Prologue: They chose to fight instead of admitting how they felt!
Zaden walked into the office as usual, but nothing about him felt usual anymore. His steps slowed the moment his eyes found Lara.
She was sitting at her desk, focused on her work, her fingers moving across the keyboard as if nothing in the world could disturb her. But she felt it—the weight of his gaze. Slowly, almost unwillingly, she lifted her eyes and met his.
For a brief moment, time seemed to pause between them. The air grew heavy with everything unspoken, everything they were both trying to ignore. Zaden didn't look away; his eyes searched hers as if demanding answers she wasn't ready to give.
Lara's fingers froze, her breath catching slightly, but she quickly broke the moment, looking back at her screen and pretending to work, as if that silence had never existed. Zaden stood there for a few seconds longer, his jaw tightening in frustration, before he finally turned and walked into his cabin without a word.
Meanwhile, chaos had already begun elsewhere. Jeylin's voice echoed through the house as she cried uncontrollably, her emotions spilling out in panic and anger. Her mother rushed toward her, alarmed by the intensity of her reaction, asking what had happened. Through tears, Jeylin explained how she had seen Zaden and Lara together in his cabin, how their behavior had been strange, awkward—too awkward to be meaningless. She described the tension, the way Lara had looked at her and immediately left, as if hiding something. Her voice trembled as she insisted that something had happened between them.
Everyone in the house listened in silence, the tension spreading. Mr. James, sensing something deeper, immediately called the office manager to ask about Zaden and Lara. The manager, however, calmly replied that there was nothing unusual, that they were professional and only argued often. Though the answer seemed convincing, Mr. James wasn't entirely satisfied. He ended the call, his expression thoughtful, as if his instincts were warning him that the truth was far from simple.
Back in his cabin, Zaden sat in front of his desk, files open but untouched. His mind refused to cooperate. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't focus on work. His thoughts kept drifting back to Lara—to the moment he had lost control. He leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair in frustration. The realization disturbed him. He had never been a man who lost control, never someone who allowed emotions or desires to overpower him.
Yet with her, something had shifted. He felt ashamed of what had happened, but at the same time, there was a part of him that didn't regret it—a part that wanted to experience it again. That contradiction unsettled him even more. Unable to resist, he turned his attention to the CCTV monitor. Lara appeared on the screen, sitting at her desk, working as if nothing had happened. Zaden stared at the screen, his eyes fixed on her, his expression unreadable. Minutes turned into hours, but he didn't look away. He watched her the entire day, his gaze intense, almost obsessive, as if he was trying to understand something he couldn't explain.
Lara, on the other hand, forced herself to act normal. She avoided looking in the direction of his cabin, avoided acknowledging his presence entirely, even though she could feel it. Every second in that office felt suffocating, but she refused to show any weakness. By the end of the day, when everyone finally began to leave, she felt a sense of relief. Gathering her things, she quickly made her way out, unaware that Zaden was watching her every move—and that he had no intention of letting her leave so easily.
He followed her.
From a distance, his car trailed hers silently until she reached her house. Lara stepped out, her mind already trying to forget everything that had happened that day. She unlocked her door and entered, exhaling as if she had finally escaped. But the moment she turned back to lock it, her breath caught in her throat. Zaden was standing right there.
Fear flashed across her face instantly. "What are you doing here?" she demanded, her voice tense.
Without answering, Zaden stepped inside and closed the door behind him, locking it with a sharp click that echoed through the room. Lara instinctively stepped back, her heart pounding as he moved closer. There was something different about him—something intense and unpredictable.
When he grabbed her wrist, she flinched, panic rising within her. She warned him to let go or she would scream, but his response was calm, almost unsettling. He told her there was no need for that and, to her shock, apologized. He admitted that he had misbehaved and that he had lost control when he got close to her. For a moment, Lara didn't know how to react. She hadn't expected an apology, especially not from him.
But instead of softening, her anger resurfaced. She questioned him sharply, asking if he lost control like that with every woman.
Her words immediately changed the atmosphere. Zaden's expression hardened, irritation flashing in his eyes. When she pushed further, accusing him indirectly and warning him to stay away from her, the tension between them escalated rapidly.
Zaden tried to defend himself, insisting that he had never behaved like that with any woman before, that this was the first time he had ever lost control. But Lara didn't accept it. She accused him of being dangerous, of pretending to be decent while hiding something darker underneath.
The argument intensified, their voices rising as neither of them was willing to back down. Zaden, now clearly irritated, stepped closer again and challenged her, questioning why she hadn't stopped him immediately if she truly felt threatened. His words caught her off guard, leaving her momentarily speechless.
He pointed out that she had only pushed him away when she heard someone approaching, implying that she had felt the same tension he had. That accusation hit her deeply, but instead of admitting anything, she lashed out, calling him a cheap and disgusting person.
That was the breaking point.
Zaden laughed, but there was no humor in it—it was cold, almost unhinged. He moved closer one last time and delivered his words like a weapon. He reminded her that he was going to marry Jeylin, that he loved her, and that he had no interest in someone like Lara.
His words turned cruel as he deliberately insulted her, dismissing her appearance and worth. Lara's anger exploded at that point, and she ordered him to leave immediately. This time, he didn't argue. He simply looked at her from head to toe with a mixture of irritation and something unreadable before turning and walking out.
But the moment he left, all that controlled anger erupted.
He drove recklessly, his frustration building with every passing second until he reached home. The moment he entered, he slammed the door and stormed into his room, unable to contain himself any longer.
He began breaking things, throwing objects across the room, his rage finally taking physical form. The noise drew everyone's attention, and they gathered outside, too afraid to intervene.
Jeylin approached cautiously, calling his name, but the look he gave her was enough to freeze her in place. It was cold, distant, and filled with anger she had never seen before.
He shouted at everyone to leave, his voice echoing through the house, and no one dared to stay. One by one, they walked out, gathering in the hall, whispering anxiously about what was happening to him.
Meanwhile, Lara stood alone in her room, still shaken but burning with anger. She replayed every word he had said, every insult, every accusation. Her pride refused to let it go. Grabbing her phone, she dialed a number, her expression hardening with determination. When the call connected, she spoke in a cold, steady voice, asking the person on the other end to meet her.
Whatever was happening between her and Zaden, she had no intention of letting it continue unchecked.