Chapter 18

The meeting with the Australian client had gone better than Maya could have ever hoped. She'd prepared meticulously, rehearsed every word, and it paid off. The client was visibly impressed, nodding along, occasionally glancing at his notes with a smile. Maya felt a surge of pride and relief. Beside her, Levi sat quietly, a supportive presence with a fixed smile that barely concealed his admiration for her. He didn't need to say much; his eyes, constantly tracking her every move, spoke volumes.

As the meeting wrapped up, they all agreed to grab a bite at a nearby restaurant. It was one of those unspoken corporate rituals, sealing a successful meeting with a shared meal. They returned to the office about half an hour later, Levi trailing slightly behind the group, clearly deep in thought. He noticed Maya standing with two colleagues near the office entrance, her laughter ringing out, light and carefree.

Levi cleared his throat. "Ms. Larson, can I have a moment?"

Maya turned, her smile softening when she saw him. "Of course, Mr. Thompson."

"I wanted to thank you earlier for your performance. You were brilliant," Levi said, his sincerity unmistakable.

Maya's cheeks flushed slightly. "Thank you, Mr. Thompson. I really wanted this opportunity, so it means a lot coming from you."

Levi hesitated, then forged ahead. "Would you mind if I treated you to something? As a token of appreciation for your hard work?"

Maya's mind immediately went to the office gossip she'd overheard—rumors about Levi's interest in her. She felt a flicker of anxiety, but also a flutter of something else, something warm and thrilling. Before she could respond, her friend Nira, who had been trying to catch her eye, started to call out, "M-Maya..." But she stopped short when she saw Levi leaning in closer to Maya. She tugged Kobe along, muttering, "Let's just go. She's busy."

Kobe looked back, puzzled. "But Maya's right there—"

"She's got something going on," Nira insisted, practically dragging him into the office.

Levi, still close, noticed Maya's hesitation. "So, that's a no?" he asked, a hint of a pout in his voice.

Maya shook her head quickly. "No, it's not that. I'm just...worried about what people might think."

"Ah, the rumors," Levi said, his eyes twinkling with understanding. Maya blinked, surprised.

"How did you—?"

"Know? I hear everything, Ms. Larson. Don't let it bother you. If you'd like, I can clear things up with everyone."

"Clear things up?" Maya echoed, confused.

"I can tell them there's nothing between us," Levi explained, though there was a touch of sadness in his smile.

"No, that's not necessary," Maya replied softly.

Levi's expression brightened slightly. "You're cute," he said, reaching out as if to pat her hair, but stopping himself. Maya raised an eyebrow at him.

"Sorry," he said, chuckling. "Anyway, it's getting late. You probably have things to do."

Maya glanced at her watch. "Yeah, it's already 7:30."

Levi looked up at the sky, noticing the dark clouds rolling in. "Looks like a storm's brewing."

"It wasn't supposed to rain today. I watched the weather forecast," Maya said, looking at the sky.

"I don't really follow the weather news," Levi admitted with a shrug and a smile.

As they walked back to the office, back at her desk, Nira was waiting, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "So, what did he say?"

Maya sat down, taking a deep breath. "He just thanked me for my work today."

Nira's eyebrows shot up. "Nothing else?"

Maya shook her head. "Nope."

Nira leaned in, her voice dropping to a teasing whisper. "I thought you two were having a moment out there."

Maya rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Nira? There's nothing going on between us."

Nira grinned. "Sure, sure. But the way he was looking at you during the meeting... If a guy looked at me like that, I'd melt on the spot."

"You're being ridiculous," Maya said, trying to hide her uneasiness. "Let's get back to work. We're going to be late if we don't."

"I'm actually done with my work," Nira said with a mischievous smile. "I'll be leaving in five minutes."

Maya looked at her in disbelief. "Already? How?"

Nira shrugged. "Didn't have much to do today. Lucky me, right?"

"Lucky you," Maya muttered, watching as Nira gathered her things and headed out. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.

Maya sighed, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. She had work to do, and she couldn't afford to get distracted. But as she started typing, she couldn't help but wonder what the future held for her and Levi.

. . .

Everyone started leaving one by one. Maya stayed back, doing some extra work for the next day since her sister was visiting her apartment and she wanted to leave early the next day. She checked her watch; it read 10:45 pm. She yawned and took out her phone from her bag to check the news feed, only to find it out of battery. She sighed.

Maya didn't realize it was raining cats and dogs until she reached the entrance of the office. The office was soundproof, so she had no idea about the weather outside. There was no one around except the guards. The wind was so strong it felt like it could blow her away. She waited for a few moments, hoping the rain would stop. She felt stupid for not bringing an umbrella. A guard approached her.

"Ma'am, didn't you bring an umbrella?" he asked.

"No," Maya replied.

"Here's mine. I don't think the umbrella will be of much use in this weather, but you can have it," he offered.

"Thank you so much, but if you give me yours, how will you manage?" Maya asked.

"I guess you're new here. Don't worry. See that building? (He pointed to a building beside VISHO) That's where we live," the guard smiled.

