Seraphina's POV
Monday morning felt the same as always. As usual, I got out of bed at 4:00 a.m. to prepare my meals so I wouldn't be late again, just as I had been last time. My mind wandered back to the CEO I had bumped into. He definitely knew how to flatter women, but it did not affect me. His vibe was completely different from mine, and he wasn't exactly my type.
I remembered when he offered us a ride. I tried to be as polite as possible, since he had treated us so well earlier that day. But when he kept insisting, I couldn't help making a face. I don't know if he noticed it. I tried to hide my discomfort, but he continued to insist, which only made me more uneasy.
Don't get me wrong. I read books from all kinds of genres, watched dramas from around the world, and even tried BL series. I understood how love and courtship were supposed to work, even if I had never experienced them myself. At twenty-six, no one had ever seriously courted me. I liked someone once, but he liked someone else, so I never pursued it. There was also a guy from college who asked me to be his girlfriend without any courtship at all, which instantly turned me off.
Maybe my expectations were too high. I had met too many fictional men—characters from books and dramas—who made me wish that the man who would someday like me would have the same qualities I'd fallen for on the page.
My gaze drifted to the newly stacked pile of books. I still couldn't believe I had gotten all of them for free. I had started reading one, but I hadn't finished it yet because I ended up watching a Chinese drama last night instead.
I checked my wristwatch as I closed our gate. Same routine. The neighbors greeted me, and I headed to the bus stop to wait for a ride. Sometimes, I wish this routine would change. That one day, the things I liked would actually happen to me.
I arrived at the company at 6:50 a.m., ten minutes early. I spotted Mira, who had just settled at her desk.
"How was your rest day?" she asked with a smile.
I wished I could wear that kind of genuine smile every Monday. Right now, I probably look like a tired old lady being forced to work just to survive.
"What's with that face?" Mira laughed, eyeing my expression.
"You know I hate Mondays," I replied, trying to justify myself. I sat on my swivel chair and placed my bag and lunch bag where they belonged.
"I hate them too," she said while applying something to her face.
"Yeah, right. Look at you, smiling like that," I said sarcastically, shaking my head. How I wished the next rest day would come soon so I could focus on reading my books and finishing the drama I was watching.
The day passed slowly but busily. Emails kept coming, and orders continued to pile up. In the middle of it all, someone from outside our department called my name.
"Seraphina Blake?" the deliveryman called out.
Though busy, I stood up and stepped outside the door.
"What is that?" I asked curiously. I didn't remember ordering anything, and I didn't even have food delivery apps on my phone.
"It was sent by someone else, ma'am. Please sign here."
Hesitant yet curious, I complied. After I signed, he handed me a small cake box and left. I carried it back to my desk and placed it on the table. Mira, being the gossip she was, immediately hurried over.
"What's that?" she asked.
"Cake."
"From who?"
"I don't know."
"Do you think it's from your secret admirer?" she teased, wiggling her eyebrows as if daring me to deny it.
"I really don't know."
"What if it's Sir Dominic?" she said, almost shouting.
I quickly warned her to lower her voice. "We're in the office."
"I can't help it. You two would be such a match."
I made a disgusted face. "That will never happen."
"Don't you like a tall, dark, and handsome man? Plus, he's super rich."
"Not after his money. I'm working for my own survival."
"Wow. What an independent woman," she said sarcastically, clapping her hands.
I rolled my eyes. If she didn't want to believe me, then fine. I didn't need to prove anything to her.
She chuckled when I went quiet. She knew she had annoyed me.
"I'm just joking," she said. "But seriously, don't you want to know him better?"
"I don't assume things; that's why I can't give answers. What if he's just naturally kind to people, to his employees?"
"Do you really think so?" Mira asked, meaning hidden in her eyes.
I shrugged. "I don't know. Let's get back to work."
Since we were busy, we immediately returned to our tasks. When lunch break arrived, Mira told me she would eat at the canteen with our other colleagues. I stayed at my desk and took out my lunch bag.
For lunch, I had rice, steamed okra, sautéed eggplant, and fried fish. I enjoyed my meal while watching videos on YouTube. After finishing, my eyes drifted back to the cake box I had received earlier.
I opened it, and my mouth watered at the sight of mango chunks piled on top. Luckily, I had a clean extra spoon, so I scooped up a bite of mango cheesecake and put it into my mouth.
It tasted like heaven.
It reminded me of the cake I had on my birthday. This—this was now my favorite. I wouldn't be able to buy it often, though; it was quite expensive. I ended up eating almost half since the cake was small. I saved the rest for Mira.
After that, I went to the restroom to retouch and brush my teeth. I glanced at the clock while brushing. Ten minutes before work resumed, but Mira still hadn't returned. Usually, she came back twenty minutes early to have time to do her makeup.
When I returned to my desk, she still wasn't there. Curious, I messaged her, but she was offline. Exactly at 1:00 p.m., Mira rushed in, panting as if she'd run a marathon.
"What happened? You're sweating!" I exclaimed.
"I saw my crush," she said, smiling widely. She looked like a teenager who had just bumped into the boy she liked.
"Who?" I asked, though I already had a guess; I didn't want to assume.
"The guy we saw with Sir Dominic! His name is Damian. His name is cute, right?" she said, then giggled.
"So that's why you came back late. I thought you got stuck in the elevator, or the line at the canteen was long."
"I bumped into him," she said, then went on to explain what happened.
According to her, she and her colleagues went to the canteen. As they were entering, she accidentally bumped into someone. She was about to curse and reprimand the person when she realized it was Sir Damian. He was with Sir Dominic and the other guy.
How did she know his name? She asked him directly. What courage. She even dared to shake his hand. Unlike me, Sir Damian accepted it easily.
