Episode 6: The Unspoken Truth
The hum of the office was more suffocating than usual. Jasmine sat at her desk, her eyes skimming over the files in front of her, but her mind was a million miles away. She had barely slept after that conversation with Callum last night. His words still rang in her ears, a soft, dangerous whisper: Because I want them to see who's standing beside me.
It wasn't just a matter of work anymore. There was something unspoken between them, something she couldn't quite name, but it had the power to change everything.
A knock on her office door broke her thoughts. She looked up to find Callum standing there, his expression unreadable.
"We need to go over the presentation for the investors," he said, voice sharp but controlled.
"Right now?" she asked, trying to sound composed despite the nerves that flared inside her.
He gave a single nod. "Now."
Jasmine stood quickly, grabbing her notebook and following him out of her office. As they walked down the long hallway toward the conference room, she couldn't help but notice how everyone seemed to step aside when he passed. It was a subtle thing, but there was no mistaking the power he held. It radiated off him like an aura. And it was impossible to ignore.
The conference room was large, sleek, and modern, filled with a long table and a wall of windows that overlooked the city. Callum walked to the front of the room and began setting up his laptop. Jasmine took a seat at the table, trying to focus on the presentation, but her thoughts kept circling back to the night before.
She could feel Callum's eyes on her every now and then as he clicked through slides, his gaze more intense than usual. She forced herself to focus, to remind herself that this was work. Nothing else. But her heart refused to listen.
When the presentation was finished, Callum looked up at her. "Are you ready for this?"
Jasmine didn't answer immediately. She was too busy trying to keep the panic from showing on her face. The investors were high-profile, and she couldn't afford to mess this up. Not with Callum's eyes on her. Not with everything at stake.
"I'll do my best," she said finally, offering a tight smile.
He didn't smile back, but the look in his eyes softened ever so slightly. "That's all I ask."
The next hour felt like a blur. Investors came in, each one more intimidating than the last. They were men and women who knew exactly how to command a room, but none of them held the same power that Callum did. Not to her. The way he spoke, his confidence, the way everyone in the room hung on his every word—it made her realize just how far apart they really were. He was a world she would never belong to. And yet…
And yet, here she was, standing by his side.
As the meeting progressed, Jasmine couldn't help but steal glances at Callum. He was brilliant, of course—he always was. But there was something more beneath the surface. Something dangerous. Something that made her question whether she was truly prepared for what she was getting herself into.
Finally, the meeting came to an end. The investors filed out, shaking Callum's hand, offering polite smiles, but Jasmine could feel the tension in the air. The moment they were gone, Callum turned to her.
"Well done," he said simply, his tone a little softer than before.
"Thanks," she replied, her voice betraying none of the emotions swirling inside her. She wanted to ask him so many things. Why did he bring her into this world? Why was he looking at her like that? But she couldn't. Not yet.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice now laced with concern.
Jasmine froze, surprised by the question. Are you okay? The man who seemed so confident, so in control, was asking her if she was okay? She didn't know how to respond.
"I'm fine," she said after a beat. "Just… tired."
Callum didn't push it. Instead, he stood and walked to the door. "We're done for the day. Take the rest of the afternoon off."
Jasmine blinked. "But there's still—"
"I said, take the afternoon off," he repeated, his tone firm.
She didn't argue. There was no use. She gathered her things, following him to the elevator. The ride down was quiet, too quiet. When the doors opened, Callum gave her a single nod.
"Enjoy your time off," he said, and just like that, he was gone.
Jasmine stood in the lobby for a moment, feeling completely lost. What was happening? Just yesterday, he was distant, commanding, almost cold. And now, he was acting like he cared.
She wasn't sure how to handle it. But she didn't have time to dwell. She had a life to get back to—her own life outside of this corporate world, where things didn't seem so complicated.
But as she stepped into the warm sunlight, her phone buzzed with a message from Callum.
I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable earlier. If you want to talk, I'm here.
Her breath caught in her throat as she read the words. She had no idea how to respond to that. Callum, the man who held so much power, had just acknowledged that he'd made her feel uncomfortable. The thought of him opening up, of him showing a softer side, was unsettling in a way that she couldn't explain.
But more than that, it made her question everything. Was he really the same man who had seemed so distant just weeks ago? Or was there something more to him—something hidden beneath the cold, controlled exterior?
She glanced at the message again before typing a simple reply: Thanks for checking in. I'll be fine.
The moment she hit send, she knew it wasn't true. She wasn't fine. Not at all.