When Rowan and Ulyana returned to her office floor, several members of her department were already gathered nearby waiting to clarify a few matters discussed during the earlier meeting.
The moment they spotted the pair walking side by side together, the entire group subtly exchanged looks.
Because somehow they looked even better together up close.
Rowan carried himself calmly beside her while Ulyana looked noticeably more relaxed than usual.
It was honestly terrifyingly attractive.
Ulyana noticed her staff waiting almost immediately.
"I'll be a minute," she said softly to Rowan.
He nodded easily. "Of course."
Without hesitation, Rowan continued walking beside her all the way to her office doors as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Meanwhile, the department stood there trying desperately to maintain professionalism.
Then the second Ulyana's office door closed behind them; the entire group exploded.
Several employees immediately jumped up and down silently while others grabbed each other dramatically.
"Oh my God."
"THE WAY HE WALKED HER BACK."
"They're literally dating."
"No because the chemistry is actually insane."
Lisa pinched the bridge of her nose trying not to laugh at the chaos unfolding around her.
One younger employee clutched their chest dramatically. "He called her Angel in the lounge."
The group collectively lost composure again.
"He WHAT?"
"Madam Vasily has never looked at anyone like that before."
Another employee sighed dreamily.
"They look like one of those billionaire romance dramas."
Meanwhile inside the office itself, blissfully unaware of the emotional collapse happening outside her door, Ulyana set her coffee down while Rowan casually leaned against the edge of her desk watching her with quiet amusement.
-
Ulyana pressed the intercom button on her desk.
"Lisa."
"Yes, Madam?"
"Let them come in one at a time."
"Yes, Madam."
Almost immediately, the emotional chaos outside the office reorganised itself into professionalism again.
One by one, employees entered her office to clarify details from the earlier meeting.
And throughout every conversation, Rowan quietly remained nearby seated on the couch area observing.
To his surprise, Ulyana gave every single person her full attention.
No rushing.
No dismissiveness.
Even when the questions were repetitive or minor, she listened carefully before explaining things thoroughly.
One junior employee nervously stumbled over their words while discussing launch projections.
Ulyana calmly reassured them. "Take your time."
Another employee admitted concern over the revised timeline for the teaser campaign.
Instead of criticising them, Ulyana immediately began helping restructure responsibilities between teams to reduce workload pressure.
"You don't need to carry all of that yourself," she explained firmly. "Delegate properly."
Meanwhile Rowan quietly watched the entire thing unfold with growing admiration.
Because outside of Silvercrown society, outside of politics and family influence, Ulyana was genuinely competent.
More than that, people trusted her, and it was obvious why.
At one point, Thomas carefully entered carrying revised documentation. His posture straightened slightly when he noticed Rowan there too.
"Madam," he greeted respectfully.
Ulyana motioned for him to continue.
Thomas nervously explained the updated workflow between his team and digital creative.
Ulyana listened carefully before nodding once.
"Better."
The visible relief on the man's face almost made Rowan smile.
After Thomas left, Rowan leaned back slightly on the couch.
"You know," he said quietly once the office became empty again, "you're very good at this."
Ulyana looked up from her tablet. "At public relations?"
"At leadership."
The compliment seemed to catch her slightly off guard.
"I still have a lot to learn."
"Everyone does," Rowan replied calmly. "But your people respect you without fearing you."
Ulyana paused thoughtfully at that. Then she smiled faintly. "I think fear only works short term."
Rowan watched her carefully for a moment before quietly admitting, "You'd make a terrifying wife politically."
That earned a soft laugh from her. "Is that a compliment?"
"A very serious one."
"I'm honoured," Ulyana replied softly. "Besides, I had a hard teacher growing up."
Rowan raised an eyebrow slightly. "Oh?"
"There was no such thing as failure," she said calmly. "And apparently the limit did not exist."
That made Rowan chuckle quietly.
"Don't be so humble," he replied. "Accept my compliment properly."
Ulyana looked momentarily unsure of how to respond to that.
Then eventually, she simply smiled.
A real one.
Warm and sincere.
Beautiful enough that Rowan briefly forgot what he had been thinking about entirely.
"Thanks," she said softly. She held his gaze for a moment longer than necessary.
Then Lisa's voice buzzed through the intercom.
"Madam, this is the final one."
Ulyana slowly pulled her eyes away from Rowan's.
"Yes, Lisa. Thank you."
A moment later, one of the senior staff members entered the office.
Al. The oldest and most experienced member of her department.
Which made his hesitant expression immediately concerning. Ulyana sat forward slightly.
"Al," she said gently, "why are you worried about asking for my help?"
The older man sighed quietly. "I just wish to remain useful."
Ulyana's expression softened immediately.
"You've never let me down," she replied firmly. "Don't be silly."
Al looked slightly reassured by that, though still uneasy.
"Thomas works under me," he admitted. "So I feel responsible."