I suddenly remembered how I acted around Sir Dominic before. I shook my head, pushing the memory away.
"Isn't he handsome? I think I'm falling in love with him," Mira said dreamily.
"Careful with your words. You don't know him yet," I advised, genuinely concerned for her.
Judging from his appearance alone, he seemed mysterious, just like the other man with them. His presence felt dark, unreadable, as if you could never tell what he was thinking.
"I know. But can you at least let me daydream about him? I really like him," she said, clearly holding herself back from squealing since we were still in the office.
"I left some cake for you," I said, changing the subject to calm her excitement.
"Wow, thank you!" She took a big bite immediately.
We returned to work. She answered emails while eating the cake, and I focused on processing orders from other companies. For three straight hours, my eyes were glued to my laptop. I even forgot to go to the restroom because of the nonstop orders.
At 4:00 p.m., I packed my things and prepared to go home. I was exhausted, sleepy, and mentally drained. Mira stayed behind, hoping she'd bump into her crush again. I could only roll my eyes. She would really do anything for him.
Just as I was about to leave the building, someone called my name.
I turned around and saw Sir Dominic with Sir Damian and the other guy. They walked toward me. At that moment, I wanted to run as fast as I could to escape them.
"Hi, Seraphina," Sir Dominic greeted me with a smile.
I forced a smile and greeted him back. I bowed my head slightly to acknowledge his friends as well.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"Home," I answered briefly. I didn't want to prolong the conversation.
"Would you like to have coffee? Just to chat for a bit," he suggested.
I tried hard not to make a face. I politely declined, even though I wanted to tell him outright how uncomfortable I was. But he was my boss, I had no choice.
"I don't drink coffee."
"Tea? Milkshake? You can even have dessert."
"I'm sorry, sir. I'm not really hungry. I don't usually go to coffee shops," I replied politely, though I was close to snapping.
Couldn't he tell—from my words and actions—that I was uncomfortable? And why now, when I was already heading home? My time was already being wasted.
"Hmmm… how about I take you home?" he suggested again.
I was about to refuse when the other man suddenly spoke.
"Why waste time, Dominic?"
His words were short, but they struck painfully. I didn't even know them personally, yet it felt as if he was saying I wasn't worth the effort. I couldn't hide my annoyance and glared at him, ready to snap back, but he didn't seem bothered at all.
Why would he say that? Why couldn't he just mind his own business?
"Your friend is right, Sir Dominic," I said firmly, emphasizing every word clearly meant for both of them. "I'm just an employee of your company. You shouldn't waste your time."
I don't like the way you talk. I added silently in my head, especially toward his gloomy friend.
"You're not just an employee to me," Sir Dominic replied.
That made me even more uncomfortable. My feet started to sweat, a clear sign that I wasn't okay with the situation.
"Come on, I'll take you home," he said decisively. "Damian, Lucca let's part ways."
So his name was Lucca. A mysterious name for a mysterious man.
I had no chance to refuse. He had already decided. I walked with them to the parking lot. His friends headed to their own cars while Sir Dominic opened the passenger door for me and helped me inside. After making sure I was seated properly, he went to the driver's seat.
"Fasten your seatbelt," he said.
I did as told.
"Where's your house?" he asked.
I gave him my address. Even though I wanted to object, he didn't give me much of a choice. As he drove along the highway, he started another conversation.
"Can we be friends?" he asked out of the blue.
I stared at him for a moment before looking back at the road ahead. This man was seriously trying to befriend me.
"Can a boss and a mere employee like me really be friends?" I asked, hoping he would realize it wasn't a good idea.
"Why not? I don't choose friends based on status. I choose them based on how I feel."
What was I supposed to say to that?
I couldn't simply decline without worrying I might offend him. What if he took it the wrong way? I couldn't risk losing my job. At the same time, I didn't want to force something I didn't feel comfortable with. I hated pretending, only to spare someone else's feelings.
"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't accept your offer."
From the corner of my eye, I saw his smile fade. When the traffic light turned red, he looked at me.
"Why?"
I took a deep breath before answering. "First, I'm not comfortable being friends with my boss. I don't want people to think I'm getting close to you just to gain favor with management. Second, I'm not used to having friends. I don't really know how to maintain friendships because I don't have many. The woman you saw earlier—the one you treated—is my only friend, and we're not even close enough to call each other best friends. I don't usually share my feelings or what's happening in my life. And third… I don't like this kind of attention. It makes me anxious. I hope you understand."
It was the first time I had ever spoken so honestly about how I felt. I was usually good at hiding my emotions, but I didn't want to prolong the situation anymore.
The traffic light turned green. He drove on, slower this time.
"I'm sorry you feel that way," he said.
"I'm not blaming you," I added. "I've just never had a male friend before."
He nodded, then smiled gently. "I understand. Even if you don't accept my friendship, please allow me to talk to you when I need to."
He was still insisting, even though my words were meant to set boundaries. But he was my boss, and having conversations with him was technically part of my job.
I forced a smile, unsure if he noticed.
A few minutes later, we arrived at my house. I could already see my neighbors staring at his car, probably ready to gossip. They weren't used to seeing expensive vehicles in our area, and I knew they'd assume I had a boyfriend.
"Thank you," I said sincerely. I removed my seatbelt and was about to open the door when he suddenly grabbed my arm.
I froze, startled, and looked at him.
"Here," he said, handing me a paper bag. "This is for you."
"I thought the cake was already a present," I said.
"This is another one," he replied with a smile.
I nodded and accepted it. "Thank you."
After that, I stepped out of the car and immediately noticed the curious looks from my neighbors. I hurried inside, avoiding their questions. I didn't owe anyone an explanation.
Just as I reached my room, my phone rang. I answered right away.
"You didn't tell me you were with my crush!" Mira exclaimed.