Evaline:
When morning arrived, so did Saturday.
I was standing in front of the tall headquarters building, hugging my coat tighter around me. A cool wind rustled through my hair, but it wasn’t the breeze that was sending shivers down my spine.
It was the thought of him.
River Thorne.
I had prepared myself all week - mentally, emotionally, even physically. Or so I thought.
As I walked into the building, I was surprised to find the front desk nearly empty except for one woman typing quietly. She offered me a polite nod but said nothing.
The upper floors were quiet. It was the kind of calm only early weekends could bring. I hesitated in front of River’s office, but then slowly pushed the door open.
The place was... empty.
He wasn’t here.
I blinked before looking around to make sure I hadn’t walked into the wrong room. But no, this was the same place. His scent was still lingering faintly in the air.
I stood there, in the middle of the room, in stunned silence which was finally broken moments later when my phone buzzed in my pocket.
It was a message from River, the first one he had ever sent me. And the only thing that let me recognize it’s him was the content of the message.
I won’t be in today. Your tasks are waiting for you on your desk. Finish them before the day ends.
That was it. No hello. No explanation. No sarcasm or insults or veiled threats.
For a moment, I just stared at the message. And then... I smiled.
For the first time since the internship began, I smiled while standing in his office.
The table was looking friendlier without him behind it. A neat pile of documents, a notebook, and a digital folder were waiting for me like loyal pets on my desk on the other side of the office.
I slipped into the chair, pulled the files toward me, and started reading through the summaries and progress reports from various departments under his charge.
With him not breathing down my neck, the atmosphere was shockingly light. I was focused. Energized. Every completed task gave me a sense of accomplishment.
And even before I knew it, the morning was gone in a blink
At lunch, I joined a group of interns in the cafeteria - a first for me.
They were warm, talkative, and surprisingly curious about me. Though none of them asked directly about River, I caught the subtle looks.
"Working directly under Alpha River must be intense," one girl whispered, but I only shrugged with a small smile. No one needed to know the truth - that the man was a beautiful, walking hurricane who shredded nerves and dignity for sport.
By the time I returned to the office, I was in a mood I hadn’t felt in weeks.
Happy.
With a tall glass of chilled coconut water in hand, I leaned against the desk and resumed my work. The humming came naturally. A light, silly tune I remembered from childhood. My shoulders were relaxed. My mind stopped racing. And the space was feeling brighter. Peaceful.
And that should have been my warning.
Because peace never lasted long for me.
The door creaked open, causing my heart to drop. I didn’t need to look up to know who it was.
The room grew colder, heavier, as if winter itself had stepped in.
Slow, confident footsteps echoed across the polished floor until he was standing beside the desk, just slightly to my right. I was feeling the weight of his gaze on me before I even looked up.
Still, I did... slowly... and met his deep green eyes.
He was looking... tired. His hair was slightly tousled like he had run a hand through it too many times. The dark button-up shirt was fitting him perfectly, as always, but his sleeves were rolled up and his jaw was more tense than usual.
For a moment, he didn’t say anything. Just stared.
Then his eyes drifted to the half-empty coconut water glass beside me. "Having a vacation, are we?"
I didn’t flinch. "I finished all the morning files. Just returned from lunch."
He arched an eyebrow. "And the humming? Was that part of the productivity strategy?"
I tilted my chin up, not backing down. "It helps with focus."
His lips curved into something between a smirk and a sneer. "Next time, hum silently."
And just like that, the warm, calm space crumbled under his voice.
I exhaled slowly and turned back to the computer. "You said you wouldn’t be in today."
"I changed my mind."
Of course, he did.
I resumed working, trying to ignore the way his presence was filling the room like smoke. He moved behind me, probably toward the files I hadn’t gotten to yet. I heard him flipping through papers, tapping at his tablet, and even pacing occasionally.
Minutes passed.
Maybe more.
But the silence wasn’t peaceful anymore. It was sharp. Watching. Testing.
I glanced sideways once and caught him leaning against the window. He had his arms folded, while his eyes were on me - not just watching but studying.
"What?" I asked before I could stop myself.
He blinked, slowly. "You are in a better mood today."
I didn’t answer. I didn’t trust myself to.
He tilted his head and continued, "Did I miss a birthday?"
"Maybe you missed the part where you weren’t here." I looked back at the screen and tapped too hard on the keyboard. "That probably had something to do with it."
He pushed away from the window and walked around the desk until he was standing in front of me. I saw the shift in his expression. Not angry. Not smug. But... curious.
"Interesting," he murmured. "So my absence improves your productivity."
"Immensely."
His gaze flicked over my face as if he was searching for something. "I’m not the monster you think I am, Evaline."
That caught me off guard. I blinked, not expecting... that. "Could have fooled me," I muttered much to myself, but he heard me.
"I could have done worse," he said in a low voice. "You have had it easy so far."
I pushed back from the desk and stood up. "Is that a threat?"
His jaw tightened, and he stepped closer. "No. It’s a reminder."
Now we were inches apart, and I hated how fast my pulse was racing. His presence was like ice and fire all at once - unnerving, cold, and yet it sparked something in me I didn’t want to name.
"I don’t need reminders, River. I’m doing this internship because I earned it. I don’t need you looming over me to prove a point."
His eyes darkened. "You are right. You earned it."
I blinked again. What?
Before I could process his words, he stepped back and turned away.
"Leave the rest of the files," he said over his shoulder. "You have done enough for today."
I stood there, frozen for a few seconds, and completely unsure whether I had just been praised or warned.
Or both.
He paused at the door and added, "Don’t forget your water."
I picked up the glass with my heart still thumping. I watched as he glanced at me again with unreadable eyes.
"For what it’s worth, I didn’t want to ruin your good mood."
And then he was gone.
The door clicked shut behind him, and I was left standing in a room that felt too quiet, too heavy... too confusing.
What just happened?