"Don't fret," Ulyana said calmly. "It's already been addressed."
Al hesitated before quietly adding, "I saw what he made before the meeting and felt the same way you did… but I didn't say anything."
Ulyana shook her head lightly. "Let it go."
The room fell quiet for a second. Then she continued more softly, "You noticed the problem afterward and helped Thomas refine it. That matters too."
Al looked genuinely relieved hearing that.
"I'll supervise the revised project personally," he promised.
"I know you will."
As Al thanked her and eventually left the office, Rowan remained unusually quiet.
Ulyana noticed almost immediately.
"What?"
Rowan leaned back against the couch slightly, studying her.
"You really protect your people."
Ulyana looked mildly confused by the observation. "They're my responsibility afterall."
Eventually, Rowan stood from the couch and adjusted the sleeves of his coat slightly.
"I should probably let you return to work properly," he said calmly.
Ulyana stood as well, walking him toward the office doors.
Rowan paused beside her before speaking again.
"Thank you for today," he said sincerely. "Especially for the time you shared with me."
Something about the phrasing made her smile softly.
"I won't see you until Friday," Rowan continued, "but like I said, I'll pick you up personally for the baseball game."
"Okay," Ulyana nodded lightly. "And thank you for breakfast."
Rowan's expression softened faintly.
Then Ulyana tilted her head slightly. "Won't you be late for your own workday at this rate?"
"Worth it," Rowan answered immediately.
That caught her slightly off guard.
"I'll be playing catch up on my tasks tomorrow," he admitted with a small chuckle, "but I have no regrets whatsoever."
His gaze held hers again.
"I've enjoyed your company."
For a second, Ulyana forgot they were standing in the middle of her office during business hours.
Because Rowan had a dangerous habit of sounding sincere in a way that completely disarmed her.
So instead of teasing him this time, she simply answered honestly. "…I enjoyed yours too."
The faint smile Rowan gave her afterward was softer than usual, almost affectionate.
Then finally, before either of them lingered too long in the moment, Rowan stepped back toward the door.
"I'll text you later, Angel."
Ulyana sighed quietly. "You're really attached to that nickname already."
"I am."
And with one final amused look toward her, Rowan Volkov finally left her office.
Ulyana returned to her desk afterward and continued working through the remainder of the day. But this time, there was a soft smile lingering on her face. One of her staff absolutely noticed whenever they passed by her office windows.
Meanwhile downstairs, Rowan had finally gotten back into the car with Graham. The second the doors shut behind him, Graham turned in disbelief.
"Where the hell have you been?" he asked dryly. "The meeting ended over two hours ago."
Rowan loosened his cuffs slightly before answering without shame.
"With Ulyana."
Graham stared at him for a long moment before sighing heavily and leaning back into his seat.
"Gets a girlfriend one time and suddenly starts slacking off," he muttered bitterly to himself.
Rowan ignored him completely. Instead, he casually opened his phone and edited Ulyana's contact information.
From: Ulyana
To: Wife Yan 👼🏽
Graham unfortunately noticed that too.
"…Oh brother."
Meanwhile, several floors above inside Nivasa Tower, the PR department group chats had completely spiralled out of control.
Messages flooded in endlessly.
About Rowan.
About the flowers.
About the baseball date.
And especially about him calling her Angel.
What none of the staff realised, however, was that Ulyana technically had access to all department communication channels.
Which meant she could see everything.
Sitting quietly at her desk, Ulyana scrolled through the exploding messages while unsuccessfully trying not to laugh.
The staff had apparently assigned emojis now.
👸🏽 = Ulyana
🤴🏽 = Rowan
One message read: "🤴🏽 literally looked at 👸🏽 like she invented happiness."
Another, "I'm sorry but this is the hottest corporate alliance Silvercrown has ever seen."
And another, "No because the tension in the executive lounge was INSANE."
Ulyana covered part of her face with her hand while laughing quietly to herself.
Eventually she closed the chats before things became even more ridiculous.
Unfortunately for her, the staff discussions only continued escalating afterward.
Now they had moved onto theories.
Conspiracy timelines.
Future engagement predictions.
And highly detailed fictional scenarios about how Rowan and Ulyana would eventually fall in love.
Which was ironic considering — None of them realised how dangerously close some of those guesses already were.
Ulyana worked through an incredibly busy next few days.
Meetings.
Approvals.
Data reviews.
Investor communications.
Public response projections.
The entire Nivasa Technology building had shifted into full launch preparation mode as the final stages of their newest release approached.
Eventually, it came time for the final review of everything.
The teaser promotion video.
The website advertisements.
The updated user interface rollout.
Ulyana gathered the entire PR and digital creative departments together for one last review meeting before public release.
And for perhaps the first time in a while the staff genuinely looked nervous.
The atmosphere inside the conference room felt noticeably tense as employees quietly settled into their seats with tablets and laptops in hand.
