Recap: There's definitely something going on.

"Aisha, guess what!" Dina’s voice burst through the screen the moment I hit the green icon, her excitement practically radiating through the pixels.

Her cosy apartment, decorated with her beloved stuffed animals, was bathed in the soft glow of evening light streaming through the window, giving her an actual golden halo. Meanwhile, I shoved aside the chaos of papers scattered across my desk and tried to focus.

"I’ve got an interview!" she beamed, practically squealing with joy.

I blinked, processing her words. My brain was lagging—too much… thinking.

"Oh my god!" I finally jumped up, as my two brain cells caught up.
"Where, where?" I squealed, waving my hands around like I’d just witnessed a miracle.

Well, it was a miracle.

Dina had been working so hard to get back on track after having her whole identity stolen from her. She’d been like a zombie these past few years, and now… she was actually moving forward without looking back.

Dina cleared her throat dramatically, miming the fixing of an invisible tie with closed eyes. I rolled my eyes at her antics, but my grin stretched to my ears.

"Z.T. Ventures!" she announced in a low, smug tone.

I gasped, my hand flying to cover my mouth. It was really a miracle.

"Oh my god! Oh my god!"I echoed, and soon we were both squealing at each other, our voices overlapping in a frenzy of excitement.

"I’m so happy for you! This is your dream job, Dina!" I couldn’t stop grinning at the screen, completely caught up in her joy.

"I know, right? But… it’s scheduled for next week, and I’m already freaking out," she admitted, her enthusiasm dipping slightly into nervousness.

"You’re going to kill it, don’t even stress. That explains the stress-baking though, huh? The cake thing!" I teased, remembering the cake she’d posted on social media just the other day.

"Yeah, yeah… guilty as charged," Dina laughed, rolling her eyes in mock embarrassment.
"I’ll drop some off in the morning. Just leave the door open," she sang the last part, holding her invisible mic again.

Her sing-song tone made me laugh, and for a moment, I felt lighter.

"Wow. You’re living your best life, landing dream interviews, baking stuff, while I’m buried under papers, trying to remember where I left my sanity," I joked, waving at the disaster zone surrounding me.

Dina narrowed her eyes at me through the screen, a knowing smirk on her lips.
"Okay, spill. What’s really going on? You’re deflecting."

I groaned, slumping onto my bed with the phone in hand. How was I supposed to explain this tangled mess in my head?

"It's just... Ugh, where do I even start? It's these weird voices in my head. I don’t know what to believe anymore."

Dina raised an eyebrow. 
"Weird voices? What weird voices? No, wait—whose weird voices?" she teased lightly, through her eyes betrayed a hint of concern.

I buried my face in the pillow before groaning again. "Ryan's not who I thought he was. And Serena—ugh, Serena—she always twists things, but somehow makes it sound so believable. Why do I keep falling for it?"

"Aisha, I'm still waiting," Dina chimed in, clearly amused by my dramatics.

I turned my head to face her.
"Okay, fine. It's not a big deal or anything, but... I think Ryan might have a thing for Naveen."

Dina blinked at me, her face frozen in confusion and disbelief.
"Wait.. wait, what? Ryan? As in, your cold, grumpy boss Ryan?"

"Yes. I don’t know—it’s just a feeling. But it’s there," I said, trying to sound casual.

She leaned forward, curiosity written all over her face.
"Okay, back up. What exactly happened to make you think that?"

I let out a long sigh, sitting up and adjusting my phone. "It’s a bunch of little things. The way he talks about Naveen sometimes, or how he watches him. And then there was this one time... I don’t know, it just feels weird."

Dina chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Girl! that's a stretch. It sounds vague. You’re definitely overthinking it. Or maybe Serena planted that seed just to mess with you, and now it’s spiralling out of control."

I glanced around at the chaos in my room. "Yeah, maybe. But still, I hope Ryan doesn't swing that way."

Dina smirked. "Trust me, from everything you’ve told me, Ryan seems straighter than Thor’s hammer. You’re fine."

"Ugh! But you know me—I thrive on chaos. It’s part of my charm," I said, throwing my hands up dramatically.

Dina laughed, but her expression shifted into something mischievous. "Okay, okay, hear me out. Let’s run a little experiment. You’ve heard of ‘gaydar,’ right?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah... and?"

She leaned in closer, lowering her voice like she was sharing a secret. "I’ve got a plan."

---

The next morning, I woke up feeling a surge of determination— well, Dina woke me up—bursting with excitement over the little experiment we were about to run on Ryan.

I arrived at the office earlier than usual, my footsteps sounding too loud in the quiet space. My heart thudded as I approached Ryan’s office.
This was risky, but I had to know.
I had to put this to test.

Let's see which way the wind blows.

