Sam woke up with a pounding headache, his body weighed down by the heaviness of last night's indulgence. He groaned, pressing a palm to his forehead as he blinked against the sunlight streaming through the curtains. "Ugh... I feel like throwing up," he muttered under his breath. Pushing back the covers, he sat up—only for his eyes to widen at the sight of his bare chest. Red marks trailed across his neck and lower stomach, faint but unmistakable.
"Huh...? Was it mosquitoes?" he murmured, running his fingers over the marks with a confused frown. The memories from the previous night were a blur, an incoherent mess of laughter, drinks, and... nothing else. He rubbed his temple in frustration. "I can't remember a thing..."
With a sigh, he reached for his phone on the nightstand, blinking at the screen as a notification caught his eye. It was a message from Ivanov.
"Hope, your headache is fine. Don't be late today. I need your explanation about yesterday."
Sam gulped. His heart sank into the pit of his stomach. God... he's probably mad. Am I going to get fired? The thought gnawed at him as he dragged himself out of bed. After a quick shower, he dressed in casual, yet eye-catching clothes—an effortless charm in the way his shirt hung loosely over his frame. He grabbed his bag and left for the office, nerves buzzing under his skin.
The office was alive with the usual morning bustle, employees shuffling from desk to desk. Sam scanned the room before approaching one of the workers nearby. "Hey, where is the boss?"
The employee barely glanced up. "He's in a meeting with a guest. You can't meet him right now."
Sam blinked. "But... I'm his PA."
"Boss told us not to interrupt in there," the employee added before walking away, leaving Sam standing there with a furrowed brow. He huffed softly, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Bruh... who wants to see him anyway? It's better to stay out of his sight." The words came out under his breath, but there was an underlying tension he couldn't shake.
He made his way to the office coffee station, grabbing a cup and sipping on the warm liquid to soothe his empty stomach. As he mindlessly sipped his drink, his eyes caught movement down the corridor—a woman exiting Ivanov's office.
She was breathtaking. A poised, elegant figure with an air of authority. The subtle yet alluring scent of her perfume lingered in the air as she passed, brushing close enough for Sam to catch the faint notes.
Hm... so this was the guest, he thought, following her figure with his gaze until she disappeared around the corner. Curiosity gnawed at him, but he brushed it off with a shrug and headed towards Ivanov's office.
The door creaked softly as he stepped inside. Papers were scattered across the desk, the room filled with a tense, almost suffocating silence. Ivanov sat at his chair, leaning back slightly with a tired expression. His tie was loose, sleeves rolled up as if he'd been running his hands through his hair in frustration.
Sam hesitated at the threshold. "Uh... boss?" he started cautiously.
Ivanov's gaze snapped to him, cold and distant. "What are you looking at?" His voice was sharp enough to make Sam flinch slightly. "Get to work."
The harshness in his tone left Sam speechless. He lingered for a second longer, processing the sudden change in demeanor. Why is he so pissed...? I didn't even do anything, he thought with a pout, biting the inside of his cheek.
As he turned to leave, his gaze flicked back to Ivanov. Something... something felt off. The scent lingering in the room wasn't his usual cologne. It was mixed with something sweeter, more delicate—the same scent the woman carried when she left.
Sam's chest tightened with an uncomfortable weight he couldn't quite explain. A bitter knot twisted in his stomach as his mind wandered, thoughts spiraling down a path he wasn't ready to confront.
He exhaled shakily, rubbing the back of his neck before slipping out of the room quietly. The unease lingered long after he left, and no matter how hard he tried to ignore it, the questions in his mind refused to settle.
What the hell is happening to me?