"Noah, that's enough," Noira called out, this time in a much gentler tone than usual. She stepped toward Noah and stopped right beside him. Noira's hand landed lightly on the sleeve of Noah's suit—a spontaneous gesture that left Aina and Dasan staring in shock.
"Dasan, Aina," Noira said coldly, her eyes fixed steadily on her former fiancé. "Noah is the secretary I chose myself. His performance is far more satisfactory than your nonsense. Now get out of my office before I have security drag you both out."
Dasan stared at Noira's hand, still wrapped around Noah's arm. Humiliation and disbelief burned in his chest. "Noira! You're taking that cheap secretary's side over mine?!"
"Dasan, let's go!" Aina whined, beginning to panic as she realized the situation was no longer in their favor. "Noira's only pretending! She just wants to provoke you!"
"Get out," Noira repeated without compromise.
Breathing hard, his face blazing with embarrassment, Dasan finally yanked his arm away from Aina, turned roughly, and strode off down the corridor. Aina hurried after him, shooting Noah a look of bitter hatred.
Bang!
The outer door slammed shut. The top floor fell silent again in an instant.
Noah let out a long sigh, then glanced at the sleeve of his suit, which Noira was still holding. "Ms. Noira... you can let go now. They're out of sight."
Noira startled and quickly pulled her hand back as if she'd just touched a hot iron. She cleared her throat awkwardly and tried to straighten her blazer to hide her embarrassment.
"I just... took advantage of the situation to make them leave faster," Noira said stiffly, refusing to meet Noah's eyes.
"Yeah, I get it," Noah chuckled, rubbing the spot on his arm where Noira had held him. "But honestly, Ms. CEO... your ex-fiancé is kind of ridiculously full of himself, isn't he? His confidence exceeds my monthly internet data allowance."
Noira rolled her eyes, but the tension in her face slowly melted away. "Dasan has always been like that. He thinks every woman will fall to her knees before him."
"But you don't, right?" Noah asked suddenly, stepping closer until his shadow covered Noira. His eyes looked straight into hers, searching for an honest answer.
"You don't still have feelings for that man in the navy shirt, do you?"
Noira raised one eyebrow, trying to maintain her defenses even as her heart began pounding erratically again. "Why? Are you jealous, Secretary Noah? Remember clause five of our contract: jealousy is forbidden."
Noah chuckled softly, lowering his head until his breath brushed the tip of Noira's ear, making the CEO hold her breath at once.
"I'm just making sure my investment asset doesn't change hands, Noira," Noah whispered sensually before straightening and flashing her a sweet smile. "Now drink your coffee before it gets cold, Boss. I'm going back to my desk to pretend I understand how to read stock charts."
Noah turned and strolled toward his desk, leaving Noira standing frozen in place. The CEO wrapped her hands around her warm coffee cup and watched Noah's back with a faint smile she could no longer hide.
The fine-dining restaurant in Jakarta Selatan's business district felt intensely private. Amid the tinkling of silverware and the soft strains of classical music, Dasan Diratama stared blankly at the glass of cabernet sauvignon in his hand. His face was still clouded with irritation over the humiliating incident at the Authum Holdings office that morning.
Across from him, Aina Mahaya cut into her wagyu steak with exquisite grace. The pastel outfit she wore radiated an innocent, blameless air—a carefully planned appearance that had successfully deceived Dasan for years.