I'm frozen.
Completely, utterly frozen.
Bael stopped walking the moment he saw me, and for a few seconds we just stare at each other… me in his chair with a strawberry halfway to my mouth, him in the doorway looking at me like he's trying to process what he's seeing.
Then Shen Rui appears behind him, arms full of files and documents.
He steps into the room smoothly, professional as always, moves to the desk where I'm currently sitting like I own the place.
Sets everything down with practiced efficiency.
Doesn't look at me.
Doesn't acknowledge the absurdity of the situation.
Just completes his task with perfect neutrality.
And that's when I realize.
When my brain finally catches up to what the rest of me already knows.
I'm not just sitting in Bael's chair.
At some point… I don't even know when, don't remember doing it… I crossed my legs and put my feet up on his desk.
On his extremely expensive, perfectly organized, probably-costs-more-than-a-car desk.
