The moment I heard her response, I knew exactly where today’s disaster had started. “That’s the coffee you asked for two hours ago. What, you’re not going to admit it now?” Geraldine blinked in realization. “Ah, I’m so sorry—I forgot. Too much time passed, and then we had a meeting, so I must’ve spaced it.” “You’re soaking wet… I’m really sorry. If I hadn’t asked for that coffee, you wouldn’t have had to go out in the first place.” She looked at me with concern. “You should dry off, or you’ll catch a cold.” Her expression was sincere, almost too caring. And yet, something felt off. “No worries.” She didn’t seem openly malicious, but every so often I caught a flicker—just a flash—in her eyes. Something smug. Something calculated. It disappeared so fast I almost wondered if I’d imagined it. At the very least, she wasn’t evil. But she definitely wasn’t easy to deal with either. I nodded and said nothing more. But just as I turned away, something clicked. Right before I left to buy that coffee, I had been explaining something to Geraldine. My phone was on the table. I’d stepped away to print something. That unread message that somehow marked itself as “read”? I knew exactly how that had happened. I changed into dry clothes, then went straight to the CEO’s office. “I think there’s something off about Geraldine. I don’t know if you’ll believe me, especially since she looks so much like your first love.” I got right to the point. Aiden looked up at me for a few seconds, then said, “I believe you.” I smirked. “Why?” “Because the person I like now is you. So I trust you.” He let out a soft sigh. “Besides, that was ages ago. I don’t care about her anymore.”There was a flicker of pain in his eyes when he said that. I caught it. And I knew then—he was telling the truth. That relationship had left a scar. With his pride, there was no way he’d revisit it willingly. “By the way, here’s a suggestion—you might want to look into her background. There could be something useful there,” Aiden said. “If you’re not defending her, then we’ve got nothing to worry about,” I said with a nod. With his support, I felt fully confident again. I smiled. “I’ve got a plan. Want to hear it?” “Go ahead.” “I think Geraldine came here with a purpose—and that purpose might be to drive a wedge between us and destabilize Eclipse Corporation. So, why don’t we play along and stage a falling-out?” Aiden nodded in agreement. “But that’s risky. If we do that, it’ll raise Geraldine’s influence. If she starts sabotaging things for real…” “I’ve already factored that in. Don’t worry—when the time’s right, I’ll resign. That way she’ll feel secure and act without restraint. As for any damage to Eclipse Corporation, I’ll make sure it’s all reversible.” Aiden looked at me seriously and nodded. “Alright.” With our plan set, I walked out of his office, purposely putting on a furious expression. Some coworkers saw my face and came over to check on me. I told them I’d missed the meeting and the CEO had scolded me. When Geraldine overheard, she quickly ran up to me, looking concerned. “What happened? Did the CEO yell at you? This is my fault—I asked you for coffee. Should I go explain it to him?” I shot her a cold look. “Spare me the fake sympathy, Geraldine. Don’t you think this act of yours is a little much? I’m the one who got chewed out, not you. Mind your own business.” Geraldine blinked in surprise. “What… are you talking about?” Look at her pretending not to understand. What a performance. But mine was even better. “I was just in a bad mood. Don’t take it personally.” I forced out a weak, apologetic smile.“It’s okay. I think the CEO’s a bit harsh, but he still treats you well. You don’t need to worry. You two are a couple, right? It’s not like he’d really stay mad.” She was good with words, I’ll give her that. I nodded and returned to my desk. As I skimmed the documents on my screen, I suddenly froze. Where were my files? A girl nearby spoke up cautiously. “The CEO asked someone to take your files earlier. He said you’ve been off your game lately, so he’ll handle the important paperwork himself for now.” That was part of our plan. Looked like Aiden was already in full cooperation mode. I acted furious. “So I’m having one off day, and Aiden just erases all my work? What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” The girl shrank back in alarm. “I… I’m not sure. Maybe the CEO thought you were under too much stress and just wanted to help…” I stood up abruptly. “I’m going out for some air. Tell Aiden I’m taking the rest of the day off. Dock my pay if he wants.” With that, I grabbed my bag and left.