ADRIAN

I was deep into some files when I heard a knock on my door. “Come in,” I called out, not looking up. The door creaked open and then shut again, signaling someone had entered. I expected them to speak, but there was nothing.

“Okay, who is this? Can’t you just get to the point?” I called out, irritated. I finally glanced up and froze in shock.

“Brianna?” I asked, barely able to form the words.

“Yes, boss. Good morning. I brought your coffee,” she said with a hint of mischief, walking toward my desk with a cup in her hand. The shock hit me harder—she hadn’t been the one bringing me coffee for a while.

“Is this really Brianna?” I asked, still in disbelief.

“Yes, boss. It’s me. Don’t I look like Brianna?” She smirked.

“You’ve got her face and body, but you’re not dressed like her,” I remarked, bluntly.

“You seem to have forgotten, Mr. Adrian. You told me to start dressing conservatively yesterday, and I’m just following your orders,” she replied, reminding me of what I had said.

“I did tell you to dress more conservatively, but I didn’t say anything about looking like... like a...,” I searched for the right words, my mind racing. “I didn’t tell you to look like a... masquerade and scare people off.”

“Well, I’m not exactly lucky, am I? These are the only conservative clothes I could find. You’ll have to accept them, whether you like it or not. Or you can let me go back to my less conservative clothes,” she said, her voice tinged with defiance.

“Who do you think you’re talking to like that? Have you forgotten you’re talking to your boss?” I snapped.

“Oh, I didn’t realize I was talking to my boss,” she retorted, dripping sarcasm.

“You’re really pushing your luck lately. I’ve been merciful enough not to fire you, but keep this up and I won’t hesitate to show you how far that mercy can stretch,” I warned, my voice low and threatening. She seemed to soften, but I could see the challenge still burning in her eyes.

“Ugh, whatever. You bosses always get to boss people around, but they can’t stand up for themselves,” she muttered under her breath, though I heard it loud and clear.

“What did you just say?” I asked, my smirk returning.

“Nothing. I said nothing,” she quickly corrected herself.

“Good,” I said, feigning satisfaction. “You brought the coffee for me, right? Now drop it and leave.”

She placed the cup of coffee on my desk with a clink. I eyed it suspiciously.

“I hope you didn’t poison this,” I said, giving her a sharp look.

“Only a wicked person would assume his drink was poisoned, but honestly, I’d love to poison it. I’d be so happy,” she said, her grin taking on a manic edge.

“Jeez! You’re creepy as hell. Were you a murderer or a serial killer in a past life? Because you’re seriously giving off serial killer vibes,” I said, unable to hold back the comment.

She paused, considering it for a moment, before grinning wider. “Maybe I was... and I still have a bit of that killer instinct in me.”

“WHAT THE HELL?! Get out of my office, you creep! I can’t believe my personal assistant might actually be a serial killer. You could have killed me all this time!” I yelled, half-laughing, half-panicked.

“Wow, I can’t believe you’re scared of me. Maybe I should’ve recorded this moment and used it against you later,” she giggled, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

“I’m not scared of you! I was just messing with you. How could I be scared of a girl?” I managed to regain my composure and shrug it off.

“You were scared. I saw it in your eyes,” she said confidently.

“I was not scared!” I shot back, though a part of me wasn’t entirely convinced. “Now, get out of my office and go prepare for the meeting with the inventors about the robot project.”

“Okay, sir,” she said with a grumpy nod, and stormed out of my office.

I shook my head. She never ceased to surprise me. I told her to dress conservatively, and she turns up looking like a psychopath. And her behavior... definitely serial killer material. I can’t believe I was actually scared of her for a second.

I ruffled my hair, trying to clear my head. I must be losing it.

BRIANNA

I stormed out of Adrian’s office, my frustration boiling over. My plan had backfired. I had hoped that dressing like this would make him tell me to return to my old clothes, but no such luck. Now I’d be stuck in this crazy outfit for who knows how long. A loud groan escaped my mouth as I walked away from his office.

In my angry haze, I didn’t notice someone coming toward me until we collided.

“Brianna?” the person called, and I looked up to see Lewis. Seriously, what was it with me and bumping into people these days?

“Hey, Lewis. Sorry about that. I wasn’t looking,” I apologized, brushing myself off.

“It’s okay,” he said, glancing at me from head to toe before shaking his head in amusement.

“You said I’d be wowed when I saw you today, and yeah, you definitely lived up to that. I’m... shocked,” he chuckled.

“Well, what can I say? I always keep my word,” I laughed, feeling my mood lighten a little.

“I can see that. But you know, you don’t look so bad in the dress. It actually looks good on you. Or should I say... you look good in it?” he complimented.

“Either way you say it, thanks for the compliment,” I grinned.

“Anytime. I would stay and chat more, but I’ve got a lot of work waiting for me,” he said.

“It’s fine, I’m heading to a meeting soon too. Got to prepare,” I replied.

“Alright, I’ll catch you later,” he said with a wave, and we went our separate ways.