Levi burst out of his apartment building, fully dressed now, shirt tucked in, black trousers pressed, shoes polished but sockless. He had thrown it all on in haste, his mind stuck on the message glowing on his phone, a message that had left him stunned and breathless.
The Messages:
Zara♡: [The boss is looking for you!]
Henry: [Levi, get to work immediately, the boss is looking for you!]
Zara♡: [Yeah, I already told him.]
"Shit, shit, shir!" Levi cursed, pushing through the morning rush and stepping off the curb. His chest pounded with panic.
To Jon-Corp, Levi wasn't just another employee; he was their fixer, their trusted asset. Johnson Matthews, the company's owner, relied fully on him, and so did Alexandra Matthews, his daughter, the woman Levi never thought he'd be tangled with. But today wasn't about her. Today was about the file, the one crucial file needed to lock a deal with SwiftNest Logistics, run by the notorious CEO Jessica Newman. If that file wasn't in the boss's hands, everything would collapse—and Levi was the only man trusted to polish it to perfection.
Charlotte, back from her jog, sweat dripping down her flushed face, smiled at him from the sidewalk as he stormed past. Levi ignored it. No time. He checked his wristwatch—time was slipping like sand through his fingers.
"God, I'm screwed," he muttered, lunging into the nearest taxi. "Sir, you have to get me there fast! As fast as you can!"
The middle-aged driver shook his head. "This is as fast as I go, sir."
Levi slammed back against the seat, raking his hands through his hair. "Fine. Fine." He yanked his bag open, shoving papers into order. "Might as well prep."
Then his heart stopped. His eyes widened. His mouth fell open.
"Oh, no… no, no, no, NO!" His scream filled the cab.
"I forgot the damn file!"
Hours later—after scrambling, swearing, sweating, and running himself ragged—Levi finally stood inside the office. His lungs still burned as he faced the lion's den.
──── ୨୧ ────
Johnson Matthews sat behind his desk, a broad-shouldered man in his late fifties, with pale skin, ginger hair, and a neatly trimmed beard that made him appear decades younger. His presence radiated that of authority and utter disappointment.
Across from him lounged Ms Jessica Newman. Fair-skinned, bleached hair shimmering like spun silver, she tapped her index finger against her lips coated with red lipstick, her piercing blue eyes locked on Levi like he was prey.
Johnson exhaled, a long, tired sigh as he flipped through the file Levi had finally managed to bring. His jaw tightened. His voice was calm, but steel hid beneath it.
"Miss Newman," he said, forcing a calm demeanour, "I deeply apologise for the wait."
Jessica turned sharply, her voice clipped and dangerous. "Mr Johnson. Matthews. I'm sure you understand what my company stands for." Her anger was controlled, but it burned through her words.
Johnson froze. "Well… of course I—"
"I'm certain you don't," Jessica cut him off, sighing with deliberate weight. "This will be your last warning. I'm letting you off only because I've heard good things about Mr Levi here. He's quite… presentable."
Levi blinked. Johnson blinked. Both men exchanged a look, utterly flabbergasted by what she meant.
Jessica exhaled sharply, realising their misinterpretation. "What I mean is—you take good care of your staff. Which is why I'm only giving you a warning."
"Oh," Johnson laughed nervously, scrambling to recover. "Th-that was exactly what we were thinking… right, Levi?"
Both turned to Levi. He forced a polite nod. "Yes, sir… absolutely."
"Now," Jessica said, her tone like steel, "hand me the files."
Johnson obeyed instantly, sliding the folder into her hands. Jessica skimmed it, then snapped it shut. Rising to her full height, she loomed over them.
Levi's breath caught. She was taller than him—tall, commanding, with curves and a presence impossible to ignore. Forty-five years old, but she carried herself like a woman ten years younger. Wide hips, a chest that drew the eye, a face that balanced ageless beauty and power.
"This has all the signatures from the committee, yes?"
"Yes, of course, ma'am," Johnson stammered, forcing a smile.
"Good." She extended her hand, her grip firm when Johnson shot to his feet to shake it. "Pleasure doing business, Mr Johnson."
"Do you… Want me to escort you, Ms Newman?" Johnson asked eagerly.
Her eyes flicked over him, unimpressed. "That won't be necessary." She turned toward the door, dismissive—until her gaze slid to Levi.
Her eyes locked on him. Blue, sharp, burning with something dangerous. Not cruel, not cold—flirtatious. A small smile touched her lips as if she'd already undressed him in her mind.
Levi's skin burned under that look. It felt obscene, like she was already touching him, pulling something primal from inside him. He tried to stay composed, but when she left, the air lightened. Her perfume and authority linger like smoke.
Johnson exhaled hard, finally free of her weight. Levi was relieved, too, but his boss's eyes landed on him with disappointment.
"We'll… talk later," Johnson muttered, avoiding his gaze. "Just… don't come to work late again."
Levi's relief was almost painful. "Thank you, sir," he said quickly, bowing out of the office.
The buzz of cubicles swallowed him as he slumped into his desk, staring blankly at his computer. That stare—those eyes, that aura, that sheer height—still haunted him. For the first time, he felt dominated, like a higher power had stood over him. A woman.
"Hey, handsome."
