Chapter 27: Chapter 27
"Oh you!" Levi exclaimed, at the rooftop, glancing over the stairs, hearing the cracking sound of tiles. Maya awkwardly smiled at him. Levi got up, holding out his hand to Maya, who blinked twice in confusion.
"I can't let you fall. Hold my hand," Levi said, his voice full of concern. Maya felt the sincerity in his words but also felt a bit awkward about holding his hand again. She looked down, shaking her head, clearly rejecting Levi's offer.
"It's really okay, Mr. Thompson," she said softly.
Levi pocketed his hand as Maya spoke. He smiled, even though he felt a twinge of hurt. He watched her carefully, making sure she reached the bottom safely. As they sat together, Levi handed her a snack from his pocket. Maya looked at him in confusion.
"You're skipping lunch, aren't you? Have it," Levi insisted, his eyes gentle but firm.
"Thanks," she said, taking the snack hesitantly.
"Something's bothering you, right?" Levi asked, glancing at her with genuine concern.
"Not really. Thanks for your concern."
"You're not talking as usual. I'm not going to ask, but cheer up," Levi said, trying to lift her spirits.
Maya remembered their conversation on the balcony. The tone of his voice was different now, but it carried the same familiar care. She smiled at him, saying, "That's what I told you last time, didn't I?"
"Yes," Levi replied, a soft smile playing on his lips.
"Mr. Thompson?"
"Hm?" he asked softly.
"What do you do when you're too scared to answer a question?" she asked, her eyes filled with sadness. Levi guessed the situation she was in but didn't have an answer for her. He got up, looked at the sky, and sighed deeply, earning a look from Maya and completely ignoring her question.
"The sky, it looks sad today, doesn't it?" he said, trying to change the subject.
"Sad? Sky?" Maya chuckled, despite herself.
"Yes. It does. I don't like it when it looks sad. I guess I'll come back later," Levi said, starting to step down the stairs. He turned back to warn her, "Be careful when you come down," and then he disappeared from her sight.
. . .
Next day, during the lunch break,
Maya looked at her watch. Still an hour to go. She exhaled. Maybe I should take a nap. As she made a small place to rest her head on the desk, a guy she didn't know coughed in front of her. She flinched a little and turned back.
"Sorry, did I scare you?" he asked, looking genuinely concerned.
"No, it's okay," she stuttered, still trying to figure out if he was a colleague or not.
"Oh, sorry. I guess you don't know me. Ken Ian, a manager from the finance department," he said, holding out his hand for a handshake. Maya stood up and they shook hands.
"Maya Larson, from the Network Administration Department," she smiled.
"I know. I saw you on interview day, then at orientation, and sometimes in the cafeteria. You don't usually have lunch, do you?" he asked, his tone friendly but curious. Maya felt a little weird because it seemed like this guy had been observing her a lot. She scratched her head, looking confused.
"I'm sorry if I made you nervous. I never give a good first impression," he said again, looking slightly embarrassed.
"No, it's okay. But you know quite a lot. I don't remember seeing you," Maya said, trying to sound polite.
"I know. You never really look at people," Ken replied. Maya was surprised as he said that. She looked at him with a surprised expression, realizing he was right. She never really looked at people, so she never knew their thoughts. Is that what Steven felt too?
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it that way. I mean you don't look like you see through at all." Oh Shit! What am I even saying! Keep your mouth shut! (Ken thought)
Maya tilted her head in confusion, seeing some weirdness in this guy, even though she thought he was awfully honest. She smiled and cleared her throat, "I know what you mean. It's really okay."
"Is it really? I'm really sorry. I get scolded by everyone. I'm not good at speaking, to be honest," Ken retorted, looking a bit downcast.
"It's okay. By the way, why did you—"
Steven and his squad were passing through the office, and they spotted Maya and Ken. Tiffany noticed Steven furrowing his eyebrows looking at Maya. Liam already face-palmed, seeing his employee with Maya and checking Steven's expression.
"Isn't he from your department?" Ethan asked.
"Yes, Ken Ian, who got the top score this year at the interview," Liam replied proudly.
"What's his job with her?" Steven asked in a low voice, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Oh shit! He's going to be in trouble," Liam almost yelled.
"Why would he?" Steven asked, his voice tinged with irritation.
"He is bad at talking."
"What do you mean by bad at talking? I remember him talking well at the interview," Steven retorted, his curiosity piqued.
