The office hummed with the usual rhythm of tapping keyboards, ringing phones, and low murmur of conversation. But there was an undercurrent—a ripple in the water that no one could ignore. Gossip.
Raven Hale arrived at his desk with his usual exaggerated swagger, though today it was slightly subdued by the morning coffee incident. He had spent ten minutes perfecting the act of walking in without tripping over anything, only to almost collide with the janitor carrying a mop bucket. A dramatic bow later, and he was seated, smirking at the chaos he left behind.
Lila Moreno, on the other hand, was in a mild panic. She had spilled her coffee—twice—before even reaching her desk. The first cup was a casualty of nerves; the second, an accident when she tried to smooth her skirt in the elevator. Her co-workers, though sympathetic, watched her with fascination, whispering to one another about how the "demoness" could somehow still maintain her terrifying composure while juggling such disasters.
---
Raven noticed immediately. It wasn't difficult—he had eyes for details, especially when it came to Lila.
"Good morning," he said casually, leaning against the edge of her desk with an effortless charm. "I see the rumors were exaggerated. No rivers of coffee on the floor yet."
Lila's cheeks heated. "It's… it's just been a rough morning," she muttered, trying to gather her papers.
Raven smiled knowingly. "Rough morning, huh? Sounds like a perfect reason for… a coffee break with me."
Her eyes widened. Did he just…? Again?
Before she could protest, her phone buzzed with a message from a co-worker:
"He's coming over. Be nice… or everyone's watching."
Lila groaned inwardly. Of course. Of course he's coming over. And everyone is watching.
---
Raven slid into the chair across from her, uninvited yet somehow welcomed by sheer force of personality. "So," he began, leaning back with an exaggeratedly relaxed posture, "how's the most feared woman in the office handling her mortal enemies today?"
"Not… not well," Lila replied, biting her lip to suppress a smile. "But I'm surviving. Barely."
"You see, that's why I like you," Raven said seriously, though his eyes twinkled. "You survive. You endure. And yet…" He paused dramatically, pointing at her with one finger. "…you secretly enjoy it."
Lila felt her face grow hotter. Secretly enjoy it? Did he mean… her interactions with him? No, she told herself, calm down. It's just office banter. Just banter.
---
As they exchanged teasing remarks, a small tragedy struck—a minor catastrophe that would become legendary in office lore.
Raven, leaning too far back, accidentally knocked over Lila's coffee cup. The dark liquid splashed across her papers and keyboard, narrowly missing the edge of her laptop.
"Oh my—" Lila exclaimed, jumping up to save the remaining pile of documents.
Raven's eyes widened. "I—uh—I swear I didn't mean to—"
Before he could finish, Lila froze. This is it. My moment of doom. She grabbed a stack of papers, but in her rush, a sheet slipped and floated down to the floor like a snowflake in slow motion.
And in that moment, every co-worker within a five-meter radius turned to witness the scene.
Whispered gasps: "She's going to explode!"
Excited murmurs: "Oh my god, he spilled her coffee!"
Someone muttered: "Finally, drama in Department D."
Lila's face flushed bright red, but she refused to scold him. Somehow, she couldn't bring herself to do it.
Raven, ever the smooth operator, grabbed a few napkins and began helping her clean up. "See?" he said softly, "Not so bad when you have help."
Help… from him? Lila's heart stuttered.
---
Once the disaster was contained, they both sat down, trying to regain composure. And of course, the coworkers' whispers didn't stop:
"Did you see how he helped her?"
"She's smiling at him!"
"I think the coffee spill was intentional."
"No, impossible—he's too clumsy!"
Inside, Lila's thoughts were a whirlwind. Intentional? Clumsy? Why is he still… perfect? And why do I feel… happy?
Raven, noticing her flustered expression, grinned. "You know, if this keeps happening, we might need a cleanup crew just for our coffee adventures."
"You're impossible," Lila muttered, though the corner of her mouth betrayed a smile.
---
Later in the day, as the office quieted, a subtle game of glances and stolen smiles began.
During meetings, their eyes would meet across the room, holding for a fraction too long before Lila looked away.
In the hallway, they would brush past each other, pretending to be casual while hearts raced.
Even small emails contained hints of teasing, playful challenges, and inside jokes.
And all the while, the gossip continued to spread. By afternoon, the office had a new mantra: "Heaven and Hell finally found each other."
---
By the time the day ended, Raven and Lila had survived spilled coffee, papers flying, awkward stares from coworkers, and subtle flirtation.
Walking to the elevator together, they exchanged a quiet, genuine laugh—one that was completely theirs, no coworkers involved.
"You know," Raven said, leaning against the elevator wall, "for someone who's supposed to be terrifying, you're surprisingly… fun."
Lila's breath caught. "Fun?" she repeated. "I'm… terrifying and fun?"
He smiled, eyes softening just a fraction. "Exactly. That's why you're interesting."
And with that, the elevator doors closed, leaving them in shared silence, hearts quietly racing, and the office buzzing behind them.
---End of Chapter 4---