Chapter 10: I Know My Limits
“Kirana.”
His voice was low and deep, immediately drawing her attention.
Reluctantly, Kirana looked up. “Yes, sir?”
Adrian fixed her with a sharp look before finally saying, “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
Kirana frowned. “What do you mean?”
Adrian set down his coffee cup, then leaned back in his chair. “You work harder than anyone else on this team. I appreciate that, but I don’t want to see you exhaust yourself, either.”
There was something in his voice that left Kirana speechless. She knew Adrian was a strict, dominant boss—sometimes even an annoying one—but there was sincerity in his words this time.
For a moment, Kirana felt her heart soften.
But she quickly reminded herself who she was and who Adrian was.
“I’m fine,” she replied curtly, trying to maintain the boundaries between them that were growing thinner by the day.
Adrian watched her for a few seconds before finally sighing. “All right, if that’s what you want.”
He returned his focus to his work, and Kirana tried to do the same.
But the atmosphere between them had changed. Something remained unspoken, yet it was so undeniably real.
An hour passed, and Kirana finally finished her work. She stretched her sore shoulders and glanced at the clock on her laptop screen. It was almost midnight.
“Are you done?” Adrian asked, breaking the silence.
Kirana nodded. “Yes.”
Adrian closed his laptop, then stood. “I’ll drive you home.”
Kirana immediately shook her head. “That’s not necessary, sir. I can get home by myself.”
Adrian looked at her, his expression impossible to read. “Kirana, it’s almost midnight. I’m not going to let you go home alone.”
His tone was final, leaving no room for argument.
Kirana opened her mouth to protest, but eventually gave in. She knew Adrian wouldn’t accept no for an answer.
“All right,” she murmured.
Adrian gave her a small smile. “Good.”
The drive was quiet, but not awkward.
Kirana gazed out the window, taking in the glittering city lights.
But her thoughts were still filled with the man beside her.
“Why do you always try to distance yourself from me, Kirana?”
Adrian’s voice broke the silence, making Kirana tense instantly.
She turned toward him and found him staring straight ahead at the road, his jaw tight as if he were holding something back.
Kirana bit her lip. “I’m not distancing myself.”
Adrian gave a soft laugh, but he didn’t sound genuinely amused. “You’re always avoiding me. You refuse to admit there’s something between us.”
Kirana felt her heart begin to race. “Because I know my limits, sir.”
Adrian let out a long breath, then glanced at her. His gaze was sharp, piercing straight through her thoughts.
“I’ll give you time, Kirana.” His voice sounded deeper, more serious. “But don’t expect me to stop.”
Kirana didn’t know how to respond. Because deep down, she knew the boundaries she had fought so hard to maintain were beginning to crumble, little by little.
Adrian’s car glided calmly along the roads, which were growing quieter by the minute. But inside the car, the tension only grew stronger.
Kirana gripped her bag tightly, trying to ignore her erratic heartbeat.
Adrian didn’t say anything else after that. Yet the silence that followed felt even more dangerous.
A few minutes later, the car finally stopped in front of Kirana’s apartment.
“We’re here,” Adrian said shortly, turning toward her.
Kirana hurriedly unfastened her seat belt, eager to get out before her mind started imagining things it shouldn’t.
But just as her hand touched the door handle, Adrian’s voice stopped her.
“Kirana.”
She closed her eyes for a moment before turning toward him. “Yes?”
Adrian stared at her for a long time, as if weighing something.
Then, in a quieter, deeper voice, he said, “I’m serious.”
Kirana’s heart seemed to leap into her throat.
She knew what Adrian meant.
And that only made her panic more.
Swallowing hard, Kirana tried to remain calm. “Good night, Mr. Adrian.”
She quickly opened the door and got out before her thoughts grew even more chaotic. But before she could close the door, Adrian’s voice came again.
“Kirana.”
She looked up, and their eyes met.
“I know you feel it too,” Adrian said softly, almost in a whisper.
Kirana caught her breath.
Adrian didn’t wait for an answer. He gave her one last look, then finally closed the door from inside and drove away. He left Kirana standing in front of her apartment, her head more crowded than ever and her heart wavering.
The next morning, Kirana tried to ignore everything that had happened the night before.
She tried to act normally when she entered the office, greeted her coworkers, and turned on her laptop as if nothing had changed. But all her efforts immediately went to waste when she stepped into the meeting room for the morning meeting.
There, at the end of the long table, Adrian was already seated in his neatly tailored black suit, his calm expression nearly impossible to read.
And worse, the man’s gaze immediately fixed on her the moment she entered. It wasn’t the formal look of a boss toward his subordinate. It was a look that seemed to say, We’re not finished, Kirana.
Kirana’s stomach instantly twisted into knots.
She lowered her head and hurried to take a seat on the other side of the table, trying to get as far away from him as possible.
Even though she knew it was impossible to avoid Adrian. He had already decided he wasn’t going to let her go so easily.