There was a certain ecosystem in every office. A chain of dominance and familiarity, cliques and predators. And Jacob thrived at the top of his particular food chain.

  Tall, handsome, and oozing confidence, Jacob wasn’t just another company golden boy—he was the investor’s son. A prince among salarymen. And he carried himself like it. Designer suits, self-satisfied grins, casual flirtations with half the staff, and an air that said "everything here belongs to me."

  And up until now, no one had ever told him otherwise.

  That changed when she arrived.

  Liliane Tsukihi.

  Quiet. Reserved. Beautiful in a way that didn’t beg for attention, but stole it anyway. She walked through the building like she didn’t belong to it. Like she was just visiting a world that hadn’t realized it revolved around her. And worse—she was oblivious to Jacob's orbit.

  He didn’t like that.

  Not one bit.

  Lunch in the company cafeteria was usually a casual battlefield of passive-aggressive seating arrangements and social maneuvering. Jacob had already noticed Liliane’s routine—a quiet meal, always at the same table, away from the crowds.

  Today, he struck.

  He slid into the seat across from her with a confidence honed from years of seduction and successful conquests. His tray landed with a practiced thud, and he leaned forward with the smile he knew melted most women in under five seconds.

  “Hey,” he said, smooth as silk. “Figured we should have lunch together at least once. You know, now that we’re officially connected.”

  Liliane blinked. “We are?”

  Jacob chuckled like they were sharing an inside joke. “Well, yeah. We exchanged numbers, didn’t we? That’s the first step.”

  She tilted her head slightly, sipping her drink. “First step to what?”

  A pause.

  Just a second. But enough.

  He didn’t falter and continued. “To getting to know each other.”

  Liliane nodded politely. “What would you like to know?”

  Jacob leaned in, lowering his voice like he was inviting her into something private. “Oh, I think the real question is—what do you want to know about me?”

  Liliane stared at him confused.

  “…Why would I want to know about you?”

  Jacob’s smile flickered.

  Across the cafeteria, a trio of observers were watching.

  Felix. Ian. Hollow.

  Ian stirred his drink with one finger, expression tightening. “That’s not a good look.”

  Felix exhaled. “That’s Jacob.”

  Hollow, as always, said nothing, focusing on his meal.

  “You weren’t gonna say anything?” Ian asked.

  “Mei told me to warn Hunter,” Felix said. “I did.”

  “And did he care?”

  Felix shrugged. “Ask him.” He turned. “Hey, Hunter. Mei’s worried about Jacob bothering Liliane. Thoughts?”

  Hollow didn’t look up. “Liliane can take care of herself.”

  Ian scoffed. “Yeah? What if she doesn’t even realize she’s in trouble?”

  That made Hollow glance—briefly.

  Ian caught it. “See, guys like him—they don’t need you to say yes. They just need you not to say no.”

  Felix frowned. “…That bad?”

  Ian leaned forward, his voice low. “He’s the kind of guy who goes after girls who are new, isolated, unsure. He knows how to read a reaction and fake vulnerability. He can play patient, friendly, even helpful. Long enough to get under your skin without setting off alarm bells.”

  Felix’s expression darkened. “He’s done this before?”

  Ian nodded. “A few times that stuck. A bunch more that didn’t stay long enough to talk about it.”

  Hollow’s hand paused mid-bite.

  Ian leaned back. “Liliane’s just… kind. Unassuming. That makes her a challenge. And Jacob? He’s a dog that won’t let go of a bone once he bites.”

  Felix grimaced. “So what, we do nothing?”

  Ian smirked. “I don’t have to do anything.”

  He tilted his head toward Hollow. “You’re the one he sees as competition.”

  That got Hollow to glance back at Liliane’s table.

  He didn’t react. Just watched.

  Observed.

  Jacob was spiraling.

  He told himself it wasn’t a big deal. That sometimes, a girl just needed time to warm up. That Liliane was just… different.

  But as the days passed and his every “casual” advance bounced off her like a tennis ball against a stone wall, his pride started to blister.

  He’d passed by her desk more times than he could count now—each time with a new pretext.

  A report.

  A casual joke.

  A compliment on her “focus,” or her “quiet intensity,” or once, stupidly, her “spiritual aura.”

  Every time, the same result.

  She’d blink, nod politely, maybe say “thank you” or “I see,” and then… nothing.

  No follow-up.

  No invitation.

  No sign of interest.

  It wasn’t resistance. It was worse.

  It was indifference.

  She didn’t ignore him—she just didn’t care.