No one wanted to disappoint her.
Especially after the previous meeting.
Thomas in particular looked especially on edge while the revised promotional teaser loaded onto the large presentation screen.
Meanwhile, Ulyana sat calmly at the head of the table reviewing notes from her tablet.
Composed as always.
Though the slight softness lingering in her demeanor these past few days remained noticeable to the people who worked closest with her.
Eventually, she set her tablet down.
"Alright," she said professionally. "Let's review the final version."
Al, Sarah, and Thomas stood at the front of the conference room together.
All three looked slightly nervous despite how much work they had poured into the revisions over the past few days.
Carefully and professionally, they walked the department through each completed component.
The updated website interface.
The rollout system for existing users.
The customer communication flow.
The revised teaser campaign strategy.
Everything had been polished meticulously.
Even the confidence in their delivery had improved noticeably.
Finally, it came time for the promotional video.
The lights dimmed slightly as the two minute teaser began playing across the large presentation screen.
Cinematic visuals flooded the room.
Elegant transitions.
l
Sharp sound design.
The entire video carried the premium, sophisticated identity Nivasa Technology stood for.
And unlike before it felt human.
Intentional.
Alive.
By the time the teaser ended, the room sat in complete silence.
Not tense silence.
Anticipating silence.
Everyone looked toward Ulyana seated at the head of the table.
She remained quiet for several seconds while reviewing her notes. Then finally, she looked up. Ulyana was pleased.
"I have one note," she said calmly.
Immediately, all three standing at the front visibly stiffened again.
Ulyana's expression softened. "Relax."
The room blinked.
"You've done well."
The collective relief that swept through the conference room was almost physical.
Thomas nearly looked like he might collapse from the release of tension.
Sarah visibly smiled for the first time during the meeting.
Even Al exhaled quietly in relief.
Ulyana closed her tablet.
"This," she continued professionally, "is worthy of Nivasa."
And hearing that from her carried more weight than any award could have.
"Let's give recognition where it's deserved," Ulyana said as she set her tablet down.
Her gaze moved toward the teams seated throughout the conference room.
"Please give a hand to the Digital Creation team — Joseph, Nina, and Martin — alongside Al, Thomas, and Sarah, who worked tirelessly to elevate the quality of our campaign content."
Almost immediately, applause filled the room.
Not forced corporate politeness either.
Genuine appreciation.
Thomas looked especially stunned by the acknowledgment while Sarah tried unsuccessfully to hide her smile.
Once the applause settled, Ulyana continued.
"I also want to reiterate the importance of staying true to the Nivasa legacy."
The room quieted again.
"We are not a company built on shortcuts," she said firmly. "Our reputation exists because we care about quality, innovation, and user experience."
Her voice remained calm but carried naturally through the room.
"I hope all of us keep that in mind moving forward with future launches."
Several employees nodded immediately.
Then Ulyana glanced briefly toward the launch timeline displayed behind her.
"We now have two and a half weeks until launch day."
The atmosphere instantly shifted back into focus.
"Our IT, Digital Creation, and Customer Service teams have already been working tirelessly to ensure both our operational needs and our clients' expectations are fully met."
She folded her hands neatly together. "So from this point onward, I need everyone's best effort."
Her eyes swept across the room carefully.
"All hands on deck moving forward."
Somehow, rather than feeling pressured the room felt motivated.
Ulyana wrapped up the meeting on an unexpectedly positive note.
The tension that had filled the conference room earlier had completely disappeared now, replaced by relief, motivation, and genuine excitement for the launch ahead.
As employees began gathering their laptops and notes, conversations immediately sparked throughout the room.
Several staff members stopped to congratulate Thomas, Sarah, and the Digital Creation team personally before filtering back toward their departments.
Meanwhile, Ulyana remained near the front speaking briefly with Al and Lisa about rollout scheduling adjustments.
And almost instantly, the department group chats exploded back to life.
"Madam Vasily is genuinely one of the best leaders I've worked under."
"No because the way she corrected Thomas WITHOUT humiliating him???"
"She actually listens to people."
"I fear I'd fight for her in battle."
Another message appeared seconds later, "Also imagine Chairman Volkov seeing her lead like this…"
That reopened the floodgates immediately.
"No wonder he's obsessed."
"They're literally power couple goals."
"I still can't get over him calling her Angel."
"And the flowers."
"And the hand kiss."
"And the rumoured baseball date."
One employee dramatically typed: "If those two don't end up married I'll lose faith in romance."
Ironically, that message earned several laughing reactions from staff completely unaware that marriage was already being quietly arranged behind the scenes.
Meanwhile, sitting calmly at the front of the conference room, Ulyana absentmindedly glanced at the rapidly moving chats again through her synced system access.
A faint smile appeared on her face before she quietly closed the notifications once more.
Then she stood, straightened her blazer, and returned to work like the terrifyingly competent executive she was.