Reaching into my bag, I carefully pulled out my weapon — a framed photo of Naveen— which will supposedly help to catch a subtle reaction from Ryan that could prove my point. Or should I say Serena’s point.

This was the plan.
Dina's plan to be exact.

With a quick glance around to make sure the coast was clear, I tiptoed into Ryan’s office and set the frame on his desk, adjusting it so he wouldn’t miss it when he sat down. Perfect.

Just as I was about to leave, something else caught my eye. A sleek wooden box sat at the edge of Ryan's desk, its polished surface gleaming under the lights. I squinted at the golden lettering engraved on the top.

CEO Ryan Roy.

I scoffed. Sure, he's the CEO, but he can't just have Naveen handed to him. Even if he catches me sneaking in and fires me, I can’t let this go.

But… was this really worth it?
Risking everything over a rumour?

My mind raced with a thousand worst-case scenarios. What if I got caught? What if this backfired spectacularly, and instead of uncovering some hidden truth, I ended up losing my internship? My entire career, right down the drain, because of a silly rumour I couldn't let go. My throat tightened as doubt crept in.

No—wait. This was definitely not a bright plan. In fact, it's where my life will crash straight into the pit.

What was I even thinking?

My eyes darted from left to right until they landed on a small, round lens in the corner. I could practically feel my soul leaving my body.

Cameras.

My breath hitched. Shit.

How could I have been so stupid?
Of course there were cameras!
This was Ryan’s office—the CEO’s office. They probably monitor every inch of the office.

My heart pounded harder as I stood frozen in place. The camera had definitely seen me. Shit!
I glanced around, trying to remember if there were more. I could already imagine Ryan reviewing the footage later, watching every awkward, guilty move I made.

My stomach flipped as I pictured Ryan’s reaction: the cold, detached anger in his eyes as he fires me on the spot.

My pulse raced in time with the ticking of the wall clock. Each second felt like a countdown to my doom.

What have I done?

I bite my nails, scowling at the disastrous moment I’ve landed myself into. How did it come to this?

I facepalmed several times, groaning in frustration.

Why did I ever listen to those ridiculous ideas?

Serena’s wild theories and my own desperation had dug me into a hole I wasn’t sure I could crawl out of.

Now, I’ve just made my life even harder than it already is.

Suddenly, loud footsteps echoed from the hallway—getting closer, louder, almost sending me straight to panic mode.

What should I do? I stood grounded, my hands fanned out like wings, hoping to take flight and escape the scene.

Oh god, no. It must be Ryan.

At the last moment, I lunged for the photo frame, my hands fumbling as I tried to shove it back into my bag, nearly knocking over a bunch of files as my hand trembled. My fingers shook so badly I could barely zip it shut.

My stomach lurched as the footsteps came to a halt, and the door handle jiggled. My blood ran cold as the door swung open.

Oh god, please save me!

Ryan stepped inside, his sharp gaze immediately locking onto me. His brow furrowed as he stared at me, then at his—ugh, so luxurious—watch. Probably a Rolex… or a Piguet? Either way, it costs more than my entire wardrobe.

"What are you doing here?" His sharp voice brought me back to cold, painful reality, suspicion dripping from every word. "In my office?" he added plainly.

Say something!

"I… I was just…" I stammered, gripping my bag strap like a lifeline. My mind scrambled for a reasonable excuse.

Ryan crossed his arms, waiting not so patiently, as his eyebrows knitted together, forming several deep lines on his forehead. His jaw clenched tight, while his eyes bore holes in my fragile body.

"Well?"

"I... I had some doubts about the project. So I came to ask you about it," I blurted, desperately trying to stay calm under his icy gaze.

Ryan raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced.

"Really? What kind of doubts?" His voice was as cold as ice, sending chills down my spine.

I blinked. My mind was blank like a sheet of paper.

"Uh... I was thinking maybe… adding some colour to the background? You know, to make it pop more?"

Ryan’s expression stayed flat.
"It’s not a children's project—"

"Right! Of course. You’re right… Thanks!" I babbled, cutting him off as I started rushing towards the door, trying to escape the lion's den.

But in my rush, my foot caught on the edge of the carpet, and I lunged forward.

No, no, no—

My arms flailed, grasping for anything to stop my fall. I shrieked in horror, my eyes widened to their fullest potential as I went straight toward Ryan, as if I’d aimed for him.

Ryan’s eyes widened slightly as he backed away, trying to avoid getting bumped, but it was already too late.

With a loud thump, I crashed right into him, throwing him off to the floor, and in that split second—our lips brushed.

The world froze. My heart stopped. Did that… Did that really just happen?

Shit. I kissed my boss?!

My life was officially over.

******

New quest unlocked!

Collect all the stars!