Freya's POV

After sending off my little boyfriend, I rushed back to the office.

The company I worked for was an original clothing brand. I was the chief designer and the second-in-command.

The big boss was my childhood friend and former university alumnus.

It had been five years since I graduated from college and I had established a solid foothold in the fashion industry.

Whether I could take the next big leap forward depends entirely on our performance at this year’s Fashion Week.

To prepare for it, the boss threw a team-building event specifically to boost morale.

But the exact same event was where I lost my virtue.

Now that the relaxation was over and it was time to put in the work, I completely forgot about my little boyfriend, David.

"Ms. Michael, this is bad! All of our fabrics have been booked out! I just called every supplier we’ve ever worked with and their answers were all the same.

“The fabrics are gone and they can't allocate any stock to us at all. If we want this material, we’ll have to wait half a month!"

"Half a month? But the new product launch starts in a month. We won't make it in time."

"I know, Ms. Michael! What do we do now?"

"Don't panic. Go make some more calls and see if any other vendors are willing to spare some fabric for us."

I personally ran around to numerous factories but it was all in vain.

At this point, if I didn't know we were being maliciously targeted, then my years in the business world would have been entirely for nothing.

Running around any further wasn't going to yield results, so I had no other choice than to head back to the office to come up with an alternative plan.

The atmosphere at the company was noticeably different from usual.

Everyone seemed to be stealing glances at me.

But the moment I turned around, they would immediately go back to their tasks as if nothing happened.

There was definitely something fishy going on.

Filled with doubt, I walked into my private office, and the employees' bizarre behavior was instantly explained.

David was lounging sideways on my sofa with his legs crossed.

He was leisurely playing a mobile game while clutching my throw pillow.

On the coffee table next to him sat a massive bouquet of red roses that were brilliantly eye-catching.

I stood there in silent shock for a moment before getting the composure to close the office door.

I shut out all the curious eyes from the outside world.

However, the moment I turned back around, the man who was just lying down and playing games was already standing right behind me.

He startled me.

I jumped backward with a thud as I bumped right into the door.

I covered my face in mortification as I must have made the people outside become more curious.

David quickly held me and slid his hand naturally onto my back. "So, you get this excited just by seeing me?"

"Why are you here?" I asked, caught between shock and suspicion.

"You haven't contacted me in days. If I didn't come to find you, I'm afraid you would forget all about me!"

With that cool, domineering CEO face of his, who could possibly resist?

I could feel my face slowly burning. To avoid losing face in front of my little boyfriend, I brushed right past him and offered a terribly awkward excuse.

"How could I? Aren't I out here working hard to make money to support you?"

David leaned in closer and smiled. "Actually, I can support you instead. That way, you won't have to work so hard."

Look at that, what a great boyfriend.

For a split second, I felt like I had struck gold!

In a thoroughly brightened mood, I asked, "What do you want to eat?"

As I spoke, I packed up my things, grabbed David and headed out.

Inconveniently, the moment we stepped out of the office, I was called out to by the big boss, Eric Anderson.

"Freya."

I quickly turned around and flashed an awkward smile. "Eric, have you eaten yet?"

Eric ignored my casual small talk and glared hostilely at David. "Is he a friend of yours? Why don't you introduce him?"

Before I could even open my mouth, David pulled me in and firmly wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

A cold sneer curled at the corner of his lips as he directed a sharp, piercing gaze at the boss. "Hello. I am her boyfriend, David!"

What a childish display, yet it was surprisingly charming.

Eric looked at David with an unfriendly expression. "Freya, it’s best not to bring random people into the company in the future.

“After all, we have a lot of design drafts here. If something happens, it'll be hard for you to clear your name."

David was just about to snap back when I grabbed his hand and smiled. "Alright, I understand."

Eating was the priority right now. As I had been running around all day, I was already starving!

After we had walked out of the office building, I tried to pull my hand away but David tightened his grip forcefully.

He shifted his grip until our fingers were tightly intertwined.

He said with a stern, commanding tone, "From now on, stay away from that man, I am not asking for your opinion!"

"What?"

The sudden shift in topic left me a little dizzy.

"Just remember, I don't like that guy. If you don't want to see me turning up at your company every single day, keep your distance from him."

This kid was quite the possessive one.

That arrogant, overbearing attitude of his was actually pretty captivating.

After dinner, I drove out of the parking lot and asked casually, "It's hard to hail a taxi at this hour. Where do you live? I'll drop you off."

