Meant to Collide

21. Unexpected Alliances

On a hopeful morning, Ava, with a voice heavy with worry, speaks out loud, "How can I face Boss the next time I see him? Yesterday, during my interrogation, I confessed that..."

Before she can finish, Ryan interjects, "Are you the mole, Ava? I knew it!"

"What mole?" Ava replies in confusion, shaking her head. "No." A scene flashes through Ava's mind as she explains, "The only thing I said was that Boss is a cold-blooded and brutal person. That's it," she concludes.

Sky, hearing this, is wide-eyed. "What did you just say?"

Ava stares into the distance, whispering to herself, You're doomed, Ava. Shock ripples through the group, as she realizes she might have said too much.

But Ryan joins in, revealing his own slip-up, "Well, I'm not the mole either, but I did tell my friends that my boss is a tyrant—a sadist who likes to fire people for no reason." Ryan grimaces, visibly regretting it. "I've prepared to get kicked out today."

Sophie chimes in, "You've already seen my confession in the video clip. I once said, Miss Mia is wasted as Sky's girlfriend; no one could stay stable with him. And... I might have added that if they ever get married, I'd crash the wedding." Her voice lowers as she continues, "It's so unfair that he prohibits romantic relationships at work, but he has his own love here." Sky's eyebrows raise as he approaches her.

"I've never even seen that clip," he says coolly. Sophie turns pale and faints.

While everyone is still processing, Emily unexpectedly begins her confession, "I made a mistake too. We all did, except Aunt Harper... She's probably the only one who would survive this." But Aunt Harper, to everyone's surprise, shakes her head in tears.

Ava, visibly drained, sighs, "If no one here is the mole... then who is it?"

"There's one person," Ryan says in a suspicious tone, catching everyone's attention. "The only one who seems completely unbothered..." He points toward Jules, who is crossing the office casually, oblivious to the tension around her. Sophie frowns, "Why doesn't she seem worried?"

"She's new here. Maybe she doesn't understand how serious things are." They all glance at Jules and try to gather courage to ask her about the previous day's events, but their opportunity is cut short as Sky Chandler strides into the room, and everyone hastily pretends to be hard at work.

Once Sky disappears into his office, they reconvene as before, and Ava comments, "Boss is too quiet. That's never a good sign."

Ryan gets a chance to speak and grimly announces, "We might actually need to look for new jobs." Harper frets about her age, Sophie muses about opening a coffee shop, and Emily considers selling lottery tickets.

Suddenly, Sky emerges from his office. His eyes scan the room, then he calls out, "Mon!"

Jules jumps, surprised. "Yes?" she answers cautiously.

"Bring all your stuff and come to my office," Sky instructs. Jules follows, with the rest of the team staring after her in suspense.

Inside Sky's office, Jules can't help but ask, "The way you're calling me in here... it's like you're going to fire me. Will people think I'm the mole?"

Sky gives her a calculating look, and then, with a faint smirk, he asks, "Are you?"

Jules stares at him, caught off guard, "Am I?" she replies with a laugh.

Sky sighs, his patience thinning, "You talk too much. It's a waste of time. Come here." He takes her by the hand and leads her to the office sofa. "I don't want others hearing this," he adds. "Today, we're going to discuss our content. Are you ready?"

"Yes, Boss," Jules nods, grabbing her laptop.

"What we discuss mustn't be leaked," he warns. "If it is, you'll be held responsible."

"I'd never betray you, Boss," she assures him. "If I did, you could... well, do anything you want with me." She catches herself, realizing the weight of her words.

Sky raises an eyebrow, "Anything, you say?" His gaze lingers for a moment before he clears his throat. "For our first content post, I was thinking of addressing the topic of bullying," he states, turning serious.

Jules looks at him, visibly confused. "But... aren't you the bully?" Sky's eye twitches. "Yesterday, didn't you say I couldn't afford an expensive watch?" She laughs, "I just said you were poor."

"Feels the same to me," he mutters. Then, with renewed resolve, he shifts, "Or what about this topic: Gaining Trust from Your Subordinates." She stifles a laugh, "That might not match your daily practices..."

Sky raises his hands in frustration, "Who's the boss here?"

"Well, you asked for my opinion..." she teases.

They exchange playful glances, then dive into a focused discussion, sharing ideas and debating until, without realizing it, they're sharing an unplanned Dinner together in the office. By the time Sky checks the clock, it's already 9 p.m.

"Let's call it a day," he finally says. Jules blinks, surprised, "It's 9 already? Should we continue tomorrow?"

"Not quite," he replies, "We'll post the first content tomorrow at 9 a.m. sharp."

"Then you should go home and rest, Boss. I can stay back to finish things off." He eyes her, "How do I know you won't slack off?"

Jules raises her eyebrow, "Well, what would you like to do?"

"I'll have to monitor you," he says with mock seriousness. "Then just sleep here in the office," she suggests, "I'll work right beside you."

Sky shakes his head, "I can't sleep here."

Jules thinks for a moment, then jokes, "Or... do you want me to work at your place?"

Sky's eyes twinkle, and he smirks, "You want to go to my place, huh? Normally, I don't let anyone into my house. But if you're that eager, I'll make an exception just this once."

Jules smiles to herself, catching onto his humor. "Hurry up," he prompts, "you're making your host wait. So rude."

Quickly gathering her things, Jules follows him out, hopping into his sleek car—the Black Knight—ready for what awaits.