Chapter 3
1152 Words
The next morning, Alya woke up earlier than usual.
She barely slept the night before, already planning what she would do to get Grey's attention.
If bringing him dinner didn't work, maybe lunch would.
Alya quickly got out of bed and headed to the kitchen. She wanted to prepare Grey's favorite food herself and bring it directly to his office.
Today, she was determined to make him notice her.
After spending the morning preparing everything, she carefully packed the food into a lunch box.
She smiled proudly at what she had made.
“Perfect.”
She couldn't wait to see Grey's reaction.
Grey Anderson was currently managing the Anderson family's company, **Anderson Empire**, one of the biggest and most influential companies in Monarch City. The Anderson family's influence extended far beyond the city, reaching businesses and connections around the world.
As the eldest and only son in the Anderson family, Grey was the future heir.
Although he was still relatively new to running the company himself, people already respected him. He was known for being intelligent, decisive, and exceptionally capable of handling the family's business.
He had been trained for it since childhood.
While Grey was already managing a massive empire, Alya was only a second-year college student at Bethany Academy, one of the most prestigious and wealthiest schools in Monarch City.
But none of that mattered to Alya.
All she cared about was bringing lunch to the man she loved.
---
When Alya arrived at Anderson Empire, the security guards immediately recognized her.
“Good morning, Ma'am Alya.”
“Good morning!” she replied with a bright smile.
She was already familiar with many of the employees because she often visited the company.
Everyone knew her.
And Alya was naturally approachable, so the employees had grown fond of her over the years.
“Good morning, Ma'am.”
“Good morning!”
She smiled and greeted everyone as she walked toward the elevator.
Inside, several employees immediately greeted her as well.
“Good morning, Ma'am Alya.”
“Good morning,” she replied cheerfully.
Alya had always been kind to everyone around her.
Perhaps that was one of the reasons many people thought she was a perfect match for Grey.
She was warmth where Grey was cold.
She was cheerful where he was reserved.
And she was affectionate where he kept his emotions locked away.
When the elevator reached Grey's floor, Alya stepped out and walked toward his office.
She immediately spotted his secretary.
“Hi, Secretary James! How are you?”
James smiled.
“I'm doing well, Ma'am Alya.”
Alya held out a small food container.
“This is for you.”
James looked surprised.
“For me?”
“Yes. I brought extra.”
“Thank you, Ma'am.”
Alya smiled.
“Is Grey here?”
“Yes, Ma'am, but—”
“Okay! I'll go in.”
“Wait, Ma'am—”
But Alya was already walking toward the door.
She opened it without knocking.
And froze.
Her smile disappeared.
Grey was there.
But he wasn't alone.
A woman was standing close to him, her lips pressed against his.
Alya's heart dropped.
For a few seconds, she simply stood there.
She had seen Grey with other women before.
This wasn't the first time.
Grey had always had flings.
And every time Alya saw another woman beside him, she told herself the same thing:
*If Grey would only give me a chance, he'd eventually love me.*
She believed that once Grey finally saw her differently, he would stop looking for other women.
So she swallowed the hurt.
She composed herself.
Grey noticed her.
The moment their eyes met, he pulled away from the woman.
His expression immediately hardened.
“Why are you here?”
Alya forced a smile.
“I cooked something for you.”
She walked toward his desk as though nothing had happened.
She placed the lunch box on the table.
“I brought your favorite.”
Grey stared at her.
“You didn't have to.”
“I wanted to.”
Alya glanced at the woman beside him.
“Who's this? Another girl again?”
The woman's eyebrows lifted.
“And who are you?”
Alya looked at her.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Alya smiled sweetly.
“Well…”
She stepped closer.
“I'm his future wife.”
The woman's expression changed instantly.
“What?”
Before Grey could react, Alya suddenly reached out and grabbed the woman's hair.
“Hey!”
The woman screamed and immediately grabbed Alya's hair in return.
“What is wrong with you?!”
“Stay away from Grey!”
“Alya!”
Grey's voice thundered across the office.
The two women continued arguing until Grey finally pulled them apart.
“Alya, stop!”
In the struggle, Grey accidentally pushed Alya away.
She lost her balance and fell to the floor.
Silence filled the room.
Grey looked down at her.
For a brief moment, he seemed ready to help her up.
But he stopped himself.
His expression became cold again.
“Just leave, Alya.”
She slowly looked up at him.
“You shouldn't be here. I'm working.”
Alya's eyes filled with tears.
She looked from Grey to the woman beside him.
“So you're taking her side?”
Grey sighed.
“Alya…”
“You're really taking her side instead of mine?”
“Just go.”
The words were quiet but firm.
Alya stared at him, tears finally slipping down her cheeks.
The woman beside Grey gave her a small, mocking smirk.
Alya saw it.
She said nothing.
She simply stood up, wiped her tears, and walked toward the door.
James immediately noticed her as she stepped out.
“Ma'am Alya…”
She didn't answer.
She walked past him with tears streaming down her face.
James watched her leave with concern.
Inside the office, Grey remained silent.
The woman looked at him, clearly uncomfortable after what had just happened.
“Who was she?”
Grey's expression darkened.
“My best friend's sister.”
“She seemed pretty obsessed with you.”
Grey said nothing.
The woman tried to laugh.
“She really thinks she's your future wife?”
Grey finally looked at her.
His expression was cold.
“You should leave too.”
She blinked.
“What?”
“I don't want you coming here again.”
Her smile disappeared.
“Grey, I thought—”
“I said I don't want to see you again.”
The woman stared at him in shock.
She had never expected him to suddenly become so cold.
Grey turned away from her and looked at the lunch box Alya had left on his desk.
His eyes remained on it for several seconds.
The food was still warm.
He slowly frowned.
For some reason, seeing it there made him remember Alya's tearful face before she walked away.
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