The morning sun filtered softly through the sheer curtains, casting a gentle glow over the large bedroom. Erin stirred, blinking the sleep from her eyes as her gaze landed on Xander. He was still fast asleep, his breathing slow and steady, the ever-present frown smoothed out from his features. It was strange how peaceful he looked in sleep—a contrast to the guarded, sharp-edged man he was while awake.
Careful not to wake him, she rose from the bed and tiptoed toward the balcony. The cool air greeted her as she stepped outside, brushing away the last remnants of sleep. She pulled out her phone, dialing the number she knew by heart.
It rang once before a familiar voice answered, crisp and clear. "You're calling earlier than expected."
"I want to call off the exchange," Erin said, her voice low and serious.
"Why?"
"I found out that the evidence was fake. It's not real or reliable. It's baseless."
There was a pause, followed by a sigh. "I saw this coming," the woman replied. "You're hiding something from us, aren't you?"
Erin's fingers gripped the railing, her knuckles pale. She couldn't say anything.
"We can wait. You still have twenty-seven days left. But you must give us everything before time runs out. Do you understand, Celeste?"
The use of her real name sent a jolt through her chest.
"This mission is not a game. Our future depends on this. Don't forget why you're there."
"I haven't forgotten," Erin whispered.
"Then don't make us regret recommending you to your mother to choose you."
The line went dead.
Erin exhaled shakily, lowering the phone. She couldn't shake the ache in her chest—the heaviness that had grown ever since she realized she no longer saw Xander as just a mission. She turned back inside and closed the balcony door behind her.
But as she stepped into the bedroom, she bumped straight into him.
Xander's brows were furrowed, eyes alert despite the early hour. "Who were you calling?"
Erin straightened her spine. "That doesn't concern you."
His expression darkened. "Don't do things behind my back. If I catch you at it, I can't promise I'll be the same with you anymore."
Something inside Erin cracked.
"You don't get to question my personal life," she snapped, her eyes flashing. "I'm just your personal maid, remember? Nothing more, nothing less. You made that perfectly clear yesterday—and you were sober, weren't you?"
Xander's jaw clenched. He looked like he wanted to say something, but couldn't.
She turned to leave, but his voice stopped her.
"If you were just my personal maid," he said slowly, "you wouldn't talk to me the way you do. You wouldn't dare."
Erin stilled.
"You wouldn't be able to sit at the same table as me, share the same room, breathe the same air. You wouldn't be able to follow me around, challenge me, fight me. And if you were just anyone else, and I wanted to cancel my parents' arrangements, I would've done it without hesitation. But I didn't. Because I let you stay. I wanted you to stay."
Her heart pounded in her chest.
He looked at her, his eyes unreadable. "You're not just a personal maid to me. Not anymore."
Erin took a step forward. Her voice was quiet but steady. "Then what am I to you?"
She hadn't meant to ask it. But once the words were out, she realized she wanted the answer. Needed it.
And deep down, she knew she wasn't just asking him—she was asking herself too. Because she didn't know what he was to her either.
They weren't employer and employee.
They weren't enemies anymore.
But then, what were they?
Their eyes locked. For a moment, time stopped. The air between them shifted—charged, thick with something unspoken. Their gazes flicked down to each other's lips almost at the same time.
And then they moved.
It wasn't soft or hesitant.
Their lips met with an intensity that made Erin's knees buckle slightly. It was deep, passionate, electric—like everything they'd refused to admit had finally broken free. Her hands curled into the fabric of his shirt, and his arm wrapped tightly around her waist, pulling her closer.
Neither of them wanted to let go.
But eventually, they did.
Breathless, startled, shaken.
Erin's face was flushed as she pulled away, her fingers trembling. She didn't say a word. She just turned and walked toward the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
Xander stood there for a long time, staring at the closed door.
His heart was still racing.
And all he could think was—
'What the hell are we becoming?'