[EVE]
Michael's grin told me that he couldn't care less about all my excuses.
"Wait—" I began, but he was already rummaging through a drawer. He pulled out a small, sleek black box and placed it in front of me.
"What's this?" I asked suspiciously.
"Your birthday gift," he said nonchalantly, shrugging on his lab coat. "I've been too busy, and you've been too busy avoiding your responsibilities here for me to give it to you earlier."
I frowned, but curiosity got the better of me. Opening the box, I found a single, shiny pill nestled inside. My brow furrowed. "What is this supposed to be?"
"A nanotech tracking device," Michael replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I could give it to you via injection but swallowing it is much painless."
I blinked. "You want me to
swallow
this thing? Is it even safe?"
He nodded. "It's completely safe. Once ingested, it stays in your bloodstream indefinitely. It doesn't interfere with your body in any way—just a minimal amount of nanotech designed to help us track your location accurately."
Your journey continues on empire
I held the pill between my fingers, scrutinizing it as though it might explode. "This feels . . . invasive. Is it really necessary?"
Michael's expression turned serious. "Yes. You've been kidnapped more times than I can count, and your life is always in danger. This isn't about spying on you—it's about keeping you safe."
His words hit me harder than I expected. Despite his brusque demeanor, the gesture was undeniably thoughtful. "Thank you," I said softly, a warmth spreading through my chest.
Michael grinned, ruffling my hair like I was a little kid. "Don't mention it. Just make sure you finish those papers before nightfall."
My gratitude vanished in an instant. "What? You're leaving me with all this?" I gestured helplessly at the stacks of documents.
He laughed, already heading for the door. "You're the boss, remember?"
Before I could argue further, he was gone, leaving me alone to face the monstrous pile of paperwork. I groaned, muttering under my breath, "Best birthday gift ever . . . except for the part where I have to read and sign a mountain of papers."
Still, Michael was right—this
was
my company now. Owning 70% of the shares meant I had to take responsibility, even if it wasn't my favorite thing to do.
Besides, Michael was much more needed in the lab than sitting behind a desk buried in paperwork. So, with a resigned sigh, I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.
An hour in, I already regretted every life decision that had brought me to this moment. My head was spinning from staring at endless contracts, and my wrist felt like it had run a marathon, thanks to the constant signing.
"I think I need backup . . ." I muttered under my breath. The stack of documents seemed to multiply every time I looked at it, and at this rate, I'd be stuck here until next week.
But when I tried reaching out to my staff, I quickly realized they were all busy. Claire was tied up with real estate deals, Georgina was helping Hyun with his first holiday collection, and everyone else was dealing with my other business ventures and investments.
Was there no one I could count on, right now?
As if on cue, my phone buzzed. Cole's name flashed across the screen.
I groaned. Of course, it had to be him.
Cole was nothing if not persistent. I knew if I didn't pick up, he'd just keep calling until my phone gave out or my sanity did. So, like any sensible person in my situation, I did the mature thing . . . I turned off my phone and went back to work.
Another hour passed, and I was half-asleep at my desk, probably drooling on some poor legal document, when the door suddenly slammed open.
"What the—" I jolted upright, hastily wiping the saliva from my mouth and blinking blearily.
And there he was. Cole, in all his insufferable glory, stood in the doorway. He looked like he'd just walked off the cover of
Men's Elite
, holding a magazine in one hand and frowning at it like it had personally insulted him.
"Eve, we have a problem," he announced, striding inside like he owned the place.
I stared at him, disoriented. "Am I dreaming? What are you even doing here?"
Instead of answering, Cole leaned over my desk. Before I could process what was happening, his lips brushed against mine.
My brain short-circuited.
"What—what are you doing?!" I scrambled back, my face heating up as I wiped my lips furiously.
He straightened casually, as if nothing had happened, and sank into the chair across from me, crossing his legs with infuriating ease. "Are you awake now? I called you. You didn't answer."
"So your solution was to break in and—" I gestured vaguely, my voice climbing several octaves.
"Exactly." He shrugged, completely unfazed.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. This man was going to be the death of me. "How did you even get in here?"
"I have my ways," he said cryptically, smirking as if he had just solved world hunger.
I sighed in defeat, slumping back into my seat. There was no point in arguing; Cole did what Cole wanted.
"So, what's this problem you mentioned?" I asked, motioning to the magazine he was clutching.
He tossed it onto the desk in front of me. "This."
I picked it up, frowning as I scanned the glossy pages. "Élysée Luxe? Isn't this the issue where we are the main feature? They're already printing it?"
"No," he said, his tone turning serious. "This is the preliminary layout."
I rolled my eyes. "Okay, so what's the big deal, about it?" I said flipping the pages.
"Everything," he said dramatically, jabbing a finger at the magazine like it was a ticking time bomb.
I stared at him, unimpressed. "Care to elaborate, or are we just going to sit here glaring at it?"