The office felt different today.
Or maybe… it was just Riyana.
She sat at her desk, flipping through a file Bosco had handed her ten minutes ago. Numbers, client details, timelines—everything neatly structured. Predictable. Clear.
Just like him.
"Riyana."
She looked up.
Bosco stood near her desk, one hand resting lightly on the chair across from her. "Did you check the Kapoor file?"
"Yes," she replied, almost automatically. "There's a mismatch in the third quarter entries. I think the previous report had an error."
No hesitation. No attitude.
Just… work.
Bosco nodded once. "Good catch. Fix it and send it before lunch."
"Okay."
The word slipped out so easily that it caught her off guard.
Okay?
No argument. No questioning. No irritation.
She blinked at the file again, as if the answer might be hidden somewhere between the lines.
Since when did that feel normal?
A few days ago, she would've challenged him. Or at least responded with a tone that made her disinterest obvious.
Now?
Nothing.
Just quiet cooperation.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the pen.
He didn't change, she thought. Then what did?
She didn't let the thought settle.
Instead, she got back to work.
The office buzzed softly around her—keyboards tapping, phones ringing, low conversations blending into background noise. Riyana worked steadily, her focus sharp, movements precise.
An hour passed.
Then another.
At some point, she got up to grab a printout from the shared printer near Bosco's cabin.
That's when she heard it.
"…sir, I'm really sorry. It won't happen again."
The voice was tense—nervous.
Riyana slowed down, her steps quiet.
Inside the slightly open cabin door, one of the junior employees stood stiffly, head lowered. Papers were spread across Bosco's desk.
A mistake.
Clearly.
Riyana didn't mean to listen.
But she didn't walk away either.
"I know it won't," Bosco said calmly.
No raised voice. No frustration.
Just calm.
The employee looked up, surprised.
Bosco picked up one of the papers and tapped it lightly. "This could've caused a bigger issue if it went to the client like this."
"I—I understand, sir."
"Good. Then fix it."
That was it.
No lecture. No humiliation. No dragging it out.
The employee hesitated. "Sir… you're not…?"
"Angry?" Bosco finished, almost casually.
A small pause.
Then he shook his head. "No. Just don't repeat it."
The tension in the room dissolved almost instantly.
"Thank you, sir," the employee said quickly, relief clear in his voice, before gathering the papers and leaving.
Riyana stepped back slightly as he walked out, pretending to check something on her phone.
But her mind wasn't on the screen.
It was still inside that cabin.
She had expected something else.
Anyone in his position would've reacted differently—at least a little irritation, a sharp tone, something to assert authority.
But Bosco?
Nothing.
He didn't even try to make himself look powerful.
He just… handled it.
Quietly.
Efficiently.
Fairly.
Riyana glanced toward the cabin again.
Through the glass, she could see him already back at work, as if nothing had happened.
No ego.
No performance.
Just… him.
Something shifted inside her.
Not dramatically. Not loudly.
Just a small, undeniable realization settling into place.
He's actually… a good person.
The thought came uninvited.
And this time, she didn't push it away immediately.
Her grip on the printout loosened.
Maybe he was always like this.
Maybe she just never wanted to see it.
"Riyana?"
She turned.
Bosco stood a few steps away now, looking at her with mild curiosity. "You got the printout or just zoning out there?"
For a second, she forgot how to respond.
Then—
"Yes. I got it."
Her voice was normal. Steady.
No edge.
He raised an eyebrow slightly, but didn't comment on it. "Alright. Bring it in."
She followed him into the cabin.
The space felt less… intimidating today.
Or maybe she just wasn't walking in with walls up anymore.
She handed him the papers. Their fingers brushed for a brief second—nothing significant, just accidental.
Still, she noticed.
And strangely, she didn't pull away immediately.
Bosco glanced through the pages. "You fixed the numbers?"
"Yes."
He scanned them quickly, then nodded. "Good work."
Simple.
Direct.
But for some reason, it didn't feel like a formality.
Riyana leaned slightly against the edge of the desk, arms loosely crossed. "It wasn't that complicated. Just needed correction."
There was no defensiveness in her tone.
No need to prove anything.
Bosco looked up at her, studying her for a brief moment.
"You're different today."
The words were quiet, but clear.
Riyana stiffened slightly.
"Am I?" she asked, trying to sound casual.
He didn't answer immediately. Just held her gaze for a second longer than usual.
Then, a faint shrug. "Less… ready to argue."
She let out a small breath—almost a huff.
"I don't argue for no reason."
"That's debatable."
A pause.
And then—
For the first time, her reaction wasn't irritation.
It was something lighter.
"Maybe," she admitted.
The word hung between them, soft and unexpected.
Bosco didn't push it further.
Didn't tease.
Didn't question.
He simply nodded once and returned to the file.
Conversation over.
Easy.
Riyana stayed there for a moment longer than necessary.
Watching him.
Not analyzing.
Not judging.
Just… noticing.
The way he worked without distractions.
The way he didn't try to control everything around him.
The way he treated people.
Her earlier thought echoed again, clearer this time.
He really is a good person.
And this time—
She didn't resist it at all.
When she stepped out of the cabin, the office felt the same.
But she didn't.
For the first time since she started working here, there was no weight pressing on her chest. No silent resistance.
Just… ease.
She walked back to her desk, sat down, and picked up her pen.
A small, almost unnoticeable smile touched her lips.
Maybe working here won't be that bad.