THE MAN IN OUR OFFICE

The Boss's Offer

THE MAN IN OUR OFFICE

A Romantic Tale of Love, Rivalry, and Secrets

By [Alhaj]

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Chapter Three: The Boss's Offer

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The white rose sat on Alex's desk for three days.

He didn't move it. He didn't throw it away. He couldn't bring himself to. Every time he looked at it, he felt a strange flutter in his chest — a mix of curiosity, hope, and confusion. Who had sent it? And why?

He had asked his assistant, checked the security logs, even questioned the janitorial staff at Red Rubbies LTD. No one had seen anything. The rose had simply appeared, as if by magic.

And the note — "For the man who makes my heart beat faster." — was etched into his memory.

He found himself thinking about it at odd moments, during meetings, during calls, during the quiet hours when the office was empty. He imagined who it could be. Nancy, with her bold advances and hungry eyes? Lily, with her sweet smile and hidden depths? Smillee, with her playful flirtation and shameless charm?

Or Trisha? The quiet cleaner with the gentle smile and the eyes that held a universe of secrets?

The thought made his heart race.

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On the 28th floor of Red Rubbies LTD, Jany was reviewing the quarterly reports when her phone buzzed.

She glanced at it, her grey eyes narrowing. It was a message from Alex.

Alex: Jany, I need to talk to you. About the rose.

She smiled, a cold, satisfied smile. He was thinking about her. Of course he was. She had planted the seed, and now it was growing.

Jany: Come to my office. Now.

She set her phone down and leaned back in her chair, her fingers steepled beneath her chin.

Alex was a smart man, but he was also an emotional one. He felt deeply, even when he tried to hide it. And she knew exactly how to use that to her advantage.

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Alex entered Jany's office, his expression troubled.

"I need to ask you something," he said, closing the door behind him.

Jany gestured for him to sit. "What is it?"

"The rose on my desk. I know you put it there."

Her expression didn't change. "What makes you think that?"

"Because you're the only person who would have the access and the motivation," he said. "You're my boss. You're my sister. You have cameras everywhere. You could have placed it there without anyone knowing."

She was silent for a moment, her grey eyes fixed on him.

"You're right," she said finally. "I sent the rose."

"Why?"

She rose from her chair, walking around the desk to stand beside him. "Because I wanted you to know that someone is watching you, Alex. Someone who cares about you, even when you don't realize it."

He stared at her, his confusion deepening. "I don't understand."

"You will," she said, her voice soft. "In time."

She placed a hand on his shoulder, her grip firm. "The women in this building — Nancy, Lily, Smillee — they don't care about you. They care about what you can give them. Power. Status. Money. But I care about you. I always have."

He looked at her, searching her eyes for the truth. "Jany, what are you saying?"

She leaned in, her lips brushing his ear. "I'm saying that the best things in life are right in front of you, Alex. You just need to open your eyes."

He pulled back, his heart pounding. "You're my sister."

"Step-sister," she corrected. "And that has never stopped me from wanting what's mine."

He stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. "This is wrong, Jany. You know it's wrong."

"Is it?" she asked, her voice calm. "Or is it just what you're afraid to admit?"

He didn't answer. He couldn't.

She stepped closer, her grey eyes burning with intensity. "I've built this company from nothing, Alex. I've sacrificed everything — my time, my energy, my personal life — to create something successful. And through it all, you've been the only constant. The only person who made it all worth it."

He swallowed hard. "Jany, I appreciate everything you've done for me. But this —"

"This is real," she interrupted. "My feelings for you are real. I'm not asking you to love me back right now. I'm asking you to think about it. To consider the possibility that what we could have is more than just a fantasy."

She reached up, her fingers tracing his jaw. "I know you're drawn to the cleaner. Trisha. I've seen the way you look at her. But she's not like us, Alex. She doesn't understand your world. I do."

He took a step back, his voice firm. "I can't do this, Jany. Not now. Not ever."

She smiled, a cold, knowing smile. "We'll see about that, little brother. I'm patient. And I always get what I want."

He left her office without another word, his mind reeling.

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In the janitorial closet at Red Rubbies LTD, Trisha was cleaning the mop bucket when her phone buzzed.

She glanced at it, her heart skipping a beat. It was a message from an unknown number.

Unknown: You don't know me, but I know you. I saw the way you looked at Alex. Don't get your hopes up. He's not for you. — A Friend.

She stared at the screen, her blood running cold. Who had sent this? And how did they know?

She read the message again, her hands trembling.

"He's not for you."

She had known that, of course. She had never allowed herself to hope, never allowed herself to dream. But the words still hurt.

She was just a cleaner at Red Rubbies LTD. Invisible. Unimportant. Easily forgotten.

She tucked her phone back into her pocket, her jaw set. She would not let this message break her. She would not let anyone make her feel small.

She was stronger than that.

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At the end of the week, Alex found another note on his desk at Red Rubbies LTD.

It was different from the first — typed, not handwritten, and signed with a name he didn't recognize.

"Meet me in the conference room at midnight. Come alone. I have something to show you. — Your Secret Admirer."

He s

tared at the note, his heart racing. This was either a trap or a revelation. He didn't know which.

But he knew he had to go.