CHAPTER 7: JEALOUSY & CONFUSION
573 Words
The Tokyo branch of Cruz Enterprises was nothing like the Manila headquarters.
It was quieter.
Sleeker.
More polished in a way that made everything feel even more controlled.
Lia followed Ethan through the glass corridor, trying to match his pace. He walked ahead without hesitation, speaking briefly with executives who bowed as they passed.
She was still adjusting to the new environment when they entered the conference room.
The meeting began immediately.
Data. Proposals. Negotiations.
Lia stayed silent, taking notes, observing.
Until she noticed something unusual.
A man across the table kept glancing at her.
Not in a professional way.
In a curious way.
Warm. Friendly. Too relaxed for this kind of room.
When the meeting ended, he approached her directly.
"You're new here?" he asked with a small smile.
Lia nodded politely. "Yes. I'm assisting Mr. Cruz."
The man's smile widened slightly. "I'm Kenji Nakamura. I handle the Tokyo partnership team."
He offered his hand.
Lia hesitated briefly, then shook it.
"It's nice to meet you."
Ethan saw it.
He didn't react immediately.
But something in his gaze sharpened.
Later that evening, the meeting officially ended, and the team slowly dispersed.
Lia gathered her documents near the hallway when Kenji approached her again.
"You did well in there," he said casually.
"Most assistants don't keep up with Ethan Cruz."
Lia gave a small, polite smile. "I just try to do my job properly."
Kenji leaned slightly against the wall. "Still. You seem different."
Before Lia could respond, a voice cut through the space.
Cold.
Sharp.
Final.
"Leave."
Both of them turned.
Ethan stood a few steps away.
His expression was unreadable-but the atmosphere around him had changed.
Kenji blinked. "We were just talking-"
"I said leave."
Silence.
Even the hallway felt colder.
Kenji straightened, raising his hands slightly in surrender.
"Alright, alright. No problem."
He gave Lia a brief nod before walking away.
Lia stood frozen.
That wasn't normal.
Not even for Ethan.
She turned to him carefully. "Sir... was that necessary?"
Ethan didn't answer immediately.
His eyes stayed on the direction Kenji left.
Then he said, flatly:
"You're here to work. Not socialize."
The ride back to the hotel was silent.
Too silent.
Lia sat in the car beside Ethan, staring out the window while neon lights blurred past them.
She could still feel the tension from earlier.
Something about Ethan had shifted.
Not openly.
But noticeably.
When they arrived, she finally spoke.
"Sir... did I do something wrong?"
Ethan stopped walking.
Just for a moment.
Then continued toward the elevator.
"You didn't do anything wrong."
That made it worse.
Because his tone said otherwise.
Lia followed him into the elevator.
The doors closed.
The silence became heavier.
She tried again.
"Then why did you-"
"Stop."
One word.
Lia fell silent immediately.
Ethan didn't look at her.
But his jaw was slightly tense.
After a long pause, he finally spoke again-lower this time.
"Don't let people get too close."
Lia blinked. "What?"
He finally looked at her.
And for the first time, there was something different in his eyes.
Not coldness.
Not authority.
Something more complicated.
Dangerously close to emotion.
"It becomes a problem," he said.
The elevator dinged.
They reached their floor.
The doors opened.
But Lia didn't move right away.
Because she suddenly realized something she couldn't ignore anymore.
Ethan Cruz wasn't just controlling her work anymore.
He was reacting.
To her.
And he didn't seem to like it.
- Writer
