Chapter 8 A Beating Heart
The next day, when Kirana arrived at the office, the man was already waiting for her outside her office.
"Kirana," he called in a flat tone, though his gaze seemed to read every thought in her mind. "Come into my office. We need to talk."
Kirana swallowed. She wasn't ready.
"But, sir, I have to finish the report..."
"The report can wait. This is more important."
Not wanting to attract the attention of her coworkers, Kirana finally followed Adrian into his office.
As soon as the door closed, the atmosphere changed. There was no one else in the room, just the two of them.
Kirana stood by the door, waiting for Adrian to speak. Instead, the man walked over to his desk and leaned against the edge, his arms crossed over his chest.
"I don't like this game, Kirana."
Kirana blinked. "What game?"
Adrian stared intently at her. "You pretend nothing happened, even though I know you're thinking about it too."
Kirana's heart began to race. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Adrian gave her a crooked smile. "Oh, really?"
Then, casually, he walked toward her. Without realizing it, Kirana backed away until her back pressed against the door.
"Every time I'm near you, you tense up. Just like now," Adrian murmured, his voice low. "You try to pretend, but your body can't lie."
Kirana clenched her hands. She wanted to argue, but her lips felt numb.
Adrian leaned his face a little closer, just enough for Kirana to catch his distinctive masculine scent.
"I want an answer, Kirana."
Kirana lifted her chin, trying to regain control of herself. "An answer to what?"
Adrian smiled faintly, but his eyes were sharp. "Are you going to keep avoiding me?"
Kirana wanted to say yes. She wanted to stay on the safe path.
But something inside her told her that as long as Adrian was around, avoiding him wasn't really an option. And that was what frightened her most.
Kirana tried to draw a deep breath, struggling to regain control. She couldn't let Adrian keep pressuring her like this.
"What do you want from me, sir?" Kirana finally asked, trying to keep her tone flat.
Adrian didn't answer right away. He simply watched Kirana, as if weighing something in his mind.
"I want us to talk honestly," he said at last. "Stop pretending that night never happened."
Kirana clenched her fists. "That night was a mistake."
Adrian's eyes narrowed slightly. "A mistake?"
Kirana nodded firmly, even though her heart was pounding. "Yes. I was drunk. I was heartbroken. I wasn't thinking clearly."
Adrian stared at her for a long moment, then moved a little closer. "Then why do you still react every time I come near you?"
Kirana opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Adrian gave her a crooked smile. "I'm not going to force you to admit anything, Kirana. But I want you to know one thing: I don't regret it."
Kirana froze. She hadn't expected Adrian to say something like that so bluntly.
Adrian continued in a softer yet still intense tone. "I know you want to maintain professionalism at the office. So do I. But there's something you need to know."
Kirana swallowed. "What?"
"I'm not going to pretend I don't want you."
Kirana's heart seemed to stop beating.
Adrian raised one eyebrow, his expression filled with confidence. "So if you really want to avoid me, go ahead. But I won't make it easy for you."
With that, Adrian stepped back and returned to his desk, as if their conversation had been nothing more than an ordinary discussion.
Meanwhile, Kirana remained rooted to the spot, trying to calm the turmoil in her chest.
And more troubling still, she wasn't sure whether she truly wanted to avoid that man.