It had been a month since Izzy started working at Steele Industries.

A whole month of early mornings, long meetings, and trying to act like her boss didn't make her pulse skip every time he walked by.

Dominic Steele had been the perfect picture of professionalism. Cold. Polite. Distant.

He spoke to her only when necessary.... short, clipped sentences, all business, no warmth. It was as if that night between them never happened.

And Izzy had almost convinced herself she was fine with it.

Almost.

Until the rumors started.

It began on a quiet Tuesday morning. She was by the coffee machine when two coworkers whispered nearby, thinking she couldn't hear.

"Did you hear? Mr. Steele's been seeing someone."

"Really? Who?"

"No one knows. Some woman who's been visiting his office. Red lipstick, heels, the works."

Izzy froze mid-pour.

Her chest tightened in a way she didn't like.

She didn't want to care. She really didn't. But the thought of Dominic with someone else smiling at them, touching them... twisted something inside her.

She set her cup down and forced a calm expression. "Morning," she said quickly, and the two women jumped, mumbling greetings before hurrying off.

Back at her desk, she tried to focus on the Harper project, but the words blurred. Every time Dominic's door opened, her eyes flicked up.

And when he came out to speak to another manager, she swore she caught a faint trace of perfume... not hers.

Get a grip, Izzy, she told herself. You have no claim on him.

Still, when Maya texted later that afternoon

Maya: Surviving work?

Izzy: Trying to.

Maya: Still avoiding the boss you slept with?

Izzy: He's avoiding me.

Maya: Maybe he's distracted. Maybe by someone else. 👀

Izzy didn't reply. She just turned her phone face down and exhaled sharply.

That's when Dominic's voice came from behind her. "Miss Hart."

Her heart jumped. She turned, forcing a neutral tone. "Yes, Mr. Steele?"

He held out a file. "I need you to make a reservation at Lume, eight o'clock. Two seats. Private table."

Her chest tightened. "Of course," she said.

"Confirm it under my name," he added before walking back into his office.

She sat frozen for a few seconds, staring at the file in her hands.

So it's true, she thought. He's taking someone out.

She shouldn't care. She really shouldn't. But she did.

Later that evening, as she finished updating some documents, she saw the elevator open. A woman stepped out... tall, elegant, with glossy hair and bold red lips. She walked straight into Dominic's office without knocking.

Izzy tried to focus on her screen, but her stomach twisted. She heard faint laughter from inside the glass room, followed by silence.

A few minutes later, she stood to leave... and that's when it happened.

The woman stepped closer to Dominic, smiling, her hand on his chest. Dominic didn't move back fast enough.

Izzy froze, eyes wide, just as the woman leaned in and kissed him.

The world seemed to blur for a second.

Dominic didn't kiss her back... not fully... but he didn't push her away immediately either. And that was enough.

Izzy's chest ached in a way she didn't understand. She turned quickly, grabbed her bag, and walked out before they could see her expression.

Outside, the cool night air hit her face. She kept walking, head down, trying not to think. But the image replayed over and over... his lips, that woman's red lipstick, the quiet between them.

By the time she got home, she was angry.

Angry at herself for caring. Angry at him for pretending not to.

She threw her bag on the couch and sank into the cushions, her phone buzzing.

Maya: You okay?

Izzy: Not really.

Maya: What happened?

Izzy: He was with someone. At work.

Maya: Your boss? The guy from the club?

Izzy: Yes.

Maya: Want me to say something comforting or something honest?

Izzy: Both.

Maya: Comforting: He's an idiot. Honest: You care about him more than you want to admit.

Izzy sighed, typing slowly.

Izzy: Maybe I do. But he doesn't feel the same.

Still, she couldn't forget the look in his eyes when he'd said before you give me another reason to forget the rules.

That hadn't been cold. That had been something else.

And deep down, she knew Dominic Steele wasn't a man who let people close easily. Which meant whoever that woman was... and whatever that kiss meant... there was more to it.

Izzy didn't know whether to hope... or to stop herself before it was too late.

Izzy couldn't remember much of the walk home.

The city lights blurred past her, voices fading into background noise.

All she could see in her mind was that moment the woman's red lips pressed against Dominic's, his stillness, the silence after.

She unlocked her apartment door and dropped her bag by the couch. The quiet hit her harder than she expected.

Her chest felt heavy.

She told herself it didn't matter.... he could see whoever he wanted. He was her boss, nothing more.

But that small voice in her heart wouldn't listen.

She sat on the couch, head in her hands. Why do I care so much?

She remembered the first time she'd met him... how he'd looked at her like she was the only person in the room. The way his voice had dropped when he said I remember everything.

And now, that same man had stood still while another woman kissed him.

Her phone buzzed again, another message from Maya.

Maya: Still up?

Izzy: Yeah.

Maya: Want me to come over?

Izzy: No, I'll be fine. Just tired.

She set the phone down and leaned back.

The truth was, she wasn't fine.

She felt foolish... jealous of someone that wasn't hers, hurt by a man who owed her nothing.

But underneath the jealousy was something else. Confusion.

Because even now, she couldn't shake the feeling that Dominic wasn't as untouched by her as he seemed.

