At the company

Aiden arrived at Derek's company around 7p.m. He was surprised that security already knew who he was and permitted him to go straight up to Derek's office. He was even allowed to use the personal elevator.

There weren't any people around as he made his way down the hallway. Even the secretary had gone home for the night. His footsteps echoed as he walked up and knocked on the door.

"Enter." Aiden opened the door and entered the office but Derek was too distracted by whatever he was working on to notice who it was. "What is it?" He asked, thinking his secretary hadn't left yet.

"Delivery!" Holding up the bag of food, Aiden grinned when Derek was startled and finally looked up.

"Aiden! What's that? Why are you here?"

"I brought food."

"You didn't have to go through the trouble…" Derek watched Aiden walk over and hop onto the edge of the desk. "What are you doing?"

"Well, according to Mrs. Hudson, you won't eat while you're working unless someone makes you. If I'm sitting on your desk, you can't work, and have no choice but to obediently eat your dinner." Aiden forcefully pushed the food into Derek's hands.

"Alright, I get it. But there's no need to sit on my desk." Derek stood up and carried the food over to the couch and coffee table. Aiden stayed on the desk until Derek sat down and started unpacking the food containers. When he was convinced that Derek wouldn't go back to work, he hopped off the desk and joined him on the couch.

"So, is your headache better?" Aiden asked with a teasing smirk.

"Yes. As a matter of fact, it is."

"Really? I thought you'd be hungover for a week with how drunk you were."

"You little…!" Derek turned to Aiden and began to tickle him. "Don't tease your elders!"

"Ah! Ha ha ha! Alright, I give up! I surrender! Ha ha!"

"Hmph! As well you should." Derek cleared his throat before continuing. "...Thank you, by the way, for everything. I'm sure it wasn't easy dealing with a drunkard."

"It's fine. Besides, Milo did most of the heavy lifting." The two of them continued to chat about this and that while Derek ate his meal. He had asked if Aiden wanted any but he declined. He was almost finished eating when the phone rang. Derek was about to go over and answer it but Aiden jumped up first. "You just finish your food, Mister!"

"Yes, yes, I'm eating." Derek took another bite of food as he watched Aiden hop back onto his desk and pick up the phone.

"This is the CEO's office of S Company. How may I help you?" There was a moment of silence while Aiden listened to what was said on the other end of the phone. "Oh, okay. Hang on a minute." He pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at Derek. "It's security. Apparently someone named Lisa Knox is downstairs. They tried to send her away but she's recording everything so they're not sure if they should use more force or not." Derek's expression grew darker and darker the more Aiden told him.

"That damn woman! Doesn't she ever give up?" With a long sigh, Derek stood up from the couch and ran a hand through his hair. "Tell them to just send her in. But I want her supervised the entire way up here."

Aiden nodded and relayed the instructions to the security team. By the time he had hung up the phone, Derek had already cleaned everything up from his dinner. Derek's mood had taken a considerable downturn and Aiden was curious.

"Should I ask?"

"...It's nothing much. She's just a nuisance that won't go away."

"What's she after?", Aiden asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine. But she'll do just about anything she thinks might help her reach her goal, whatever that may be."

"Such as?" Before Derek could answer, there was a knock on the door. Derek walked over and sat down at his desk. He said nothing about the fact that Aiden was still sitting on it and instead called out in response to the knock.

"Enter." The door opened and a security guard announced the arrival of Ms. Knox. A manicured hand pushed the guard aside and a woman quickly passed through the doorway, strutting confidently into the office. Her fiery red hair swayed as she walked and when her eyes landed on Aiden, she glared.

"Who the hell is that?"

"None of your concern." Derek narrowed his eyes, his tone was cold and displeased. "Why the sudden need to force yourself into my office?"

"What, no small talk? Fine. I came here to hear your explanation in person." Lisa smiled magnanimously as if she was doing him some grand favor. Derek raised an eyebrow.

"For what, exactly?"

"Are you asking because you really don't know? Obviously I'm waiting for you to explain why the hell you married some random old lady! You refused me so adamantly and then you go and get hitched to a thing like that?!" Aiden's eyes widened as he listened to Lisa's tirade. So this woman was jealous? Then, was it Derek she was after? No, if it was, he would have just said that. So, whatever she wanted would be easier if she was with Derek. While Aiden was lost in his thoughts, Lisa's attention went back to him. "And you!" She pointed at Aiden and continued, "Get off his desk already! Who do you think you are?!"

"Me?" Aiden pretended to be shocked and confused. He tilted his head to the side and pointed at himself.

"Who else?!" When Lisa shouted, Aiden smiled innocently and nodded.

"Okay!" He did as she said and hopped off the desk. But her triumph was short-lived and Lisa's expression turned even uglier when Aiden walked cheerfully behind the desk, pulled Derek's chair back a bit, and sat down directly in Derek's lap. "Is this better?" Aiden grinned widely and watched in satisfaction as Lisa' face screwed up in rage. To top it all off, he wrapped his arms around Derek's neck.

"Are you just going to let him do that?!" When Derek didn't say anything nor make any move to remove Aiden from his lap, Lisa was completely astonished and Aiden smirked. However, it wasn't that Derek intentionally didn't answer her as some kind of silent confirmation but that he didn't realize she had said anything in the first place. He was left speechless by the pure shock of Aiden's actions.

As soon as Aiden had sat down in his lap, Derek's whole body froze and he unknowingly held his breath for a few moments. He couldn't think straight and he definitely didn't hear a word Lisa said. Although his expression remained neutral and distant, his entire focus immediately shifted to Aiden. His scent, the warmth from his body being so close, the feeling of his arms clinging to his neck. Only when Lisa slammed both of her fists down on the desk, did he regain his senses.

"Contain yourself Ms. Knox. I won't tolerate any more of your outbursts." Derek wrapped an arm around Aiden's waist to prevent him from falling before he leaned forward and hit a button on the phone. "Have security escort Ms. Knox out of the building. If she causes any more of a fuss, call the police and have her arrested for trespassing." After pressing the same button again, he leaned back but his arm remained around Aiden. "I don't owe you any explanation Ms. Knox as it is my personal life and has nothing to do with you. We're done here." As if on cue, security entered the office and began trying to lead her away.

"I won't stand for this! How dare you!" She resisted at first but eventually, she was dragged out of the office and the door was closed. Silence enveloped the office until Aiden turned to look at Derek.

"Are you releasing some sort of pheromone that only attracts crazy and psychotic women?"

"...I might be." Derek chuckled and turned to Aiden. Both of them froze. Since Aiden was still on Derek's lap with his arms around him and Derek was still holding Aiden by the waist, when they were both looking at each other at the same time, they were almost nose to nose. They were both keenly aware of how the other's heart was pounding as well as their own. They stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like forever, in a daze.

Suddenly, because they'd been unconsciously inching closer and closer, the tips of their noses touched and they both hastily looked away. Aiden quickly got up and Derek straightened his already perfect tie.

"Well, now that that's settled, I should get going," Aiden said.

"Ah, yes. It's getting late so that would be best. Be careful on your way home." Neither of them made eye contact with the other as they tried to free themselves from the situation.

"Yeah, I will. Don't work too late. Bye!" Aiden was already out of the door and closing it by the time Derek replied.

"Yeah. Goodnight." Derek heard the door close and he covered his mouth with one of his hands. His eyebrows knitted together in worry and realization. "...Damn."