, her breath catching in her throat as she met his gaze.
For a moment, Aleyne felt her entire body go numb. Jack was standing so close that she could feel the warmth radiating from him, his scent a mix of subtle cologne and something distinctly him enveloping her senses. Time seemed to slow as he leaned in, his face inches from hers. Her heart pounded so loudly in her ears that she was sure he could hear it. Aleyne's Thoughts: “What is he doing? Is he about to…? No, no, no! What am I even thinking? This can’t be happening! Should I step back? Yell for help? Or just… Oh my God, please, someone help me I really can’t think straight!” As her mind spun in a chaotic mix of fear and something else she couldn’t quite identify, Jack’s eyes locked onto hers, intense and unreadable. His expression softened for a brief moment, and then his lips curved into a slow, knowing smile one that sent a shiver down her spine. “Aleyne,” Jack’s voice was low, almost a whisper, but it held a firmness that made her stomach twist. His sharp eyes seemed to pierce through her as if he could see right into her panicked thoughts. She couldn’t tell if he was amused, annoyed, or something else entirely. For a split second, Aleyne was convinced he could read her mind, that he knew exactly what wild, nonsensical thoughts were racing through her head. The intensity of his gaze, the proximity of his face to hers it was all too much. Just when she thought she might faint from the tension, Jack’s smile turned into something almost mischievous, and he straightened up, turning away to return to his chair.
The moment he broke eye contact, Aleyne let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Her chest heaved as she tried to steady her breathing, her thoughts still a jumbled mess. Her legs felt weak, and she wasn’t sure if it was from fear, relief, or the lingering effects of his nearness. Jack settled into his chair with the same calm composure he’d shown throughout the ordeal as if nothing unusual had happened at all. Meanwhile, Aleyne was struggling to pull herself together, her mind still reeling from the unexpected encounter. Aleyne's Thoughts: “What just happened? Did he was he no, it couldn’t be. But then why do I feel like this? And why did he smile like that? Oh God, I need to get a grip.” As she stood there, trying to regain her composure, Jack leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving her. There was a hint of amusement in his gaze now, as if he knew exactly the effect he had on her and was thoroughly enjoying it.
Jack: calmly “Aleyne, you can relax. I didn’t call you in here to reprimand you. I just wanted to… clarify a few things.”
Aleyne nodded, though her mind was still too frazzled to process his words fully. Her heart was still racing, and the memory of how close he had been how his breath had brushed against her skin was making it difficult to focus on anything else. Jack: with a slight smirk “It seems you’re a bit… tense. Don’t worry, I’m not as frightening as people make me out to be. But you should know, I’m very observant. I notice everything.” His words sent another wave of nervous energy through her, but there was also something in his tone a subtle playfulness that made her cheeks flush. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was teasing her, and if so, what that meant. As the silence stretched between them, Jack finally leaned forward, his demeanor shifting to something more serious.
Jack: gently, but with authority “Aleyne, I’m not here to make your life difficult. But I do expect you to be honest with me, and with yourself. Whatever’s going on in your mind… you need to clear it. Focus on your work, and trust that I have things under control. Understand?” Aleyne nodded again, this time more resolutely. Something was reassuring in his words, even if they didn’t entirely alleviate her anxiety. As she turned to leave, her hand on the door handle, she couldn’t resist one last glance back at him. Jack: with a final, soft smile “And Aleyne… don’t be afraid to breathe.” She blinked, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks once more. Without another word, she quickly exited his office, closing the door behind her. As she walked back to her desk, her mind was a whirlwind of emotions relief, confusion, and an odd flutter in her chest that she couldn’t quite explain.
Aleyne's Thoughts: “What just happened? Is he just being kind? Or… no, don’t go there. Focus on your work, Aleyne. Just focus.”
But even as she tried to shake off the encounter, the memory of Jack’s smile, his nearness, and his unreadable gaze lingered in her mind, making it impossible to concentrate on anything else. These days, Aleyne felt an unfamiliar warmth creeping into her life. It was subtle at first, but now it was undeniable something had shifted. Even when her aunt was around, even when she had to endure the constant nagging and yelling, she found herself breathing a little easier. It was as if the weight she had carried for so long had lightened, but she couldn’t quite understand why. Aleyne's Thoughts: “What’s happening to me? Is it my parents blessing me from above? Or is God trying to change my path? My life had been nothing but sorrow before Jack came into it… but is it really okay for me to think about him like this? He’s the CEO wealthy, powerful, from a big family and he’s so charming. How could I ever stand beside someone like him? I’m just… me.” As these thoughts swirled in her mind, a sigh escaped her lips, bringing with it a familiar pang of sorrow. The brief sense of peace she had felt began to fade, replaced by the old, haunting doubts that had always lingered at the edges of her mind.
Aleyne's Thoughts: “How could I even think there’s hope for me? He’s way out of my league. I’m just an orphan girl living with my aunt because I have no other choice. He’s probably just being kind out of pity. That must be it. He knows everything about me he would have done a background check on all the staff before he joined. Maybe he’s just showing compassion for someone in a difficult situation. That’s all it is.” Aleyne tried to convince herself of this every time she crossed paths with Jack, every time their eyes met in the hallway, or when he spoke to her with that calm, understanding tone. But even as she repeated these thoughts to herself, there was a part of her that couldn’t help but wonder what if it was something more? What if, somehow, this new warmth in her life wasn’t just a product of her imagination, but a sign of something real?
Aleyne's Thoughts: “No, I have to stop thinking like this. I can’t get my hopes up. It’s better to keep my distance, to remind myself that he’s just being kind. That’s all.” But despite her attempts to push these feelings aside, they lingered, making it harder and harder to ignore the change that had come into her life since Jack’s arrival. Even if she didn’t understand it, and even if it filled her with doubt, she couldn’t deny the difference he had made, and the way he had unknowingly started to lift her out of the darkness she had lived in for so long. Meanwhile, no one could guess what was running through Jack’s mind. His silence was as unreadable as ever, leaving everyone around him, especially Aleyne wondering about his true intentions. Why did he care for her, even when she couldn’t care for herself? Why did he take such an interest in her life, despite knowing her background? Whatever the reason, Jack kept his thoughts to himself, quietly observing, and taking care of Aleyne in ways that were almost imperceptible, yet deeply felt by her. And so, Aleyne continued to navigate this strange, new territory caught between the fear of believing in something more and the growing warmth that refused to be extinguished, no matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise.
to be continued in Chapter 6....
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