Chapter 8

Wesley and Gabriela reached the parking lot. She lagged behind, dragging her feet. He glanced back,catching her reluctance with a knowing smile. "Aren't you the one who insisted on going back to work or risk getting fired?" His tone was light, almost teasing

Gabriela ducked her hnead and muttered, "That was just an excuse-I wasn't being serious."

"Oh?" Wesley arched a brow, voice turning flat."Does that include the part where you said your boss squeezes every drop out of you-nothing but ruthless capitalism?"

Gabriela froze under his cool stare,her heart skipping a beat.

She'd only said that to get rid of Rhys, never imagining her own boss would hear every word.

Wesley's mouth quirked in an unreadable half-smile,waiting. Gabriela straightened her shoulders and rushed to reassure him. "You must've heard wrong,Mr.Moss. I would never say anything like that about you.I'm all in for the company. No one's more loyal than l am. If you need me to run myself ragged,just say the word."

Gabriela kept her eyes glued to the ground for a long moment before finally sneaking a glance at Wesley.She caught the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at his lips.

He replied coolly, "Then come back to the office with me."

After they had settled into the car, Wesley took the wheel. The tension between them was thick enough to choke on. Gabriela barely dared to exhale, nerves twisted tight in her chest.

It was Christmas Eve-she'd dreamed of nothing more than shopping and curling up with some feel-good TV,but now here she was, stuck on duty.

At the office, she kept up appearances by tapping away at her computer, then mustered her courage and rapped gently on Wesley's door.

"Mr. Moss, I've finished my work. If there's nothing else, I was hoping I could..."

"Before you go," Wesley said flatly, eyes never leaving his screen, and slid a hefty stack of paperwork across the desk, "I want these sorted."

Gabriela's heart plummeted. The stack looked bottomless-just glancing at it made her dizzy.Two hours,at least. Probably more if she dared to breathe

Without lifting his gaze, Wesley remarked, "What's the matter? Was all that talk about how loyal you are to the company just for show?

So he had heard her. And apparently, he was going to hold her to it.

Gabriela quickly swallowed her true feelings."Absolutely not," she replied, her voice bright and obliging.

Apex Group's high salary and lavish perks kept her tethered. As an intern, she couldn't risk crossing Wesley-not even by a hair.

With a practiced, enthusiastic smile,she accepted the towering stack of documents and inquired, "Usually this kind of thing goes to your assistant, right?"

"He's in the hospital. Something he ate didn't agree with him."

Meanwhile, Billy sat at home, poking half-heartedly at a bowl of instant noodles, his mind churning with anxious thoughts about his own future.

Wesley had never let him off the hook, even for major holidays.

But now, on just a plain old Christmas Eve, he'd been sent home? The whole thing felt off.

Was Wesley disappointed in how he tackled that last project?

Meanwhile,silence gripped Gabriela. She couldn't form a single word.

Wesley was the CEO, after all. Whatever he said,she had no choice but to accept.

Suppressing a sigh, Gabriela dutifully started on the mountain of paperwork.

But she'd joined the company with dreams of working in sales, not drowning in documents she barely understood.

Wesley glanced up, picking up on her hesitation. His tone softened, surprising her. "You can organize them here. If you run into anything confusing, just let me know."

She straightened, relieved by the offer. "Thank you,Mr.Moss."

The silence in the CEO's office felt almost sacred,broken only by Gabriela's tentative footsteps as she drew near to ask Wesley about the documents. Each time she approached, his clean, understated scent drifted her way.Alone with him in that hushed, exclusive space,Gabriela's pulse thudded with excitement.

He was her ultimate office crush, and being close enough to catch the details of his scent almost made working late seem worth it.

She worked fast and smart, managing to sort the intimidating stack of documents in just ninety minutes.

Stretching her arms overhead, convinced she was finally free, she froze as someone suddenly shouted out in the hallway, the sharp sound punctuated by the heavy slam of the main office door.

A chill crept up Gabriela's spine. Instinctively,she bolted to the exit, only to find the door firmly locked.

She banged on it and shouted for help, but the security guard was already drifting away down the hall,oblivious.

As she spun around, Wesley appeared behind her, his tone unruffled. "Our security guard's hearing isn't what it used to be."

Gabriela blinked, incredulous. "How does a massive company like this end up with a guard who can barely hear?"

Wesley shot her a sharp look. "We don't discriminate here. Everyone deserves a chance, disability or not."

Flustered,Gabriela quickly backtracked.

She didn't have a problem with people who had disabilities. In fact, she was always the first to stop and guide anyone blind across a crosswalk.

She was just caught off guard; that was all.

Realizing the guard couldn't hear her, Gabriela pulled out her phone to call for help, but not a single bar appeared.

Such a useless phone-she was already eyeing a replacement as soon as she got paid.

Desperate, she glanced at Wesley, silently pleading for help. He responded with a careless shrug, lifting his own phone. The screen was black, no life in it."Battery's dead," he said, not the slightest bit bothered.

She stared at him in disbelief.

He added, "My secretary usually handles small tasks like charging my phone."

Gabriela could only gape, a mix of frustration and awe rising in her chest. Typical CEO-helpless when it came to anything remotely practical.

Before she could finish silently grumbling,Wesley said, "I'm starving. Whip up something to eat."

Unbelievable. Overtime wasn't enough-now he expected her to play chef,too?

She mustered a protest. "Mr. Moss, we're literally locked in the building."

It wasn't an exaggeration. The two of them were trapped on the twelfth floor. Was she supposed to conjure dinner out of thin air?

Wesley just gestured toward the far corner. "My office has a lounge. Fridge is fully stocked."

Curiosity tugged at her as Gabriela stepped inside and spotted a snug kitchen bursting with every ingredient imaginable.

Left with no excuse, Gabriela resigned herself to the task and whipped up a simple pasta.

As she set two steaming bowls on the table, curiosity got the better of her. "So, why keep a whole kitchen's worth of groceries in your office, Mr. Moss?"

Wesley leaned back,his tone nonchalant. "Sometimes I'm here late, so I keep a few things stocked. Never know when you'll need them."

Apparently, he really did treat his office as a second home. Gabriela found herself quietly impressed. So even the legendary Wesley Moss was no stranger to late nights.Raking in millions clearly meant putting in the hours.

Wesley offered for her to stay and have her meal there.

Gabriela shook her head. "No thanks-I usually stream a show while I eat. It just makes dinner more fun."

Honestly,nothing beat zoning out to a drama on her phone with a plate of food in hand.

There was no way she could get away with that kind of behavior in Wesley's presence. That would just be crossing a line.

Wesley's gaze turned stormy. "You're implying you can't eat while staring at me?"

Gabriela froze, caught off guard.

Honestly, only Wesley could twist her words into something so dramatic.