Sophia returned to her office, closing the door behind her with a quiet sigh. She loved her job, but the constant balancing act—being Ethan's wife at home and just another executive at work—was becoming more exhausting by the day.
As she sat down, her phone buzzed with a message. It was from Ethan.
Ethan: Dinner at home or do you want to go out tonight?
Sophia smirked, shaking her head. Even in the middle of the workday, he still found ways to remind her that they weren't just colleagues.
Sophia: Home. I'm in the mood for your cooking.
A reply came almost instantly.
Ethan: That's because I'm amazing at everything.
She rolled her eyes but couldn't help the warmth that spread through her.
Just as she was about to respond, a knock on her office door made her sit up straighter. "Come in."
The door opened, and Lisa from HR stepped inside with an amused expression.
"Hey, Sophia. Got a minute?" Lisa asked, closing the door behind her.
"Of course," Sophia replied, setting her phone aside.
Lisa sat down across from her, crossing her legs. "So... what's going on between you and Mr. Caldwell?"
Sophia's heart nearly stopped, but she kept her expression neutral. "Excuse me?"
Lisa smirked. "Come on, I'm not blind. He always calls you into his office, you two have this... intense eye contact thing going on, and he never acts that way with anyone else. Spill."
Sophia forced a small laugh. "Lisa, Ethan—I mean, Mr. Caldwell—calls me in because I'm the Marketing Director. It's literally my job to work closely with him."
Lisa raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Uh-huh. And I suppose that little moment just now in the meeting room was nothing?"
Sophia swallowed. Had they slipped up?
"You're imagining things," she said smoothly. "Ethan is just... a tough boss. And I can handle him."
Lisa studied her for a moment before shrugging. "Alright, alright. But if there was something, you'd tell me, right?"
Sophia smiled, pretending to be amused. "Of course."
Lisa stood, still looking suspicious. "Alright, I'll let you get back to work. But if I find out there's a secret office romance going on, just know I knew before everyone else."
As Lisa left, Sophia exhaled slowly, gripping the edges of her desk.
They had been careful. So careful.
But it seemed their secret wasn't as invisible as they thought.
—
To be continued…