Whispers in the Dark [LingOrm]

"You're the only one I want, and that's all that matters"

Ling's pov

"Good morning, baby!" Orm greeted me the moment I opened the door. I was just about to head to work, but there she was, standing outside with that irresistible smile.

"I was on my way to the office," I replied, but before I could take another step, she pulled me closer by the waist.

"You have to stop doing this every time you see me," I said, trying to sound stern, though my resolve was already melting.

"I love doing this," she said, kissing me softly. "And this," she added, planting another kiss on my lips.

"Hmm, let's go," I muttered, pulling away from her embrace and heading toward my car.

"You're not going to yell at me to stop? Come on, admit you love me," she teased, following me with a playful grin.

"I have to work, and so do you," I replied, trying to keep a straight face.

"Mean," she pouted. "I'm kinda busy today, so I can't drop by your office. That's why I came here."

"No problem, just remember to call me," I said, already sitting in my car.

"Relax, I'm not going to 'forget' about you," she teased one last time before getting into her own car.

---

The day passed surprisingly smoothly without Orm around. Not that it wouldn't have been good with her, but it gave me some time to think. Freen dropped by my office, and we ended up chatting about various things. Eventually, I decided to share something I'd been keeping to myself, something I hadn't even fully admitted out loud until that moment.

"I think I'm in love again," I confessed.

"Oh? Who is it? Don't tell me it's Win," Freen asked, curious and a little playful.

"Worse," I sighed, "Orm."

"I knew you weren't over her!" she exclaimed, practically bouncing in her seat.

"Wait, am I that predictable?" I asked, suddenly self-conscious.

"Girl, you can hide whatever you want, but we can see it in your eyes. You love her," she said confidently.

"How's that?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"We can see the shine in your eyes when you talk about her," she explained. "And also, you turn super grumpy when she's not around," she added with a smirk.

"How did you guys know she was visiting me?" I asked, feeling a bit exposed.

"Because you were always sad and grumpy and distracted. Now you're happy and distracted," she said, mockingly.

"Hey, I'm not that distracted!" I defended myself, though I couldn't help but smile.

"Haven't you forgotten your briefcase in the car?" she pointed out, and I froze, realizing she was right.

"Shit," I mumbled under my breath.

"Can you even stop thinking about her?" Freen asked, more seriously this time.

"Actually, I'm worried. She's busy with work today, and I think she won't have time to eat," I admitted.

"And I know you miss her company," she said knowingly.

"I'm going to get my briefcase," I said, quickly leaving the room to avoid more probing questions.

"Yeah, go, little lover girl," Freen teased as I made my escape.

......

"Can I talk to Kornnaphat?" I asked Orm's assistant when I arrived at her office.

"I'm afraid you might have to wait; she's in a meeting," the assistant said politely. I nodded and sat down in one of the armchairs, trying to be patient.

A few minutes later, I saw Orm exit her meeting, her professional demeanor on full display as she spoke to a business associate. "I'll contact you about further investments," she told him, her tone authoritative and composed. The man nodded and left, leaving Orm to finally notice me.

"Welcome, Ms. Kwong," she said with a formal nod, but her eyes were twinkling. "Let's go. I have something important to discuss with you."

A knot of anxiety formed in my stomach as I followed her to her office. What could she want to discuss? Was something wrong? She opened the door for me and followed me inside, closing it behind us.

"What do we have to discuss?" I asked, my voice betraying my concern.

"How much I missed you," she replied, her formal tone dropping as she grinned at me. I rolled my eyes, a mix of relief and exasperation washing over me.

"I brought you food," I said, holding up the bag I'd brought with me. "I thought you hadn't eaten yet, so..."

"Were you worried about me? I knew you loved me," she said, clearly pleased with herself.

"Can you just eat?" I said, tiredly, trying to ignore the flutter in my chest.

"Fine, grumpy," she said, taking the food with a smile.

"Your grumpy," I mumbled under my breath, thinking she hadn't heard me.

But she did. "My grumpy," she repeated, her smile widening as she watched my cheeks turn red.

"Eat," I insisted again, trying to hide my embarrassment as she laughed and started eating.

As I watched her, I couldn't help but smile too. Even though she drove me crazy sometimes, moments like this reminded me why I lo- cared about her so much.