NOVPUBElion walked into the private restroom connected to his office. The door clicked shut behind him, cutting off the muffled sounds of the outside world. He exhaled sharply, his chest rising and falling in controlled movements as he pressed a hand against the sink’s cool porcelain surface.
The mirror reflected his composed, refined image, but inside, he was anything but calm. His pulse was unsteady, his thoughts a tangled mess.
With a sigh, Elion reached for a stack of tissues from the counter. He carefully dabbed the moisture from the drink that had spilled onto his thigh earlier. The soft fabric pressed against his skin, absorbing the dampness—
And that was when it happened.
His fingers brushed over the spot where Raelynn had touched him.
Instantly, his body tensed. A sharp jolt of heat crawled up his spine, spreading through his limbs like wildfire. He sucked in a breath, his fingers freezing in place as his mind unwillingly replayed the sensation of her touch—warm, soft, and light yet electrifying.
His grip on the tissue tightened.
Damn it.
His eyes darkened as he quickly tossed the tissue aside. The next second, he turned the faucet and splashed a handful of ice-cold water onto his face. The shock of it sent a shiver down his spine, snapping him back to his senses. Droplets slid down his sharp jawline, soaking the collar of his crisp dress shirt, but he didn’t care.
Elion dragged a hand through his damp hair, gripping the strands tightly as he closed his eyes.
"This is my office," he muttered under his breath. "I need to behave. I need to focus. No immoral thoughts."
But then, as if conjured by his inner turmoil, a tiny, mischievous voice whispered near his ear.
"So if it’s not your office… you can do something immoral?"
Elion’s eyes snapped open. His gaze flickered to his left, where—much to his horror—a tiny version of himself stood on the edge of the counter.
It was a miniature, devilish-looking Elion, dressed in a black suit with a smirk stretched across his face. Tiny horns poked out of his silvery hair, and a thin tail swayed behind him. His tiny arms were crossed, his scarlet eyes gleaming with amusement.
Elion groaned, pressing his fingers against his temple.
"I am not entertaining this," he muttered.
The tiny devil-Elion leaned forward with a knowing grin.
"You already did. Just admit it, she’s getting to you. You liked it when she touched you, didn’t you?"
Elion clenched his jaw. "Shut up."
"You should’ve grabbed her wrist, pulled her closer, and—"
With a growl of frustration, Elion swatted his hand in the air, as if trying to chase the little devil away. He turned the faucet again, scooping another handful of cold water and splashing it onto his face.
The coolness helped, but only just.
Taking a deep breath, he straightened his posture and ran his fingers through his wet hair once more, slicking it back. His face was impassive again, unreadable. The temptation lingering in his mind was forcefully buried under layers of restraint.
He reached for a towel and dabbed his face dry before adjusting his cuffs.
"This is ridiculous," he muttered. "I need to get back."
And with that, he turned on his heel and left the bathroom.
Meanwhile, inside Elion’s office, Raelynn sat on the couch, her cheeks burning.
She had stopped eating completely. The moment Elion left for the restroom, her appetite vanished, leaving her restless.
Her heart was still racing.
Flustered beyond reason, she hugged her knees, rocking slightly as she buried her face into them.
"What the hell was that?" she thought, groaning softly in embarrassment.
Her hand had moved on its own. She hadn’t even thought twice before reaching out to wipe the spilled drink from Elion’s thigh. And then, when her fingers brushed against him—
She shook her head aggressively, her long hair swaying with the motion.
"No, no, no, I cannot think about it! It was just an accident! That’s all!"
Still, her mind refused to listen.
She could feel the warmth of his body against her palm, the firm muscles beneath the fabric of his expensive slacks. She had touched him without thinking, and the way Elion had frozen in place, the look in his eyes…
Raelynn groaned and covered her face with her hands.
"I want to disappear."
Her flustered state made her restless, and she found herself pacing back and forth across the room. Her hands fidgeted by her sides, her steps uneven.
"He’s going to come back soon. Should I pretend nothing happened? What if he says something about it? What if—"
Her thoughts were cut off when her arm swung a little too wide.
A loud rustling noise followed.
Raelynn froze in horror.
A bunch of documents had been knocked over from Elion’s desk, scattering across the floor.
Her heart dropped. "Shit!"
She dropped to her knees immediately, scrambling to pick up the mess.
"Oh god, oh god, I have to fix this before he comes back!"
Her fingers worked fast, gathering the scattered pages into a neat stack. Her eyes flickered over the papers, ensuring nothing was torn or misplaced—until something caught her attention.
A single document stood out from the rest.
Her own face stared back at her.
Raelynn’s breath hitched. Her name was printed in bold letters across the top: Raelynn Cassandra Moore.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she skimmed through the information below.
Her date of birth. Her home address. Her education history. Her blood type. Every single detail about her was recorded on that sheet.
"Why… why does Elion have this?"
Her stomach twisted uneasily. The logical part of her brain tried to reason it out. Maybe he had done a background check after she told him about the pregnancy. Maybe this was normal.
But… it still felt unsettling.
Before she could read any further, the sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway.
Raelynn’s eyes widened.
"Crap!"
She hurriedly shoved the document back into the stack, smoothing them out as quickly as she could before placing them neatly on the desk again.
The door opened.
Elion stepped inside, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room.
Raelynn swallowed, keeping her face as neutral as possible.
Elion’s expression remained unreadable as his gaze flickered to her for a moment before shifting toward the untouched food on the table.
"Let’s continue eating," he said simply, walking toward his seat.
Raelynn let out a quiet breath of relief. He didn’t question why she was near his desk.
But as she sat back down, her mind wasn’t at ease.
She couldn’t stop thinking about what she had just seen.
