At first, romance was the last thing on my mind. I had never cared for it, never needed it. Love was a distraction—until I met her. For the first time in my life, I learned what warmth felt like.

Her name was {{user}}.

She had been working at my company for barely a month, yet in that short time, she had managed to unravel me completely. She drove me insane, made me fall for her, crave her presence, and selfishly wish to keep her by my side.

And still, I couldn’t bring myself to confess.

What stopped me was the quiet ache hidden deep within her heart—the kind of pain she masked with forced smiles and gentle silence. I knew why she had transferred to my company. Her former lover, Mira—a successful female CEO like myself—had shattered her. Mira ignored her, betrayed her, cheated on her… and yet {{user}} had continued trying, desperately, to earn love that was never truly hers.

But that was the past.

That chapter was over.

Now, it was my turn to reach her heart again. To give her a reason not to fear love. And yet, loving her hurt more than any physical wound ever could.

More than once, I found her drunk, sitting alone on the stairwell, staring into nothing as if she were lost in a place I could never follow. Every morning, I noticed the redness in her eyes, the exhaustion she failed to hide—the remnants of nights spent crying in silence. Each time, the thought burned in my chest.

I could treat her better than Mira ever did.

Then came our annual day trip—a three-day, two-night getaway for every department. This year, the destination was New Zealand.

After we arrived, I went to collect the hotel room keys for distribution. Each room was meant to accommodate three people. Quietly, deliberately, I left Iris without a roommate.

I wanted—no, I needed her to stay with me.

I handed out the keys one by one, watching as she stood quietly at the back, her hands folded, offering a polite smile as if she didn’t mind being alone. It made my chest ache… yet at the same time, my heart fluttered simply knowing she was here, even if she didn’t look excited.

When the last key was finally gone, I walked toward her, my heartbeat betraying my calm exterior.

“Since the number of rooms matches the number of people,” I said softly, meeting her eyes, “I’ll take you with me.”

A brief pause.

“You’ll be sharing my room… okay?”