A Love Beyond the Chaos

Chapter 1: The Unwanted Reunion

Aiah stormed into the conference room, her heels clacking loudly against the polished marble floor. She felt every pair of eyes on her as she entered, but she didn't care. Not today. She'd been up until two in the morning finalizing the proposal for this meeting, only to get stuck in traffic and barely make it on time. Her coffee was still too hot to drink, her blouse was sticking to her skin from the sudden heatwave, and to make matters worse, *he* was there. Sitting across from her, perfectly composed, with that annoyingly smug smile on his face.

Mikha.

Her nemesis, her tormentor from school, and somehow, despite all the years and circumstances that should have separated them, her coworker.

"Good morning, Aiah," Mikha said, his voice smooth and confident, as if he had been waiting for her arrival. "We were just starting without you."

Her jaw tightened, and she gave him a curt nod, feeling her stomach twist in frustration. There was something about him that still got under her skin. Even after all these years, he could rile her up in ways that no one else could. She hated it. And him.

"Oh, sorry for keeping you waiting, Mikha," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "I know how much you love the sound of your own voice."

Mikha's smirk widened, and she swore he enjoyed every second of their interaction. He leaned back in his chair, the perfect picture of relaxed arrogance. He was tall, lean, with dark hair that always seemed perfectly styled, no matter the occasion. His sharp jawline and deep-set eyes gave him the look of someone who never took anything too seriously, except when it came to making her life difficult.

"Don't worry," he said casually, waving a hand. "You're just in time for the good part."

Aiah bit back a retort and made her way to the seat furthest from him, dropping her bag onto the table with more force than necessary. The rest of the group—Maloi, Sheena, Colet, Jhoanna, Stacey, and Gwen—watched with knowing glances, hiding smiles behind their hands. They had all been there for the years of back-and-forth between her and Mikha, and while some of them thought it was funny, Aiah found it exhausting.

"Alright, can we get started?" Stacey, ever the mediator, said with a polite but pointed tone. "We've got a lot to get through."

Aiah tried to focus as the meeting began, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Mikha. Why did he still get under her skin so easily? They were adults now, working in a major marketing firm, with important jobs and real responsibilities. She shouldn't care what he thought of her, or whether he found her as irritating as he always pretended to.

Yet here she was, sitting in the same room with him, feeling like she was back in high school, the awkward girl who could never figure out why Mikha had singled her out for his teasing. It wasn't like they were friends—far from it. He had tormented her for years, made her the butt of his jokes, and turned every encounter into some kind of battle.

The meeting dragged on, with charts and figures blurring together as Aiah's focus waned. Every now and then, Mikha would glance in her direction, and she could feel his eyes on her, making her shift uncomfortably in her seat.

Why did he always have to do that? Why couldn't he just leave her alone?

"Alright, I think that covers everything," Maloi said, closing her laptop and signaling the end of the meeting. "Great work, everyone. We'll reconvene next week to finalize the campaign."

The team began to gather their things, but Aiah lingered, hoping to avoid any direct interaction with Mikha. But as usual, fate wasn't on her side.

"You know," Mikha said, his voice right behind her as she stood to leave. "You didn't have to rush in like that. I'm sure they would've waited for you."