She'd seen the way his jaw tightened when he looked at her too long. The small pauses before he spoke her name. The flashes of warmth that slipped through his cold, professional front.

Maybe he was fighting it. Maybe they both were.

Izzy stood and walked to the window, staring out at the city. The streets below glowed with moving lights, but she barely saw them.

The office was quiet that morning.

Izzy had barely touched her coffee, still feeling the weight of last night's rumors pressing down on her chest.

She barely noticed Dominic enter his office until his voice called her name, sharp and commanding.

"Miss Hart."

Her head snapped up. "Yes, Mr. Steele?"

He didn't smile. His eyes were sharp, cold, the kind that made her stomach tighten even though she wanted to hate him for it.

"I will be out of the office for three days," he said, voice calm but firm. "Business trip. France."

Her eyes widened slightly. France?

"You will make the hotel reservation for two people and also book a table at a popular restaurant for two for tomorrow evening in France," he continued, placing a folder on his desk. "Ensure everything is perfect. Do you understand?"

Izzy went completely blank. She stared at him, feeling the words hit her like a wall.

Dominic raised an eyebrow. "Miss Hart? Are you listening?"

She blinked and nodded quickly.

"When I speak, I need you to respond," he said, voice low and controlled, a slight edge of warning in it.

"Yes, boss," she whispered.

He studied her for a long moment, then returned to his papers.

Izzy swallowed hard, her chest tight. She felt a wave of frustration, jealousy, and sadness all at once.... emotions she had no right to feel.

He's my boss, she reminded herself. He doesn't owe me anything. I shouldn't even care.

And yet... she did.

Her mind raced as she sat down at her desk. France. Two people. Reservations. Everything had to be perfect.

She gritted her teeth and opened her laptop. She scrolled through hotel options, checking reviews, locations, and prices. The images of romantic suites made her chest twist.

Two people, she reminded herself bitterly.

Not me.

Then she looked at restaurants. Candlelit tables, quiet corners, the kind of places couples would go... her stomach sank.

Her hands trembled slightly as she typed out emails, made calls, and tried to focus. Every word, every click, reminded her that she was helping arrange something that was not for her.

She hated herself for feeling jealous.

She hated herself even more for imagining what it would be like to sit across from Dominic at that table, the woman from yesterday.... probably in her place.

By mid-afternoon, she had the options narrowed down. Her fingers hovered over the send button, and she closed her eyes for a moment.

Breathe, Izzy. You're his assistant. That's all. Nothing more.

But even as she tried to calm herself, she couldn't ignore the little thrill she felt at the thought of France, at the thought of being involved in his world so intimately, even if it wasn't for her.

She looked up as Dominic emerged from his office again, walking past her desk with the same quiet authority he always carried. Her chest tightened instinctively.

He paused, glanced at her without a word, then kept walking.

Izzy exhaled slowly, hands resting on her keyboard.

Why does he have this effect on me? she wondered. I don't even know what I want... but I want it anyway.

And she knew, deep down, that the next three days would test every bit of her control, patience, and self-restraint.

By late afternoon, she had everything organized. The hotel and restaurant were ready to be finalized once Dominic approved. She leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples. She never thought she would be this jealous of a fellow lady.

Jealousy was one trait she was so proud she never had. But like they say never say never..

Here she was wishing it was her Dominic who was taking her to France.

Her phone buzzed... a message from Maya.

Maya: Hey whore. You still alive?

Izzy: Barely. Booking my boss a trip to France for two.

Maya: Oooh. France? Who's the lucky lady?

Izzy: Not for me.

Maya sent a laughing emoji.

Maya: Poor Izzy. You're jealous....

Izzy: Maybe. But I have no right to be.

Maya: You could ... Seduce him and have another wild night together...

She didn't reply after that, staring out the window instead. The city stretched below her, lights twinkling as the sky turned dark. She couldn't shake the ache in her chest, the jealous thoughts, the excitement she hated herself for feeling.

Then, just as she was about to leave for the day, Dominic's voice came from the office.

"Miss Hart."

She turned immediately, trying to keep her expression neutral.

"Yes, Mr. Steele?"

"I expect everything to be ready before I leave tomorrow. Hotel, restaurant, confirmations. Understand?"

"All done, boss, sent to your mail waiting for your confirmation," she said, forcing herself to sound steady.

He looked at her carefully, his eyes sharp, unreadable. "Will check it out. And Miss Hart..." He paused, making her heart skip. "When I speak, I need you to look at me. Not your eyes wandering. Your eyes on me, always got it?"

She nodded quickly. "Yes, boss."

He gave a faint, controlled nod and returned to his office, leaving her chest pounding.

As she gathered her things to leave, Izzy leaned against her desk and exhaled slowly.

Jealousy. Sadness. Confusion. Desire. All in one day.

She knew she had no right to feel any of it. But the truth was undeniable ... she couldn't stop thinking about him.

And deep down, she also knew that his being in France would be hard for her

The next three days, another woman would be with him. Watching him. Helping him. And maybe, just maybe, kissing him..

The thought of him touching another lady.. the same way he did to her drove her mad.