chapter 2
1164 Words
Chapter 2
Ethan walked through the corridors of CC. It was seven in the morning. Today would mark his very first day working side by side with Aaron Williams. Since the architect had only recently joined the firm, Ethan needed to bring him up to speed on every aspect of the project. Aaron had suggested setting up a workstation inside Ethan’s own office so they could collaborate more efficiently.
Ethan was strangely on edge. It was peculiar—he hadn't felt this restless even on his very first day at CC.
He paused in front of the floor’s coffee machine and poured himself a steaming cup. He had left home earlier than usual, skipping the breakfast coffee Mrs. Lurdes always prepared, simply because his restless anxiety wouldn't allow him to sit still. He took a sip of the dark liquid, winced, and stared down at the paper cup. The company coffee was bitter and of dubious quality, a far cry from what he was accustomed to.
He was still trying to swallow the bitter coffee when he heard Aaron’s voice.
Ethan turned around immediately upon hearing him greet a few female employees nearby. There stood Aaron. He strolled down the hallway with an enviable, easy grace, wearing a crisp dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his mid-forearms and holding a leather briefcase. The outfit was tailored perfectly to his tall, athletic frame. He returned their greetings with the same easy smile from the day before, eliciting a few quiet giggles from them before continuing on his way.
When Aaron’s blue eyes finally locked onto Ethan’s, his smile shifted slightly—it became a fraction more reserved, yet infinitely more focused.
“Good morning, Mr. Vance,” Aaron greeted, coming to a halt at a respectful distance while maintaining an effortlessly confident posture. “I see you’re an early riser as well.”
Ethan swallowed hard, adjusting his posture and gripping his coffee cup tighter than necessary to conceal the subtle tremor in his hands.
“Good morning, Mr. Williams,” he replied in his usual neutral, professional tone. “I prefer organizing the project files before the office gets busy.”
“Right. The scale model and blueprints for the Royal Palace have already been delivered and are waiting in your office,” Aaron informed him, taking a subtle step toward the room, indicating they should head in together. “I was looking forward to aligning the execution details with you.”
Ethan nodded and fell into step beside him. Ethan was by no means short; at six-foot-one, he was considered well above average. Even so, there was a visible height difference between them, as Aaron stood even taller. Combined with his dominant aura, Aaron’s presence made Ethan feel smaller than he actually was.
When they entered the office, the massive acrylic-and-wood model of the hotel occupied the center of the auxiliary table. The overhead lights illuminated every intricate detail of the structure.
“It’s an impressive piece of work,” Ethan admitted, stepping closer to the model to ground himself in the work.
“It’s my best design to date,” Aaron said, stepping around to the opposite side of the table. He rested both hands on the wooden edge and leaned forward slightly, peering at Ethan over the model. “But a scale model is just a pretty illusion if the project manager doesn't know how to raise real walls. The primary responsibility falls on you, Mr. Vance,” Aaron added, his tone distinctly provocative.
Ethan knit his brows, a spark of irritation igniting at the suggestive undertone. He wanted to offer a sharp retort to the bait, but chose to hold back.
“I am well aware of that, Mr. Williams. And rest assured, I guarantee that if I weren't capable, I wouldn't have secured approval for this project in the first place, nor would I be leading it,” Ethan stated calmly, locking eyes with Aaron.
Aaron stared back at him for a few long seconds. His stern expression softened, and a genuine smile spread across his lips.
“Of course, Mr. Vance. I don't doubt your competence for a second.”
Ethan was caught entirely off guard by those words, paired with that smile. His heart skipped a beat. He broke eye contact and sat down at his desk.
“Right. Let’s get started then, Mr. Williams.”
Aaron pulled up a chair and sat right next to Ethan—so close that their shoulders nearly brushed. Ethan held his breath involuntarily. For some reason, the sheer proximity set his heart racing and turned his throat bone-dry.
Aaron pulled over the blueprints and began sketching notes over the original lines, highlighting which sections should be discarded early on and which ought to be preserved.
“This hallway can be trimmed and merged into this side. It eliminates an unnecessary redundancy and makes the layout visually much sleeker.”
“I see...”
Ethan couldn't focus for a single second. Aaron’s presence was a constant distraction, causing his thoughts to drift incessantly.
Every now and then, Aaron would lean in closer—close enough that Ethan could catch the scent of his cologne mingled with his pheromones. It was subtle, yet undeniably distinct: a warm, woody note, sweet and faintly spicy.
It was a known fact that Alphas were intensely possessive, territorial beings. By nature, they repelled one another; an Alpha’s pheromones could convey a multitude of emotions, but to another Alpha, they were supposed to feel harsh, repulsive, and threatening. That was the biological rule. Yet Ethan felt no repulsion whatsoever in the presence of those pheromones. On the contrary... he found them dangerously pleasant.
“Mr. Vance? Mr. Vance?”
Ethan snapped out of his trance with a sudden start.
“Yes, Mr. Williams?” he responded hastily, feeling his pulse skyrocket and a flush creep up his neck as a result of his wandering thoughts.
“Are you alright? I’ve been calling your name, but you weren't responding,” Aaron said, turning to face Ethan directly, that familiar smile playing on his lips.
“My apologies. I got a bit distracted. Please go ahead, Mr. Williams.”
Ethan felt a heavy thud in his chest. Had he truly just found another Alpha’s pheromones pleasant?
He dragged a hand down his face, attempting to steady himself and forcing his usual cold, unreadable mask back into place.
The remainder of the day dragged on slowly. Time and again, Ethan found himself shaken by Aaron’s mere presence. It was only their very first day working together, yet this man had already thoroughly disrupted his mind—in a way no one ever had before.
This was a problem. A massive, dangerous problem.
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