Erin was barely back at her desk when her phone rang.
"My office," Xander's voice came through the receiver—short, direct, and with that tone that always made her straighten in her chair.
When she stepped inside, he was standing by the window, hands in his pockets, the morning sun outlining his sharp features. Without preamble, he turned to her.
Xander leaned back in his chair, watching Erin as she stood by his desk, still holding her tablet from the meeting.
"You know," he said casually, "your idea in the boardroom today… it saved us a lot of scrambling. I think it deserves recognition. How about I authorize a raise?"
Erin blinked, caught off guard. "A raise?"
"Yes," he said, matter-of-fact. "You've earned it."
She shook her head with a faint smile. "I appreciate it, but no. I was just doing my job. You can save the raise for something more… worthy."
Xander narrowed his eyes, reading her easily. "That's not the real reason."
She looked away, and his eyebrow lifted — that silent command to come clean.
With a quiet sigh, Erin admitted, "I don't want to arouse suspicion. I've barely been here a month. A sudden raise suggested by the CEO himself? People will talk. And not in a way that's good for me."
For a moment, Xander just studied her, as if the reasoning was both foreign and oddly impressive. "That's… unexpected," he murmured. "Most people wouldn't care what the others think."
"I'm not most people," she said softly.
His lips twitched, almost a smile. "Fine. But you can change your mind anytime. The offer's open."
She nodded once in thanks, then turned to leave.
The door had barely shut behind her when it swung open again and Cole strolled in, eyebrows raised. "Well, that looked intense."
Xander didn't look up from the paper he'd picked up. "It wasn't."
Cole smirked knowingly. "You offering her a raise already? That's fast, even for you."
Xander glanced at him, unimpressed. "She earned it."
"Mhm," Cole drawled, dropping into a chair. "And you're convinced she's not like the others, right?"
Xander didn't answer. But the way his jaw set was all the confirmation Cole needed.
"At first I thought her being different and distracting you will be good. But it's become severe."
Cole stepped forward when he didn't answer, his sharp eyes locked on Xander. "What the hell is going on with you?" His voice was low, but the edge in it could cut glass.
Xander didn't look up from the files in his hand. "You're going to have to be more specific."
Cole scoffed. "Don't play dumb with me. You've been distracted for weeks. Slipping up. And now I hear from Evan of all people that you walked out of a meeting without finishing it? That's not you, Xander."
Xander finally lifted his gaze, his expression cool, unreadable. "I got what I needed from that meeting. The rest was a waste of time."
"That's not the point," Cole shot back, stepping closer. "The Xander I know doesn't leave loose ends. You're starting to take risks you never would've taken before. And all this started right around the time a certain assistant walked into your life."
Xander's jaw tightened, but he didn't answer.
Cole folded his arms, watching him. "So it's true. She's getting under your skin."
Xander set the file down with deliberate care, as if to stop himself from throwing it. "Watch your words."
"I'm watching," Cole said. "I'm also seeing you act like someone who's… invested. And that's dangerous. You can't afford to be soft right now, not with everything at stake."
"She's not a weakness," Xander said evenly, though there was the faintest flicker of something in his voice—something Cole caught instantly.
"Maybe not to you," Cole said, "but to everyone else? She'll be the first target they go for. You know that."
The silence between them stretched. Xander's gaze was like steel, but Cole could tell he was calculating—just like always. Only this time, there was more than calculation behind his eyes.
The jab might have rolled off his back, but then Cassian stepped in from the adjoining door, a folder in hand.
"For the first time in maybe forever," Cassian said, "I'm going to agree with Cole."
Xander's head lifted, a slow frown forming. "Excuse me?"
Cassian dropped the folder on the desk with a quiet thump. "You've been distracted lately. More than distracted. You're caught staring at her more than you're caught working. There are projects here you haven't reviewed in days. Reports piling up. And you don't stay late anymore to finish — which, for you, is unheard of."
Cole leaned back, grinning at the backup. "See? Even Cassian sees it."
Cassian crossed his arms. "And I'm not saying it's a bad thing. But you should at least admit what's causing it. It's Erin, isn't it?"
Xander didn't answer right away, but the slight shift in his expression — that unreadable mix of annoyance and something else — was enough. He turned his attention back to the folder as if that settled the discussion.
Cole smirked. "Yeah. That's what I thought."