"ra, you know her brother, right? Spill the beans-is it true she was adopted? And is Mr. Dn into her?"


    ra topped off her cup with a smile. "Honestly, I don''t know."


    As she was about to leave, she caught some snarkyments floating her way.


    "Oh, please. She''s pretending not to know just so she doesn''t tick off Eden."


    "Exactly! Everyone knows she''s still trailing after Eden''s brother."


    "She''s living her life with no pride, all this for a guy-it''s just sad."


    ra paused, turned around with a sweet smile, and eyed them. "Chit-chatting on


    the clock, huh? Should I let Mr. Dn know and have him dock your pay?"


    Their faces turned white as sheets, and they quickly refilled their cups and scurried off.


    ra was still simmering as she sat at her desk, trying to shake off the irritation. Just then, Eden waltzed out of the office, stopped by ra''s desk, and carelessly knocked her papers to the floor.


    Eden stood there like a smug princess, clearly waiting for ra to react. ra kept her cool, and Eden''s interest fizzled out fast.


    "Wow, Simon said you''ve been standing up for yourself, but you''re still just a pushover," Eden sneered, rolling her eyes. "Oh, and by the way, I''m having dinner with Dn tonight. Just thought I''d mention that your little tricks won''t work on Simon or Dn. You''re only good enough to shine the shoes of the Ferguson men."


    With that, she strutted off with her head held high. The others whispered among themselves, but ra ignored them, bending down to gather her scattered papers.


    Eden had Dn in her corner, and ra knew better than to stir the pot. Sometimes, you just had to pick your battles.


    Just as she finished tidying up, the direct line from the CEO''s office rang, and Dn''s voice came through. "Come on in."


    She grabbed her documents and headed inside. The once serious office was now filled with the sweet aroma of cakes, a stark contrast to Dn''s usual vibe.


    ra found herself momentarily distracted by the untouched, delicate pastries until Dn spoke up. "Hungry?"


    She quickly shook her head. "Mr. Dn, about that earlier issue, do you think we should take another look? The partners had some questions."


    "Come here." Dn''s voice was firm, and she found herself moving closer almost without thinking.


    He picked up a piece of cake with his long fingers and said, "Kneel down."


    ra hesitated, looking away. "I''m not hungry, and besides, these are from Ms. Eden. She''d flip if she found out."


    "Are you tattling?"


    Her cheeks flushed instantly. Just as she was about to deny it, Dn gently pulled her down by the wrist. The sweet scent of the cake filled her senses, the jam smudging her lips. Instinctively, she licked it off.


    Dn nced at her, then quickly turned his attention back to the document in front of him. She couldn''t believe a simple piece of cake could spark such a reaction.


    Internally, she chuckled, realizing that despite Dn''s tough exterior, he was surprisingly tender at heart.