  And that? That was new.

  Later that afternoon, Jacob slumped back into his usual corner of the breakroom—surrounded by the office regulars who always hovered in his gravity well. Three guys from the marketing department, a pair of assistants, and two girls he’d previously hooked up with during “business trips” that were anything but professional.

  “Damn,” one of the guys laughed. “You really tanked out there.”

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Jacob scoffed, grabbing his drink from the vending machine with a little more force than necessary. “I didn’t tank. She’s just shy.”

  One of the girls—long black nails, tight blouse, smirking—gave him a sideways glance. “Shy? Please. That girl might be from the countryside, but she’s got ice in her veins.”

  The other girl chimed in with a snicker. “She looked like she didn’t even know you existed. Never seen anyone miss that many signals and still think it’s going well.”

  Jacob’s smirk twitched. “You two jealous or just bored?”

  That earned a round of laughter, but not enough to drown the sting.

  Another coworker raised his drink. “Hey, maybe you’re just… you know. Actually falling for her.”

  The table exploded in oooohhhhs and whistles.

  Jacob rolled his eyes. “Don’t be stupid.”

  A third guy leaned in. “I mean… she’s cute in a weird way. Kind of plain. Maybe you’re into that now?”

  Jacob snorted. “I’ve had better.”

  “Yeah, me,” purred the girl beside him, pressing her shoulder into his.

  Jacob chuckled, letting her cling to his arm.

  She leaned in, lips brushing his ear. “You know, you don’t have to keep chasing a girl who doesn’t get it. You can always come back to me.”

  Before Jacob could answer, another girl from across the table huffed. “Tch. Like hell. You had your turn. I’m next.”

  “What the hell do you mean next? He’s not a toy.”

  “Oh, please. You were bragging about your date last week.”

  “Okay, yeah, because it was amazing.”

  Jacob closed his eyes, letting their chatter stroke his ego like warm water—but even that wasn’t enough.

  The attention felt good.

  But the frustration still burned under the surface.

  Liliane hadn’t just ignored his charm.

  She’d made it look effortless.

  Across the breakroom, Mei and Felix sat with coffee, watching the circus unfold from a distance.

  Mei was glowing. Giddy. Her grin practically split her face.

  “Oh my god. This is better than anything on streaming,” she whispered, barely able to contain her excitement.

  Felix shook his head, sipping from his can. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”

  “Lily is a walking, talking divine punishment,” Mei said reverently. “She doesn’t even realize she’s doing it, and it’s glorious.”

  Felix raised an eyebrow. “You do realize he’s not going to take this well, right?”

  “I know,” Mei said with a dramatic shrug. “But watching a narcissist spiral into madness because he got zero reaction is my favorite kind of comedy.”

  She glanced at Jacob’s table—where he was now grinning hollowly as three girls fought for his attention, one of them practically on his lap.

  Mei sipped her drink like a villain watching her trap unfold.

  “Look at him,” she said. “Drowning in his own harem, surrounded by people validating his trash ego… and yet—still mad that Lily didn’t flinch.”

  Felix frowned. “So what happens next?”

  Mei leaned back in her chair, lacing her fingers behind her head.

  “Oh, he’s gonna escalate. Entitled guys like him don’t like losing. He’s going to push harder, be more direct, maybe even try to ‘accidentally’ corner her alone.”

  Felix glanced at her. “And you’re just… gonna let that happen?”

  Mei smirked. “Nope. I’ll step in if it gets bad. But I wanna see how many times she slaps him with casual indifference first.”

  Felix shook his head. “You’re a menace.”

  “Correction,” Mei said, raising a finger. “I am an audience.”

  Jacob leaned back as one of the girls rubbed his shoulders. “Come on,” she purred. “Let the farm girl go. You’ve got all the flavor you need right here.”

  Another girl leaned forward. “Or here.”

  Another guy laughed. “Don’t let ‘em fight too hard, man. HR’s already suspicious.”

  Jacob chuckled half-heartedly, brushing a hand down his face.

  “Plain little Lily,” he muttered.

  The group went quiet for a second, watching him.

  He grinned—but it didn’t reach his eyes.

  “She thinks she’s too good for me?”

  Someone snorted. “Or maybe she just doesn’t know who you are.”

  “Oh, she will.”

  Jacob set his drink down with a soft clink, eyes narrowing.

  “She will.”

  Jacob wasn’t done. Not yet.

  Another day. Another attempt.

  This time, Liliane was seating with the gang at lunch break with Mei, Hollow and Felix.

