Elena arrived early the next morning, determined not to let Sophia—or her note—ruin her focus. She'd prove herself in the office the way she had at dinner: by refusing to be rattled.
She set her bag down, booted her computer, and marched straight to the break room to grab coffee before the day could even think about starting.
When she returned, she found Alexander already at her desk, flipping through her neatly stacked files.
"You're late," he said without looking up.
Her brows shot up. "It's 8:15."
"You're supposed to be here by 8."
Elena crossed her arms, coffee in hand. "For the record, I was here at 7:50. The fact that I was acquiring caffeine is a matter of life and death."
That got his attention. He looked up, eyes narrowing at the oversized travel mug in her hand. "What is that?"
"Coffee," she said sweetly. "You know, the substance that keeps people from committing workplace homicide."
A muscle ticked in his jaw. "You can't drink that. It's full of sugar."
Elena blinked. "…Do you monitor everyone's sugar intake, or am I just special?"
"You're my assistant," he replied flatly. "I can't have you crashing halfway through the day because you've ingested liquid candy."
She gasped in mock offense. "Liquid candy? Excuse you, this is a caramel macchiato with extra drizzle, thank you very much."
Alexander stared at her like she had just confessed to a felony. "Unacceptable."
Before she could react, he plucked the mug from her hand and set it firmly on his desk.
"Hey!" she protested, reaching for it.
"You'll have black coffee," he said firmly, already turning back to her files.
"Black coffee?" Elena made a face. "What am I, a lumberjack?"
"An adult," he shot back without looking up.
She scowled, hands on her hips. "This is tyranny."
"This is efficiency."
Elena leaned closer, lowering her voice in mock gravity. "You may think you've won, Mr. Frost, but I've survived three years of college exams and one roommate who stole my shampoo. You can take my caramel macchiato, but you can't break me."
Something flickered in his expression. And then—shockingly, unbelievably—his lips curved.
A smile.
It was brief, almost hidden, but it was real.
Elena froze, her heart thudding. He looked younger when he smiled. Softer. Human.
"Sit down, Miss Carter," he said smoothly, the smile gone as quickly as it came. But she caught it. And she knew he knew she caught it.
As she sat at her desk, a grin tugging at her lips, Elena thought:
If Sophia wanted a war, she'd better watch out. Because she wasn't just facing Alexander Frost. She was facing his assistant—with caffeine, sarcasm, and a front-row seat to the rarest sight in the world: Alexander Frost smiling.