By the time afternoon rolls around, the office atmosphere settles into something resembling normality—at least until Ben and Mia find themselves in another argument.
"I told you, it's not like that!" Ben snaps, his forehead creasing with frustration. "Why do you keep insisting even after I've explained it a hundred times?"
Mia shoots him a glare, her patience frayed after a long, draining day. Her body feels heavy from the constant tension, and her words slip out sharper than she intended.
"Then do it yourself!" she fires back, irritation tingling in her voice.
"I have too many tasks already!" Ben retorts, exasperated. "That's why I needed an assistant. But now you want me to do everything?"
At a nearby desk, Jay leans toward Jella and mutters, "Here we go again."
As their argument escalates, the door to the office swings open. Kevin steps in, fresh from a meeting with the other team leaders. He catches the tail end of the exchange and approaches immediately.
"Is everything alright?" he asks, his voice calm but carrying enough authority to make them both freeze.
Mia hadn't even noticed him arrive. The sight of him here—as their boss—still feels disorienting. His presence, so different from the Kevin she once knew, has a weight she's not sure how to carry.
"No, sir, it's fine," Jay replies quickly, brushing off the tension. "They argue all the time."
"Yeah, like a married couple," Jella adds with a smirk. Jay chuckles beside her.
Kevin's gaze flickers between Jella and Jay, then settles on Mia and Ben. His expression is unreadable, but the intensity in his eyes makes Mia lower hers, unwilling to meet his stare.
Without missing a beat, Kevin shifts focus.
"Mr. Mercado," he says, addressing Ben. "Come to my office. We need to discuss the new product line."
Ben nods stiffly, caught off-guard but not protesting.
Mia watches them disappear into Kevin's office, the door closing behind them. The tension in the air doesn't dissipate—it just simmers quieter, a low hum under the surface. She tries to focus on her screen, but unease gnaws at her. Did Kevin catch mistakes in the designs? Was Ben in trouble because of her? The guilt tightens in her chest.
She knows she's made a few errors lately—and the last thing she wants is for Ben to take the fall. If he does, she'll never hear the end of it.
After a few minutes, unable to sit still, Mia gets up and approaches Kevin's office. She lifts her hand to knock—then freezes.
Inside, she hears Kevin's voice, calm but unmistakably curious.
"By the way," Kevin says, "are you and Ms. Dela Cruz... a thing?"
Mia's heart stops. The words hit her like a punch, but she remains still, unable to move or breathe.
Inside, Ben sounds confused.
"Sir?"
Kevin turns from his computer, and Mia imagines his steady gaze locking onto Ben.
There's a pause, thick with tension.
"Are you dating Ms. Dela Cruz?" Kevin repeats, his tone sharper now.
Mia holds her breath, listening, feeling like an intruder. The unspoken questions hang heavily in her chest, making her pulse quicken.
Ben's voice cuts through again, careful and even.
"I don't think I should answer personal questions, sir," he says, professional but not defensive.
Silence stretches between them, heavy and loaded.
Mia stands frozen, her pulse racing in the quiet space. Why is Kevin asking that? And why didn't Ben just deny it, the way he usually brushes off teasing at the office?
Ben's voice sounds again:
"If there's nothing else about the project, sir, I'll get back to work."
Mia doesn't hear Kevin's reply—only the soft click of the door handle. The door swings open. Ben stops short when he sees her standing there, hand half-raised. For a moment, they just stare at each other, startled.
Then, without a word, Ben brushes past her and returns to his desk.
Mia remains frozen in place. Slowly, she turns her head and meets Kevin's eyes. He's sitting inside the office, watching her—not cold, but unreadable. His gaze holds something she can't quite name: a quiet intensity, a question left unanswered.
The silence between them stretches long and taut. And Mia realizes—something has shifted. Something she doesn't yet understand.