The sky outside was dark, streaked with hints of midnight blue as Raymond sat behind his glass desk at Carter Enterprises. His sleeves were rolled up, blazer tossed across the leather couch, and the only sound in the room was the soft hum of his laptop.
He wasn't really working.
Not tonight.
His fingers hovered above the keyboard, but his mind wandered — for the third time that hour — to someone he shouldn't be thinking about.
Stephanie.
The girl with stubborn eyes and soft smiles. The girl who had a habit of showing up in his thoughts like an unwanted guest who refused to leave.
A knock broke his trance.
Jasmine stepped into the office, still dressed in her denim jacket and signature sneakers, sipping from a smoothie.
"Evening, bro. Thought you might want a break."
Raymond leaned back. "And what brings you here this late?"
"Campus drama," she said, plopping into the leather chair across from him. "Your girl almost got poached."
He narrowed his eyes. "My who?"
"Stephanie," Jasmine said casually, watching him carefully.
His face remained calm. "She's not mine."
"Right," Jasmine said with a knowing smirk. "Anyway, Zayn Maddox asked her to join his innovation group."
That name hit like a quiet explosion in Raymond's chest.
Zayn Maddox. The golden boy. Smart. Rich. Charismatic. And entirely too smooth for his own good.
He kept his face unreadable. "It's just an academic project."
Jasmine raised a brow. "He also invited her for coffee."
Raymond's jaw tensed, but his voice stayed even. "And?"
"She blushed."
This time, he didn't respond.
Jasmine tilted her head. "You don't care?"
"Why would I?"
"Because you literally just paused your typing for twenty seconds."
Raymond turned his gaze to the city skyline outside. "She can talk to whoever she wants."
"Mmhmm. You know you're not very convincing, right?"
Raymond gave her a sharp look. "Stay out of it, Jasmine."
But she only smiled wider.
"She's nice, you know. A little messy, but smart. Kind. And she's got zero idea who I am. I like that about her."
Silence.
"She also said you helped her once. That your car… splashed her?" Jasmine added, pretending to think. "Funny how small the world is, huh?"
Raymond leaned forward, voice low. "I said—stay out of it."
Jasmine's grin faded, but her eyes glinted with quiet realization.
"Whatever you say, big brother."
She rose from her seat and turned toward the door. But just before stepping out, she paused.
"Oh, and if you're not careful…" she said over her shoulder, "someone like Zayn might just notice the kind of girl you're pretending not to care about."
The door closed behind her, leaving Raymond alone again — but no longer in peace.
He stared at the screen for a long time.
Zayn Maddox. Coffee. Smiles. Blushes.
Raymond clenched his fists slowly, then shut his laptop.
Some things were harder to ignore than he thought.