"Just drop me off at Bayman High School."

His words shocked me so badly that I instinctively shuddered, causing the car to stall right then and there.

"Holy crap! You’re a high school student?!"

"What's wrong with being a high schooler?"

"I..."

I slept with a high schooler?

Am I going to jail?!

I was completely dumbfounded.

He suddenly burst out laughing. "You’re so easy to scare. I was just teasing you. I'm just substituting a few classes for a friend. I'm a finalist at Danford University."

I knew Danford University. It was the best university in the city, highly ranked nationwide and it had once been my dream school.

I reset the GPS for Bayman High School. After arriving and getting out of the car, he walked up to my driver's side window and knocked twice.

"What's wrong? Did you leave something behind?"

"Yeah. You left your phone number behind."

I couldn't help but chuckle. The two of us really were a bizarre couple.

We had already slept together and confirmed our relationship, yet we didn't even have each other's contact information.

I used his phone to dial my own number. When the phone rang, I flashed the screen at him and hung up.

"That's also my WhatsApp number. Anything else?"

He pocketed his phone. "Yes.”

Freya's POV

This little kid is really demanding, I thought to myself.

As I was about to say something, a shadow fell over me.

Before I knew what was happening, David’s cool lips had brushed against mine, leaving as quickly as they had arrived.

"A goodnight kiss." He looked at me with clear, intense eyes while his voice was a bit raspy.

I found myself momentarily lost in his gaze, utterly speechless.

Seeing my dazed expression, he reached his hand through the car window and gently ruffled my hair twice. "Bye-bye, sweetheart!"

After driving for some minutes, I checked my rearview mirror and saw that he was still standing in the exact same spot.

While waiting at a red light, a friend request from David popped up.

His profile picture was a photo of me.

I had no idea when he secretly snapped it but it actually looked pretty good.

I smiled, tapped accept and changed his contact nickname to "Little Brother."

As I was still giggling uncontrollably at the nickname, he sent me a message.

‘Have you made it home?’

I replied, ‘Still on the road.’

Immediately, Little Brother texted again, ‘Then I won't text you for now. Focus on your driving!’

He even attached an emoji.

The good mood that accompanied me all the way back to my neighborhood instantly vanished the moment I spotted Eric.

Eric was standing by the trash cans at my building, smoking a cigarette.

Enveloped in a shroud of smoke, his entire aura looked gloomy.

The moment he saw me, he demanded, "Since when did you get a boyfriend?"

"Not long ago."

"Freya, how many years have we known each other?"

His expression was terrible.

To break the tension, I offered a smile.

Eric let out a bitter laugh. "You've known all these years, haven't you?"

I lifted my head to look him straight in the eyes. "I don't know anything! All I know is that we are friends."

"Who the hell wants to be your friend?!"

Eric suddenly snapped.

His face contorted with rage and an agonizing look of heartbreak. "Freya! Haven't I been good enough to you all these years?

“Why can't we just keep going like this? We were childhood sweethearts. We could have gotten married and spent the rest of our lives together.

“Why did you have to betray our relationship?"

Listening to his hysterical accusations, I suddenly felt like I didn't recognize the man standing before me.

He had always been gentle and elegant. He had never lost his composure like this.

"Eric, that's impossible. Whether I am with David or not, I can never be with you."

I looked at him, my expression entirely open and honest. "It's true that we grew up together. In my heart, you are different from everyone else.

“You are a friend, you are family but you will never be my lover."

Eric stared at me, his eyes filled with stubborn obsession. "I don't believe that!"

"Eric, you know me. If I liked you, I would have been with you a long time ago.

“I wouldn't have dragged it out until now. On the contrary, if I don't like someone..."

"Enough!" Eric’s eyes flashed with a sinister light. "You'll regret this. I'll make you realize that I am the one who loves you the most!"

Watching his furious, retreating figure, I stood frozen for a long time.

The elevator was broken, so I had to climb the stairs alone. My body was exhausted but my mind was growing increasingly clear.

I thought back to the sentence I couldn't finish.

If I don't like someone, what will I do?

I would avoid them. I would delete their contact information and I would never interact with them again.

Once I got inside my apartment, I sent David a message to let him know I arrived safely.

He immediately tried to initiate a video call but I declined it, making the excuse that I was exhausted and wanted to sleep early.

David didn't suspect a thing, he just sent a goodnight emoji.

