Kirana was still standing where she was, trying to process what had just happened.
Adrian lifted his chin slightly. "Or would you rather stay here?"
Kirana let out a quiet sigh, then turned and hurried out. As soon as the door closed behind her, she pressed a hand to her chest, feeling her erratic heartbeat.
Adrian Rahardian wasn't just a domineering boss. He was dangerous, too.
And she couldn't let herself get in any deeper.
Since their meeting in his office earlier, Kirana had been trying even harder to act normal. She kept reminding herself that Adrian was only her boss—nothing more, nothing less.
But that theory completely fell apart the moment they met in the conference room.
Adrian sat in the head chair, wearing a gray suit that framed his body perfectly. He looked serious, flipping through the documents in his hands while listening to the marketing team's presentation.
Kirana tried to focus on her own materials, but her eyes kept drifting toward Adrian without her realizing it.
And every time she did, the man was already looking at her.
It wasn't an ordinary look.
There was something in his eyes that made Kirana feel as though she were being tested. As if Adrian wanted to see how long she could pretend not to be affected.
Damn it.
Kirana tightened her grip on the pen in her hand and turned away, pretending to write something in her notebook.
But not long afterward, she heard Adrian's voice break the silence.
"Kirana," he called.
She jumped and turned toward him. "Yes, sir?"
Adrian leaned back in his chair, his expression as calm as before. "What do you think of this project?"
Kirana blinked several times, trying to recall the main points of the presentation that had just been given. She took a deep breath and explained her thoughts fairly smoothly, even though her heart was still pounding.
When she finished, Adrian gave a small nod. "Good. Keep it up."
Kirana nodded politely, but inside, she felt as though this were a trap.
As if Adrian were looking for an opening to throw her off.
When the meeting ended, everyone began gathering their documents and preparing to leave. Kirana did the same, hoping she could get back to her desk without any incidents.
However, as she passed Adrian, the man suddenly spoke in a low voice.
"Stop avoiding me, Kirana."
Kirana came to a halt.
She turned toward him warily, but Adrian merely offered a faint smile before returning his attention to his documents.
Kirana's throat felt dry. She hurried out of the room without looking back.
But as soon as she reached her desk, Dinda was already standing there, eyeing her suspiciously.
"Kirana," she murmured, crossing her arms over her chest. "What's going on between you and Mr. Adrian?"
Kirana's heart nearly leaped into her throat. "Huh? What do you mean?"
Dinda narrowed her eyes. "I may not be as smart as you, but I'm not blind. During the meeting, Mr. Adrian kept looking at us."
Kirana tried to laugh it off. "Oh, maybe it's because I'm still new. He's the boss, so it's only natural for him to pay attention to his employees' performance."
Dinda didn't look satisfied with that answer, but eventually she shrugged. "Well, I hope you're right."
As soon as Dinda left, Kirana sank into her chair and let out a heavy sigh.
She'd only been at this office for a few days, but the secret between them already felt impossible to hide.
And worse, Adrian wasn't trying to hide it.
On the contrary, the man seemed to be deliberately inviting her to face something Kirana herself wasn't ready for.