"He's just too honest. Because of him, we lost two clients. But he actually paid for that by bringing in seven more new clients."
"Wow, he is tough then," Kevin said, clearly impressed.
"Sure he is. But I have to get him back now," Liam started running to get his boy back.
Ken shook his head as Maya asked if there was anything she could help him with. He replied, "Because I'm interested in you, Ms. Larson. So I want to ask you on a date." His confession was loud enough to reach Steven's ears. Liam ran over and covered Ken's mouth, leaving Maya in shock. Liam started dragging his boy out of Maya's sight, bowing non-stop, "Sorry, Larson. Don't mind him."
Maya stood there, thinking, What just happened? Tiffany seemed disgusted and went to her desk.
"Seriously, I wasn't ready to hear this," Ethan started laughing.
"Wasn't he cool though? I am thinking about being friends with him," Kevin said, earning a death glare from Steven.
Kevin flinched in panic as Steven walked to his room, leaving his two friends behind.
"What's with him?" Kevin asked, confused.
"I'm seriously feeling bad for you now bro," Ethan retorted, patting Kevin's shoulder.
"What's wrong with everyone?" Kevin being Kevin.
. . .
Steven sat at his desk, eyes fixed on the computer screen, but his mind was elsewhere. He couldn't shake off the image of Ken confessing to Maya. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in," he called, his voice sharper than usual.
Maya stepped inside, closing the door behind her. "You wanted to see me, Mr. Stone?"
"Yes, Ms. Larson. Please have a seat," he said, motioning to the chair in front of his desk.
She sat down, her heart racing. Steven's tone was different today—more formal, more distant. She couldn't help but wonder if it had anything to do with Ken's confession. "I wanted to discuss a few things with you regarding the new project," Steven began, sliding a file across the desk. "Nira will be covering for you while you handle the budget reports."
Maya took the file, nodding. "I'll make sure everything is in order."
Steven leaned back in his chair, observing her for a moment. His eyes softened, but his words remained measured. "How are you finding the workload? I know it's been quite hectic lately."
"It's manageable," Maya replied, trying to sound confident. "Thank you for asking."
"Good. That's good," Steven said, his voice trailing off. There was a brief silence, filled only by the ticking of the clock on the wall. Steven cleared his throat, deciding to address the matter that had been bothering him all afternoon. "By the way, I heard something interesting today."
Maya's eyes widened slightly, but she tried to keep her expression neutral. "Oh? What was it?"
Steven smirked, leaning forward. "I heard that Ken confessed his feelings to you."
Maya's cheeks flushed a deep shade of red. "He did," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Well, that was bold of him," Steven said, trying to sound casual, but the edge in his voice was unmistakable. "What did you say?"
"I didn't have a chance to respond," Maya replied, feeling her palms grow sweaty. "Todd dragged him away before I could say anything."
Steven chuckled, shaking his head. "Liam always knows how to handle a situation."
Maya managed a weak smile, her heart pounding in her chest. "Yeah, he does."
There was another pause, and Steven took a deep breath, deciding to push a little further. "So, what do you think about it? About Ken, I mean."
Maya bit her lip, looking down at her hands. "It caught me off guard. I don't even know him honestly."
Steven's jaw loosened, and he looked away, trying to mask his relief. "Well, take your time to think about it. No rush."
Maya looked up, catching the flicker of emotion in his eyes. She hesitated, then asked, "Mr. Stone, are you okay?"
"Me? Of course, I'm fine," he replied quickly, a little too quickly. "Why do you ask?"
"It's just... you seem different today," she said softly. "Is everything alright?"
Steven sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's nothing, really. Just a lot on my mind."
Maya nodded, sensing there was more to it but deciding not to press further. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here."
Steven smiled, a genuine smile that reached his eyes. "Thank you, Ms. Larson. I appreciate that."
They sat in silence for a moment, the unspoken feelings hanging in the air between them. Finally, Steven cleared his throat and stood up. "Well, I won't keep you any longer. Thank you for coming by."
Maya stood as well, clutching the file to her chest. "Of course. I'll get started on this right away."
As she turned to leave, Steven called out to her. "Ms. Larson?"
She turned back, her heart skipping a beat. "Yes?"
"Don't let anyone pressure you into making a decision. Not Ken, not anyone. Your feelings matter the most."
Maya nodded, her eyes meeting his. "Thank you, Mr. Stone. That means a lot. I guess I will see you at home, later."
Steven smiled at her fondly as she walked out.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone