The moment I stepped into **Imperium Tech Holdings**, the whispers started.
Eyes flickered toward me—**some curious, some judgmental, and some downright hostile.**
**"She doesn't even look guilty... Look at her dress and heels."**
**"How can she just walk in here like nothing happened?"**
I ignored them. My heels clicked against the marble floor, sharp and deliberate.
🔮 *Let them talk. Let them watch. I was done explaining myself to anyone.*
### **A War of Words** 🎭
A slow clap echoed across the hall.
**Shaw Laine.**
Leaning against my desk, arms crossed, his smirk was pure arrogance.
"Well, well, well... **Look who decided to grace us with her presence.**" His voice dripped with mockery.
I didn't flinch. **I wouldn't give him that satisfaction.**
"If only you'd warned us, dear queen," he continued. "We could've rolled out the red carpet." His gaze shifted beyond me. "And who's that behind you?" His smirk widened. **"Oh, right. The king himself."**
I clenched my jaw. **I didn't have to turn around to know he was talking about Badzz.**
Shaw leaned closer, voice lowering. "**You walk in here like nothing happened. How shameless.**"
I tilted my head slightly, my voice ice-cold. "**You should be grateful I even acknowledge your existence.**"
His smirk faltered for a fraction of a second.
Then, without another word, I turned on my heel and walked away—**as if he were nothing more than a footnote in my life.**
### **Face-to-Face With the Storm** ⚡
I didn't stop until I reached the **President's Office**. My fingers curled around the door handle, steadying myself.
Then I knocked.
**"May I come in?"**
A smooth, measured voice answered. **"Yes, you may."**
Stepping inside, I found **Badzz** lounging behind his desk—watching me like a predator **amused by its prey.**
My pulse quickened. **I hated how effortlessly he unsettled me.**
"Why did you bring me here?" I demanded.
Badzz tilted his head, his smirk deepening. **"Where else should you be?"**
I exhaled sharply. **"If this is about—"**
"Oh wait," he cut me off, feigning realization. "**You want a grand welcome?**" His tone was teasing. **"Fine, I'll make it official."**
Before I could react, he reached for a button on his desk and pressed it.
🔊 **The office-wide PA system activated.**
**"Good morning, dear employees,"** his voice echoed through the building. **"I hereby announce that at exactly 11:00 AM, everyone must gather in the main auditorium. There's something important I need to discuss. Attendance is mandatory."**
He released the button, his smirk unwavering.
I stared at him, incredulous. **"You're insufferable."**
I turned to leave, but before I could take a step, **his hand wrapped around my wrist.**
**I gasped.**
In a blink, I was pulled against his chest, his **heat seeping into my skin.**
"Running already?" he murmured, his breath warm against my ear. **"Afraid of what might happen if you stay?"**
I swallowed hard. **"Let me go, Badzz."**
His grip only tightened. **"Say you don't feel anything."**
His lips brushed against my temple, **trailing lower, stopping just at the curve of my neck.**
A shiver raced through me.
🔥 **"I... I hate you,"** I whispered, my voice weak.
He chuckled darkly. **"Liar."**
Before I could react, his hand slid to my waist, pulling me even closer.
Then—
**A sharp knock on the door.**
I jerked away. **Badzz exhaled sharply, clearly annoyed by the interruption.**
The door swung open.
### **The Audience Arrives** 🎭
**Lenon and Sabnen.**
Lenon grinned, leaning casually against the doorframe. "Oh? **Were we interrupting something?**"
Sabnen smirked. **"Looks like our mighty Badzz finally got tamed."**
"Shut up," Badzz muttered, adjusting his tie as I tried to regain my composure.
Lenon wasn't done. "**We all know you're obsessed, man. No need to pretend.**"
Sabnen nodded. **"Didn't even last five minutes before pulling her into your arms, huh?"**
I rolled my eyes. **"Idiots."**
Badzz glared at his so-called friends. "Do you all have a death wish?"
Lenon just laughed. "Oh, we're loving this."
Sabnen leaned against the desk. "We should start taking bets. How long before he finally admits he can't live without her?"
Badzz groaned. **"Can we get to business?"**
Finally.
A notification flashed across the **company system.**
📊 **BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE REPORT**
The **Veridion Series** market analysis displayed data on the **chip sales of the seven dominant firms** controlled by Badzz and his associates.
The air shifted as everyone focused.
**The teasing was over.**
### **The Power Players** 🎯
📌 **Computer Chip Sales in Veridion (Last Quarter)**
1️⃣ **Badzz** – AI Engineering & Business Strategy (MIT) 🧠💰
- *Net Worth:* **$45 Billion**
- *Status:* **Single (but complicated with Ani)**
2️⃣ **Lenon** – Cybersecurity & Data Intelligence (Stanford) 🔒🖥️
- *Specialty:* Cyber Defence, Data Encryption
- *Status:* **Dating Aisha (Head of Digital Forensics)**
3️⃣ **Sabnen** – Global Finance & Blockchain (Harvard) 💸📈
- *Specialty:* Cryptocurrency, Financial Algorithms
- *Status:* **Engaged to Livia (Corporate Lawyer)**
4️⃣ **Veil** – Nanotechnology (Oxford) ⚛️🦾
- *Specialty:* Robotics, Biomedical Tech
- *Status:* **Single**
5️⃣ **Ansf** – IoT & Smart Tech (Tokyo Tech) 🏠💻
- *Specialty:* Smart Homes, Cloud Computing
- *Status:* **Married to saile(AI Ethics Consultant)**
6️⃣ **Lawry** – Quantum Physics (Cambridge) ⚛️💡
- *Specialty:* Quantum Circuitry, Processors
- *Status:* **Married to Selena (Tech Policy Analyst)**
7️⃣ **TurbD** – AI-Powered Systems (Caltech) 🤖📊
- *Specialty:* AI Integration, Deep Learning
- *Status:* **Single**
8️⃣ **Zian** – Aerospace & Propulsion (MIT) 🚀🛰️
- *Specialty:* Robotics, Space Tech
- *Status:* **Secretly dating Elena (Neural Interface Scientist)**
### **The Strategy Shift** ⚡
Lenon frowned. "Badzz, you know things aren't that simple. We need to discuss the **upcoming government regulations on AI-integrated chips**. We might be leading the market now, but if we don't act fast, we'll be facing restrictions."
Badzz's **teasing demeanor vanished**.
His eyes darkened. **"Then let's make sure we stay ahead. Call the board. I want an emergency strategy meeting after today's announcement."**
Sabnen nodded. **"On it. But there's one more thing..."** He glanced at me, then back at Badzz. **"What's the real deal with Ani? You wouldn't have brought her back for no reason."**
Badzz's lips curved into a knowing smirk.
**"That... is my business."**
His friends exchanged looks.
They knew it.
And so did I.
Daydreaming of Temptation
Ani sat at her desk, her fingers gripping the pen, though she hadn't written a single word in the last five minutes. The office was silent, save for the faint hum of the air conditioner, but her mind was anything but quiet.
Her thoughts were drowning in him .
Badzz.
Her gaze flickered to the glass wall of his office, where he sat, leaning back in his chair, completely at ease—completely unaware of the chaos he had just unleashed in her mind .
She squeezed her eyes shut, but the moment she did, she was pulled back into the memory—the one she swore she wouldn't think about again.
The room had been dimly lit, the only source of light coming from the city skyline behind them. The tension crackled like a live wire, thick and intoxicating.
He released the button of his cuff, rolling up his sleeves lazily, his smirk unwavering.
She could still hear her own voice from that night, laced with irritation, yet betraying her unsteady heartbeat.
"You're insufferable."
She had turned to leave, but before she could take a step, she felt it—his hand wrapping around her wrist.
A gasp escaped her lips.
She had been pulled against his chest , her breath hitching as his warmth seeped into her skin like a slow-burning fire.
"Running already?" His voice had been a low murmur, husky, dangerous. "Afraid of what might happen if you stay?"
Her pulse had pounded, a frantic rhythm betraying the war inside her.
"Let me go, Badzz."
His grip had only tightened, his fingers pressing into the delicate skin of her wrist.
"Say you don't feel anything."
Her breath had caught in her throat when he leaned in, his lips brushing against her temple , trailing lower, stopping at the curve of her neck .
A shiver had raced down her spine, her body betraying her.
🔥 "I... I hate you," she had whispered, but her voice had been weak. A lie.
He had chuckled darkly, the sound dripping with amusement. "Liar."
Then—his hands had slid lower, one pressing firmly against the small of her back, pulling her closer , their bodies flush against each other.
Her hands had gone to his chest, a feeble attempt at pushing him away, but the moment her fingers had met the heat of his skin through his shirt, she had frozen.
His lips had been just inches from hers. His breath, warm and teasing.
And just as she had thought—just as she had feared—
A sharp knock on the door.
She had jerked away.
Badzz had exhaled sharply, clearly annoyed by the interruption.
The spell had been broken.
But the fire had never truly died.
"Ani?"
She snapped out of her daydream with a jolt, blinking rapidly as reality crashed in.
A colleague stood beside her desk, frowning. "Are you okay? You've been staring at your notebook for ages."
Ani swallowed, heat rushing to her cheeks.
Damn him.
Even when he wasn't near, even when she swore to keep her guard up, Badzz invaded her thoughts like a storm.
And the worst part?
She didn't know if she wanted it to stop.