INTIMIDATION MELTS AWAY : When the CEO-PROFESSOR falls in love (JenLisa)

26: [ BE MINE ]

LISA POV

My alarm buzzes insistently, breaking the serene silence of my room. I groan, reaching out to silence it. My eyes flutter open, squinting against the early morning light filtering through my curtains. Another day, another opportunity to learn something new.

I sit up, my room filled with the comforting clutter of books, notes, and gadgets. My glasses sit on the nightstand, and I reach for them, the world coming into sharp focus as I put them on. The sight of my meticulously organized desk makes me smile-today's agenda is already laid out before the night's event that I'll be attending later.

Stretching, I slide out of bed and head to the kitchen. The kitchen is huge since Irene likes to cook in a big environment. The scent of hot chocolate soon fills the air, its warmth a familiar comfort. As I sip my drink, I check my phone full of notes and reminders. Today, I need to finish my layout design for the upcoming Monday and squeeze in some time for my latest coding project.

I look over at Irene's room. It seems she didn't come home yesterday.

I move back to my room, where my book waits, humming softly as I return to the kitchen table. Before diving into reading, I allow myself a moment to appreciate the quiet of the morning.

"You know, reading a book every morning is the best, but having only hot chocolate for breakfast isn't good, baby." I hear Irene's voice, which makes me smile. I stand up to meet her halfway in the kitchen.

"Good morning, Irene," I say, giving her a hug and kiss to greet her.

"Good morning to my handsome baby. Wait for me here, I'll make us some breakfast since we haven't been able to have a meal together these past few days," she says after kissing my cheek and heading to her room.

"You could rest for a while, Irene. I know you're tired," I say with concern. Irene has been working hard, and I'm worried she'll get sick because of it. She rarely gets sick, but when she does, it's always severe.

"I'm fine, baby Lali. I fell asleep in the on-call room, which is why I wasn't able to come home yesterday, so don't worry. I just need a cold bath. I was in the hospital the whole day, so I need to clean up. Continue your reading for now; I won't take long," she shouts while disappearing into her room, waving her hand.

I only nod and go back to reading my book. Usually, people exercise in the morning, but I prefer to do my exercise routine in the evening, opting to read in the morning.

I'm turning a page in my book when my phone dings, making me stop and check it. A smile instantly forms on my lips when I read the message.

"Hi there, Ms. I-have-my-ways. I received the coffee, Lili. Thank you!" Nini said in her message.

"Uh-huh. Good morning to you as well, Ms. Coffee lover." I replied and waited for her response.

"A lovely morning to you as well, Lili," she said, and I sent a wink emoji before putting my phone down, still smiling widely as I continued reading.

"I don't think a classic literature book has anything to do with that wide smile on your face, baby Lali," Irene said teasingly as she entered the kitchen after freshening up.

"Don't underestimate classic literature, Irene," I responded. My phone dinged again, and I saw Nini had sent me kiss emojis. For sure, my smile wasn't leaving my face anytime soon. I heard Irene laugh, making me blush.

"Yeah, who would underestimate classic literature?" she teased while I just focused on reading my book, still smiling.

"I wonder what you've been eating lately, baby Lali. You're not eating only fast food, right?" she asked, and I looked up and shook my head.