Looking at the emoji, I couldn't help but laugh.

For a guy, he was so domineering and charming.

Just because he caught a glimpse of the emoji pillow on my office sofa, he had already known exactly what I liked.

This little boyfriend wasn't that bad.

---

Despite the clash with Eric the night before, I forced myself to dive straight into work the moment I opened my eyes the next morning.

If the fabric issue wasn't resolved, nothing down the line could move forward.

I asked around and managed to get introduced to a few new manufacturers.

To maintain the company's professional image, I deliberately put on a full face of makeup and wore high heels.

By the end of the morning, I hadn't found a single reliable manufacturer but I had successfully grown several fresh blisters on my feet.

Back in my car, I crossed off another name from my printed list.

The entire morning had been a disaster.

It was either the fabrics were completely booked out or the delivery times were completely uncertain.

Sometimes, the color and material samples seemed right but the actual goods would not match the samples at all.

One problem kept cropping up after another.

Sighing, I rubbed my growling stomach and prepared to order some food.

As I unlocked my phone, I was greeted by over twenty missed calls and more than ten text messages.

I couldn't help but bury my face in my hands.

I dialed the number back. The moment the call connected, David’s casual charming voice rang out.

"Babe, are you avoiding me because you were too shy about last night?"

My ears burned as memories of his goodnight kiss resurfaced with the phantom sensation still lingering on my lips.

I cleared my throat. "Stop talking nonsense. I've been buried in work all morning. That is why I didn't hear your calls or see your messages."

"What kind of work could possibly be more important than me?" David’s disgruntled voice came through the phone.

I didn't know if it was the static of the phone line, there seemed to be a hint of a pout in his tone.

My voice softened unconsciously. "It's a company matter. Telling you won't do any good anyway."

"How will you know if I can help if you don't tell me?"

Left with no choice, I sighed. "We’re likely being targeted. Someone bought out all the fabric stock we need on the market."

David casually drawled, "If you can't find fabric, you can just come to me!"

"Alright, I appreciate the thought. If a professional like me is stuck, what can a student like you do?"

"What? You don't believe me? Where are you right now?" He asked and added immediately, "Stay where you are, I'm coming to find you."

Checking the time and realizing it was exactly lunch hour, I agreed to meet him at the restaurant right beneath my office building.

From a distance, I saw David waiting for me.

Forcing down the sharp pain in my feet, I walked over and smiled at him. "Have you been waiting for long?"

David frowned at me, looking thoroughly displeased.

Thinking he was annoyed that I had taken too long, I opened my mouth to explain.

Before I could say a word, he marched right up to me and swept me up into his arms, scooping me off my feet.

"Ah!" I cried out in surprise and instantly squirmed to be put down.

"Behave! Keep moving and you’ll fall on your face," he threatened.

I immediately curled up tightly in his embrace.

It wasn't because of his threat, I just kept quiet as this was too embarrassing.

He carefully set me down on a restaurant sofa. "Sit here for a bit. I'm going to grab something."

After David had walked away, I noticed a middle-aged man dressed in a sharp business suit sitting directly across from me.

When did he get there?

Are all the public displays of affection done right in the front of a stranger?

This was excruciatingly awkward!

Wait!

Isn't this the head of DavDaw Fashion, a subsidiary of the Dawson Corporation?

I couldn't help but internally curse David for being so oblivious.

How could he just dump me here when there was clearly someone else at the table?

Sensing my awkwardness, the man sitting across from me offered a polite nod. "Allow me to introduce myself.

“I am the General Manager of DavDaw Fashion under the Dawson Corporation. I am Mr. Pascal."

I extended my hand. "Hello, Mr. Pascal. Your reputation precedes you. I am a shareholder and the chief designer of M&L. My name is Freya."

Mr. Pascal shook my hand. "Miss Michael, you are quite famous too."

Following the introductions, I could sense Mr. Pascal's genial nature.

Getting straight to the point, I asked, "It seems you were waiting for me, Mr. Pascal?"

"Yes. I received a call from my boss just now, that his fiancee is facing some trouble on her end."

Boss?

Who is the boss and who is his fiancee?!

While I was entirely dumbfounded, David returned.

Carrying a bag of items in his hand, he arched an eyebrow. "Looks like you two have already introduced yourselves."

I stared at him in absolute shock. "The 'boss' that Mr. Pascal is talking about, is that you?!”