  And Jacob, however, saw it as a challenge.

  He approached with his usual swagger putting his plate on the table.

  “Mind if I join?” he asked with a grin, while pulling a chair.

  Liliane didn’t even look up. “You already did.”

  Felix coughed to hide his laugh. Mei—newly arrived—almost choked putting her hand to cover her mouth.

  Jacob forced a chuckle. “Fair enough. Just figured it’d be nice to have lunch together.”

  Liliane took a sip of her drink. “Again, right?”

  A second pause. Another twitch in Jacob’s perfect mask.

  “You’re sharp,” he tried, tone shifting.

  Liliane tilted her head. “In what way?”

  “In a good way,” he recovered.

  “Then that’s good.”

  Dead silence.

  No opening. No hook. Just a wall he couldn’t scale.

  Jacob’s smile held, but his eyes scanned the table. Mei. Felix. Then Hollow.

  Ah. That one.

  The dead-eyed guy.

  The one his friends had warned him about—the “boyfriend” or whatever rumor was circling.

  Jacob turned his grin in Hollow’s direction. “Hunter, right?”

  Hollow didn’t look up. “Mm.”

  “Didn’t know you and Liliane were close,” Jacob prodded.

  Hollow cut a piece of food with deliberate precision. “We work here.”

  Jacob tilted his head. “That’s all?”

  “That’s it.”

  Felix pressed his knuckles to his mouth. Mei’s shoulders trembled once.

  Jacob’s grin cracked for half a second before he shifted gears and turned back to Liliane.

  “Oh by the way, you never texted me.”

  Liliane blinked. “Was I supposed to?”

  “Well,” Jacob said, smiling tight, “most people do.”

  “I see.”

  Another pause.

  Jacob leaned in. “Let’s change that. How about having dinner tonight? Just the two of us.”

  There was a moment of stillness.

  Very slight—but Hollow’s hand paused near his tray, motion stilling just a hair longer than usual.

  He didn’t look up. Didn’t say a word.

  But his attention shifted for a moment.

  Liliane frowned. “How would that change anything?”

  Mei snorted audibly. Felix’s hand went to his mouth.

  Jacob’s smile cracked. “We would get to know each other.”

  “Is that so?...”

  He exhaled. “So?”

  Liliane blinked. “So what?”

  Jacob’s jaw twitched. “So, how about I take you out?”

  Liliane shot back. “No, thank you.”

  The table fell into stunned silence.

  “…What?” Jacob asked.

  “I said no, thank you.”

  Mei folded over the table, wheezing. Felix turned away, shoulders shaking.

  Hollow, for the first time, openly watched Jacob.

  Jacob’s mouth twitched. He tried to recover, standing up with a forced chuckle. “You’re an enigma.”

  “A ‘what’ now?” Liliane asked, genuinely puzzled.

  He stood up “Nevermind, I’ll just have to try harder,” he muttered.

  Liliane gave him a confused look. “Good luck?”

  Jacob turned and walked off, jaw tight, stride a little too stiff.

  Mei let out a strangled sound and slammed her hand on the table. “OH MY GOD. LILY. I CAN’T BREATHE.”

  Felix exhaled sharply. “That was… something.”

  “I need to record this. I need it,” Mei gasped.

  Liliane blinked. “What’s so funny?”

  “You,” Mei wheezed. “You are divine wrath in human form. And you don’t even know it.”

  “I don’t understand what just happened.”

  “You won without playing the game.”

  “…There was a game?”

  Mei slumped forward, defeated by the perfection of it all.

  Felix turned to Hollow, who had resumed eating like nothing happened. “So. Thoughts?”

  “Liliane can take care of herself.”

  Felix smirked. “Yeah. I think that’s been proven.”

  Mei grinned. “You were watching, weren’t you?”

  “I was eating,” Hollow replied flatly.

  Liliane still looked mildly puzzled. “Was something wrong?”

  Mei shook her head. “No, Lily. Everything was so right.”

  The group settled back into their lunch, still riding the high of Liliane’s accidental demolition.

  Jacob’s footsteps had long faded down the hall, but the ghost of his smirk seemed to linger.

  And though everyone laughed—relieved, amused, entertained—

  Hollow’s eyes stayed fixed on nothing in particular.

  His tray was empty.

  His thoughts weren’t.

  Jacob had left without a fight.

  Which meant he wasn’t finished.

  Liliane, for all her grace, just earned herself a new admirer.

  And the worst kind… the kind who never took “no” as an answer.