"Wow. I didn't know that. No wonder it's VISHO," Maya remarked.

"Levi got everything arranged after he joined. He's an angel. His father was a good man too, but he always had some issues. I don't know why he always seemed troubled. Levi is different. He resembles his dad a lot, but he's mature enough to handle everything. He doesn't show his troubles to anyone. He's a good guy," the guard said.

"Sounds like you know him very well," Maya replied.

"I do. Oh, sorry, I talked a lot. You should leave now, ma'am. It's late already," the guard said.

"I'll leave then," Maya politely said.

Maya struggled with the wind as she tried to keep the umbrella steady. She looked for a taxi, but there were none in sight. The road was almost empty, and she was drenched, her clothes clinging to her body. She sought shelter under a bus stop, shivering from the cold wind. A car stopped in front of her, and she squinted to see who it was. Someone lowered the window, and Maya couldn't see clearly due to the darkness.

"Ms. Larson, get in," a familiar voice said. Maya walked closer and saw it was Levi. She hesitated.

"I'm all drenched. Your car will get wet," she protested.

"Don't worry about it. Just get in," Levi insisted.

"It's okay. I'll wait for a bus," Maya replied stubbornly.

"You can't get into one. The weather is too bad. The transports won't run tonight," Levi pointed out.

Maya remained silent.

"Larson. Get in. Think of it as the treat I mentioned," Levi smiled.

Having no other option, Maya got into his car.

"Here," Levi handed her a towel.

"Thanks. You have these too?" Maya asked, surprised.

"Just in case of emergency," Levi replied.

"You're very organized," Maya smiled as she started drying her hair. Levi started the car.

"Do you want me to stop by a coffee shop? You look cold," Levi offered.

"No, it's okay. I'll just go home straight," Maya replied.

"You look tired, Ms. Larson. By the way, do you live in the same area where we met?" Levi asked.

"Huh?"

"Sorry, I meant, from where I gave you a ride to the orientation," Levi clarified.

Maya wasn't sure how to respond. It wouldn't be a lie if she said she lived there, but she didn't at that moment. She thought for a moment before answering.

"No, I moved in with a friend. It's near the Ento Industry," she said, trying to sound casual.

"Wow, Steven lives in the same area too," Levi remarked, his eyes lighting up with recognition.

Maya almost choked on air, her heart pounding in her chest. Of course, Steven lived there. She forced a smile and tried to steer the conversation away from dangerous territory. "Where do you live?" she asked, her voice a little too bright.

"From where I gave you a ride. That area," Levi replied, his gaze steady on her.

"Really? I had no idea. We're neighbors then," Maya said, attempting to sound enthusiastic while her mind screamed at her to calm down.

"Neighbors? But you just said you moved out," Levi said, furrowing his brows in confusion.

"Well, I moved out, but my family still lives there. Mostly my sister. My parents are always overseas for business, so they don't stay here much," she explained, hoping her convoluted story made sense.

"Wow," Levi said, his tone thoughtful. He noticed her shivering in her soaked clothes and, ever the gentleman, shrugged off his coat and handed it to her without a second thought. Maya flinched slightly but accepted it gratefully, wrapping it around herself and feeling a bit warmer already. "Thanks," she murmured, her cheeks flushing.

Levi's eyes fell on the umbrella beside her. "How did you get Rodriguez's umbrella?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Rodriguez?" Maya echoed, raising her brows in confusion.

"The person who gave you this umbrella," Levi clarified with a soft laugh.

"Oh! I didn't know his name. I didn't have an umbrella, so he gave me his. How did you know it's his?" Maya asked, genuinely curious.

"There's a name written on it. He still hasn't changed that habit," Levi smiled, a fondness in his eyes.

"Oh, now that you mention it, I see it," Maya nodded, peering at the tiny inscription.

"He has a habit of writing his name on his stuff," Levi explained.

"Sounds like you know him well," Maya remarked, intrigued.

"I certainly do. He's been with my family for 29 years," Levi said, pride and affection lacing his words.

"Wow, that means he was here even before you were born?" Maya asked, surprised.

"Yes. He started as a gardener at our house, then here. He's more like family," Levi said, his tone softening.

"No wonder he knows you so well," Maya said, feeling a connection form.

"Did he tell you something about me?" Levi asked, laughing lightly.

"He did. And he wasn't wrong," Maya replied, her voice almost a whisper.

"About what?" Levi asked, his curiosity piqued.

"You're an angel… Levi is an angel," Maya said softly, the sincerity in her words making Levi's heart skip a beat. Levi stared at her, a mixture of surprise and something else—something warm—flickering in his eyes. "An angel, huh?" he said, his voice teasing but gentle.

Maya nodded, feeling her cheeks heat up. "Yeah, you're kind, and you're always helping people out. Like right now," she said, gesturing to the coat draped over her shoulders.

Levi shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. "It's nothing. Just trying to be a decent human being," he said.

Maya laughed softly, the sound easing the tension between them. "Well, you're doing a great job," she said, her eyes meeting his.