.
.
.
.
After a long night spent scrolling through Facebook posts and dealing with ridiculous comments, Maria struggled to wake up to the blaring alarm echoing through the house. Its sound was loud enough to wake the entire neighborhood—maybe even the one next to it. She slowly lifted her head from under the covers, her eyes landing on the mirror across the room, revealing her pale face and messy hair. She let out an irritated sigh and muttered, "Great... I look like a complete wreck."
She pressed her hands to her head, throbbing from the lack of sleep. Squinting at the clock on the wall, she grumbled, "Almost eight..." She flopped back onto her bed lazily, only to jolt upright in horror, "What?! I'm late! The last thing I need is another lecture today!"
She leaped out of bed, darting around the room in a frenzy, grabbing clothes haphazardly and leaving behind a chaotic mess. She quickly applied some makeup to hide the exhaustion that last night had left on her face. Standing before the mirror again, her fingers gently touched her favorite necklace. She whispered so softly that it was almost inaudible, "I'll find you... I promise."
She rushed out of her room, hurriedly slipping on her sneakers. She called out a quick greeting to her parents sitting in the kitchen having breakfast, "Morning, Mom. Morning, Dan." Her mom responded with a warm smile, "Finally awake? Come, I made breakfast." But Maria was already out the door.
"Alright, the company's about a twenty-minute walk from here. If I hurry, I might just make it..." She sprinted down the crowded streets, her thoughts racing as fast as her feet. "Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet, have I?"
I'm Maria Vargas, the only daughter in my family... Yeah, just as you might have guessed, I'm currently an intern at the biggest and best mechanical manufacturing company... Titan Dynamite. And somehow, I ended up as the assistant to none other than Aiden Reyes.
Aiden... Hmm, how can I describe him? You know how you take all the chivalry, kindness, compassion, and decency and bundle them into one person? Now, flip all that upside down. Yeah, exactly—that's Aiden Reyes. Except for his handsome face, of course. Here's the rule: everything about him is a disaster... except his looks.
Maria finally reached the company building, barely catching her breath before a booming voice echoed from the manager's office. She swallowed hard, pushing a few stray hairs behind her ears as she cautiously approached.
Inside, all eyes were on her, filled with pity, as if they were witnessing a public execution. And there stood Aiden, arms crossed over his chest, his cold, crooked smile promising no good. His voice dripped with sarcasm, "Oh, Miss Vargas... How kind of you to grace us with your presence. Did we interrupt your precious sleep? You deserve a medal for such dedication!"
Maria forced an awkward smile, avoiding direct eye contact, and quickly blurted, "No need to thank me... It's my pleasu—" She didn't get to finish before he cut her off, his shout shaking the walls, "Are you trying to test my patience, Miss Vargas? Two months... two months and you've only been on time once! I've tolerated your mistakes long enough, but I swear, if you're late one more time, I'll throw you out of that window myself! You're a real pain in the ass!"
She swallowed the humiliation, fighting the urge to smile.
He raised an eyebrow skeptically, "Where's yesterday's report? And it better be flawless."
Maria took a deep breath, carefully choosing her words before responding in a polite, soft voice, "Yes, the report is ready, Sir. I also corrected the errors that occurred during the data transfer, and I contacted Extra Corporation in China to secure new parts for the project. They're scheduled to arrive tomorrow." She said everything in one breath and finally exhaled in relief.
Aiden looked at her, a faint smile playing on his lips before he quickly masked it. He took the file from her and sat down at his desk, his eyes scanning the papers. Maria stood there, nerves tight, waiting for any comment. She hesitated before softly speaking, her voice tinged with regret, "I'm sorry if my tardiness is causing trouble, but I promise I'm doing my best."
He looked up, his gaze locking onto her innocent brown eyes. For a moment, he felt his throat tighten, forcing himself to look away.
"I really am sorry," she repeated before turning and quietly leaving the office.
As soon as the door closed, Aiden leaned his head against the back of his chair, trying to steady his uneven breaths. Pressing his fingers to his forehead, he muttered under his breath, "Damn it..."
Meanwhile, outside his office, Maria closed the door behind her, disbelief washing over her as she whispered to herself, "Oh my God... He didn't throw me out the window. Well, at least not today."
.
.
.
.
Alright, folks! That was a light and fun chapter to get a feel for Maria and Aiden's personalities and a glimpse of the complex chemistry between them. But do you really think things will stay this way? What twists and turns are coming next?
I'm genuinely excited to hear your thoughts!
What do you think of Maria so far?
And how do you see Aiden's character? Is he really that cold?
Most importantly... what are your predictions for their relationship?
Share your thoughts and theories, and remember... there's so much more to uncover!
"See you "