The clinking of cutlery and quiet hum of conversations filled the grand dining hall of Avalon Resort.
Soft lights bathed the room in a golden glow, highlighting the elegance of the night. Karen sat between Carla and another quiet staff member, her fingers nervously toying with the bracelet on her wrist.
Across the long table, Alex sat silently, a glass of red wine untouched before him. His gaze never left her...not really. Though his expression remained unreadable to everyone else, Karen could feel the weight of it pressing against her skin like fire.
She reached for her glass of water, but her hand trembled slightly.
"You okay?" Carla leaned in, whispering just loud enough for Karen to hear.
Karen nodded, forcing a smile. "Just tired."
"Yeah right," Carla whispered with a smirk, "Tired of being watched like prey."
Karen's eyes widened, but she didn't dare look toward Alex again. The intensity of his stare tonight wasn't casual...it was deliberate, possessive. Like he was warning everyone else that she was already claimed.
But why? Why now?
Just then, the clatter of a chair scraping against the floor broke the mood. Luca stood up from his seat near Alex and raised his glass, drawing the attention of the entire table.
"A toast," he began, flashing his charming grin. "To a weekend of peace, adventure, and hopefully no corporate emergencies."
Laughter rippled through the staff, and glasses were raised in cheerful agreement. Karen joined them, her smile more relaxed this time.
As the toast ended, a sudden flash from a nearby camera caught her off guard. One of the HR assistants had been snapping candid pictures for the company's media page. Karen blinked as the flash faded and that's when she noticed them.
Two female staff members seated a few seats down were whispering and sneaking glances at her. One of them rolled her eyes, the other gave a mocking laugh.
Carla noticed too.
"Jealousy is so loud when it's insecure," she muttered under her breath. "They saw how the CEO looks at you. Now they're trying to figure out what makes you so special."
Karen's stomach twisted. She didn't ask for any of this attention. She had tried to keep her head low. But now she was being watched, picked apart and not just by the man she couldn't stop thinking about, but by the entire room.
Later that night, after the dinner ended, Karen found herself walking alone through the garden paths outside the dining hall. The night air was cool and refreshing, scented faintly with hibiscus and something woodsy.
She needed this moment of quiet to think, to breathe.
Behind her, a twig snapped.
She turned sharply but no one was there.
"Karen," came a familiar voice.
She spun around.
Alex stood in the shadows, his hands tucked into the pockets of his dark trousers, his eyes unreadable in the dim light.
"Can we talk?"
Her breath caught in her throat.