The rain had quieted by morning, leaving behind the smell of wet pine and mist curling around the resort's glass walls. Alina stood at the balcony of her room, a steaming cup of coffee in her hands. The mountain air was crisp, almost too peaceful — which annoyed her.
Peace didn't suit her. Not when Adrian Vale existed on the same property.
She'd spent half the night replaying their conversation from the lounge — his teasing smirk, that quiet comment, "Not yet." The words had crawled into her mind, wrapping around thoughts she had no business entertaining.
She took a deep breath.
Professional. She was here for work, not for whatever… this was.
Sophie's message popped up on her phone:
> "Morning! Liam says Mr. Vale's already in the conference hall. Be careful not to look too distracted, boss 😏."
Alina rolled her eyes but smiled faintly. Sophie and Liam had been whispering more lately — probably sharing every accidental glance between her and Adrian like they were lead actors in a drama.
She typed back quickly.
> "Distracted? Never. Focused on victory, as always."
Then she added a period. A firm one. The kind that said, "end of discussion."
Still, as she walked toward the conference hall, her heart thudded faster than usual.
---
Morning Session: Collaboration
The day's first exercise was called "Building Bridges." Participants were given random business challenges and asked to co-create solutions within an hour. The catch? They had to swap leadership midway.
"Vale Enterprises and Aurora Group," the coordinator announced. "You're up first."
Of course.
Adrian looked perfectly calm, as if he'd been expecting this. "Shall we, Ms. Ross?"
Alina gave him a tight smile. "Try to keep up."
They stood in front of the crowd as the coordinator handed them the prompt: "Redesign a luxury hotel to appeal to eco-conscious travelers."
Alina's mind started racing. "We should emphasize sustainability in design. Renewable materials, local sourcing, maybe—"
"Emotion," Adrian interrupted smoothly. "Sell the feeling of guilt-free luxury. The experience first, structure second."
Her jaw tightened. "That's not how business works."
"That's exactly how it works," he countered, leaning slightly closer. "You just hate when I'm right."
"Because you rarely are," she said sweetly.
Their assistants — Sophie and Liam — watched from the sidelines like spectators at a tennis match. Liam whispered, "Five minutes before one of them throws something?"
Sophie grinned. "Three."
---
Half an hour passed, and somehow, despite the arguing, they were making progress. Alina handled the design concept, Adrian crafted the presentation pitch, and their ideas merged into something surprisingly good.
The switch bell rang — leadership swap.
Adrian now took the lead.
"Alright," he said, scanning their notes, "you'll handle emotional delivery, I'll take strategy this time."
Alina blinked. "You want me to do emotional delivery?"
He smirked. "I've seen you charm entire panels when you want to. Don't pretend you can't."
She was about to argue, but then she caught the faint challenge in his gaze — not mocking, but… trusting.
Fine. Two could play that game.
When they presented, she surprised even herself. The words flowed easily, the audience's eyes were fixed on her, and Adrian's quiet, approving expression in the corner of her vision made her pulse quicken.
When they finished, applause followed.
"Perfect partnership," the coordinator said cheerfully. "You two should collaborate more often."
"Please, no," Alina muttered.
But Adrian's quiet chuckle beside her said otherwise.
---
Coffee Break
Later, as teams dispersed for coffee, Alina slipped out to the lounge balcony, craving a breath of fresh air. She'd barely taken a sip when Adrian joined her, setting his cup beside hers.
"Following me now?" she said, not looking at him.
"Hardly," he replied. "But the view's better from here."
She glanced sideways. "You mean the mountains?"
He smiled faintly. "If you say so."
Her heart stuttered. "You really need to work on your professionalism."
"I'm professional when it matters," he said, sipping his coffee. "This doesn't."
There it was again — that lazy confidence that made her want to throw something and kiss him at the same time.
"You're insufferable," she muttered.
"And yet," he said, turning slightly toward her, "you haven't walked away."
She froze, fingers tightening around her cup.
He wasn't wrong.