A snap of fingers jolted him out of his daze. Levi blinked, raising his head. Zara Fontaine stood above him, smirking.
She was a chocolate beauty. Dark short hair brushing her collarbone, tattoos curling over her left arm, grey eyes alive with mischief. The black sleeveless dress hugged her form, showing off every curve.
"Oh," Levi muttered, recognition softening his face. "It's just you... Zara."
"Yep," she grinned, "...the beautiful, rich Zara. Don't look so shocked." She leaned on his desk, teasing. "What's wrong? Did Mr Johnson fire you?!"
Levi shook his head quickly. "No, not at all."
"Good," she said, her smirk fading into playful sympathy. "So, why the look? You seem like you've seen a ghost."
"It's just… work," he muttered. "You know.. It's been months since I moved here, and it's kinda stressful."
"Aww," Zara cooed, her voice mocking but warm with care. "My baby boy is all stressed out."
She ruffled his hair like he was still ten years old.
"Hey, stop that," Levi said, laughing despite himself. "I'm not a kid anymore."
"Yeah, yeah," she teased. "Still older than you."
"Whatever," he chuckled, finally easing up. "Where's Henry?"
"Getting us coffee," she answered. "You want one, right?"
"Yeah. Actually, I do."
"Already got you covered," she winked.
Their conversation was simple, natural, laughter cutting through the hum of chatter around them. But then Levi's gaze drifted to something or someone he didn't plan on seeing.
Standing across the office, talking to a coworker, was Jennifer Sinclair. She caught his eyes almost instantly, smiling back at him—slow, deliberate, flirtatious.
Zara noticed, her expression turning serious. "Isn't she hot?"
"What?" Levi stammered, eyes flicking down to the files on his desk, desperately pretending not to notice Jennifer's smile burning into the side of his face. "Uh… yeah, sure."
"You know," Zara leaned against his desk, smirking, "she's one of the best coworkers we've got. Not like that Aveline girl, always drooling over you."
"Are you sure? Aveline's cute, too, y'know?" a voice cut in smoothly.
Both Levi and Zara turned.
Henry Duval strode up, blonde slicked hair shining under the office lights, green eyes flashing with mischief. Dressed sharp in his white shirt and tie, he carried four steaming cups like a triumphant waiter.
"Levi, cappuccino," Henry declared, setting it on his desk. "Zara, latte. And for me—" he raised his cup with flair, "—the glorious, unmatched, life-giving black coffee."
"Ew," Zara groaned. "Are you serious right now? Black coffee?"
"What?!" Henry scoffed, offended. "It's healthy. A young man like me needs his body in peak condition if he's gonna score the lady of his dreams. Right, Leviiii?" He threw a playful fist toward Levi.
Levi smirked, bumping fists with him.
Zara rolled her eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn't fall out. "You two are disgusting, you know that, right?"
"Disgusting? No, no. We... are men of culture," Henry said proudly, striking a ridiculous pose.
"Yeah, tell me when a woman agrees to your cultural advances," Zara fired back, deadpan. "I'm sure the grandkids would love that story."
Levi cracked up, stifling his laugh with a sip of warm cappuccino and covering his mouth in order not to spill.
"Hey, quit the laughter, genius!" Henry shot back, grinning. "You're no better than me. We're both virgins, so don't act so cocky."
Levi raised his hands in mock surrender, smiling slyly. "If you say so… boss."
"Alright, alright," Zara cut in, clapping her hands. "Enough gross talk, Henry. Tell him the plan."
Henry, mid-sip of his black coffee, froze. He lowered the cup, eyes lighting up like he'd remembered lost treasure. "Oh! Bro. We're going out tonight." He pointed at Levi as if he'd just been sentenced.
"What night out?" Levi asked blankly. "Your birthdays aren't for months away."
Henry's brows furrowed, disbelief dripping from his tone. "Dude… seriously?"
Levi blinked, completely clueless, nodding slightly.
Zara sighed, being dramatic as ever. "It's the anniversary of our friendship, genius."
"What she said," Henry added, jabbing a finger at Zara.
"Oh." Levi slapped his palm against his forehead. "Right. Totally forgot. Work's frying my brain. Honestly, I don't know… I'm exhausted, and I've got deadlines. A night out might not be the best idea."
"Which is exactly why you need it!" Henry barked, slapping his shoulder. "You've been grinding nonstop for Redhead Boss and his collab queen. You deserve a break."
"Yep," Zara chimed in, smirking. "You're starting to look like a walking corpse. And we're not letting our corpse-friend rot in his cubicle."
Levi exhaled deeply, weighing it. Between work stress and the silent blackmail haunting his apartment block, maybe a night out wasn't the worst idea. And even if he said no, Zara wouldn't let it go.
"Alright," he sighed, shoulders dropping. "Fine. But I'm not drinking."
"Yessss!" Zara and Henry cheered in unison.
"Relax, bro," Henry promised, holding up his cup like an oath. "No alcohol for me either. Scouts' honour."
"Alright," Zara added, "Then it's settled, we are going out!"
"Yeah", said Henry.
The two high-fived each other. Levi couldn't help but smile as he watched them. Even in his darkest days, he could count on Zara and Henry to brighten it up.