And that scared her more than she'd ever admit.
---
Afternoon Session: The Storm
The retreat's final task for the day involved an outdoor activity — a team-building maze set in the woods. Of course, the weather had other plans. The clouds thickened, thunder rumbling in the distance.
But the organizers decided to continue.
Each pair had to navigate checkpoints using only clues and maps. Alina and Adrian started strong — sharp minds, quick coordination. But halfway through, rain poured down, drenching everything.
"Great," Alina muttered, shoving wet hair from her face. "Just what I needed."
Adrian shielded the map under his jacket. "We can still make it. There's a cabin near checkpoint five."
"You memorized the map?"
He gave her that infuriating smirk. "Some of us plan ahead."
Lightning flashed, followed by thunder that made her flinch. He noticed instantly.
"Hey," he said quietly, lowering his tone. "We'll be fine."
"I'm not scared," she said quickly.
He smiled, just a hint. "Of course you're not."
They trudged through mud and rain, both soaked, until they finally reached the small wooden cabin. Inside, they were greeted by darkness — no power, just the faint light from the storm outside.
Alina wrung out her jacket, grumbling, "Remind me why we didn't just stay at the resort?"
Adrian removed his drenched blazer, rolling his sleeves. "Because you don't back down from challenges, remember?"
She shot him a glare. "Don't use my own words against me."
"Then stop making them so useful."
---
Shelter and Silence
The rain outside turned into a downpour, hammering against the roof.
For a while, neither of them spoke. The silence stretched, filled only by the sound of rain and their uneven breaths.
Alina sat on a wooden bench, trying to warm her hands. Adrian quietly walked over, taking a lighter from his pocket and sparking the old lantern on the table. Warm light flickered, painting golden shadows across his face.
She hated that it made him look softer. Human. Almost… kind.
"Better?" he asked.
She nodded. "Thanks."
He sat opposite her. "You're quieter than usual."
"Maybe because I'm trying not to argue with you."
"Tragic," he said. "That's your favorite hobby."
Despite herself, she laughed — quietly, but genuinely.
His expression softened at the sound. "See? You can laugh without sarcasm."
"Don't get used to it," she warned.
"I won't," he said, though his gaze lingered a little too long.
---
A Moment Too Close
The thunder rolled again, louder this time, making her flinch slightly. Adrian noticed, then moved without hesitation, kneeling to adjust the lantern closer.
"Hey," he said softly, almost teasing, "if it helps, you can pretend I'm not here."
"That's impossible," she said before she could stop herself.
His eyes flicked up — and for a long, fragile moment, neither of them moved.
It wasn't supposed to feel like this — this heavy, magnetic pull between them.
He reached out, brushing a raindrop from her cheek with his thumb. It was a small, unthinking gesture — one that made her heart stutter.
Her voice came out a whisper. "You shouldn't…"
"I know," he said quietly. "But you don't move away either."
Silence.
The air between them tightened, charged like the storm outside.
Then she stood abruptly, turning toward the door. "We should check if the rain's stopped."
"Alina," he said, and something in his tone made her stop — softer, unguarded. "You don't have to keep fighting me all the time."
She didn't turn back. "Maybe I don't know how not to."
---
Later That Night
When they returned to the resort, the others were laughing over dinner, unaware of the quiet tension simmering between the two.
Alina excused herself early, heading to her room.
Once the door shut behind her, she let out a long breath and pressed a hand against her chest.
She could still feel the warmth of his touch. The way he'd looked at her — not as a rival, but as something else entirely.
It scared her how much she didn't hate it.
---
Meanwhile, Across the Hall
Adrian sat by his window, a glass of water in hand, watching the rain slow into mist.
He'd meant what he said. He didn't want to fight her anymore — but maybe that was the only language they both understood.
Still, when he'd seen her shiver, he hadn't thought. He'd just… moved.
Something about her made his walls crack, inch by inch.
He leaned back, closing his eyes.
For years, Alina Ross had been his greatest challenge. Now, she was becoming his greatest distraction.