Gu Cheng recovered first, darting forward to press the call button, but the elevator was already moving downward.

"I like that girl," Gu Heping smiled and knocked his cane on the ground with a thump. Mo Ye stared at him incredulously. "What? She is fiery like my wife was."

Gu Cheng scowled at him and hit the button again. "You may have just ruined your chance at great grandkids."

"Ah, that is the girl that you like? She is prettier than Su Yin. Why are you not dating her already?"

"Because she is not interested in me yet. Weren't you just insulting her, and now you want me to date her?" Gu Cheng crossed his arms and tapped his fingers on his bicep impatiently. Mo Ye nodded at his words, then looked back quickly at his boss. It was the first time that he openly admitted to liking Joseph Zaria.

"Enh, I thought she was just another one of those brainless girls that follow you around. And weren't you listening to her when she was yelling at me?" Gu Heping sat down at the little desk with a sigh. "I called her names, but she did not yell at me about that. She yelled at me for being mean to you."

Gu Cheng paused and looked back at his grandfather. "That is just the kind of person she is. She doesn't worry about herself. She does not see me in that way. "

His grandfather snorted dismissively. "So much like your grandmother. She would fight with me so much I thought her hair would catch fire. She didn't realize her feelings for a long time either."

The elevator arrived. Gu Cheng turned to enter. Mo Ye stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Boss, a moment, please. It is possible that Miss Joseph will be less than willing to see anyone with the surname Gu right now." He held up a hand calmly when the air temperature dropped suddenly. "Sir, you have been... taking out your frustration on her all afternoon. It might be better if I take her home and let her cool down before you talk to her again."

Gu Cheng stared at the buttons on the inside of the elevator and then stepped out with a scowl. "Fine. Go."

"Yes, CEO Gu." Mo Ye took his place in the elevator and pressed the button to close the doors while pulling out his phone. As the doors slid shut, the two men could hear him speaking to Zaria through it already.

"Why did your assistant say you were being mean to her all day? No wonder she ran away."

"She ran because she didn't want to get fired for beating up my grandfather," Gu Cheng responded, shaking his head. "I didn't realize I was being that awful, but I guess I was."

After a quick stop at the kitchenette, the two men walked back into the large office of glass and metal. Gu Cheng placed a bottle of water on the table in front of the couch in the meeting area for his grandfather, and sat down with his own bottle. "If it wasn't for you tricking me into another marriage meeting, I wouldn't have been in a bad mood."

"I want my grandson to be happy. If love doesn't come until after the marriage, then so be it. You will never get married if I leave it up to you. Just get her to sleep with you, and then you can marry her to take responsibility."

"Grandpa!"

"What? I am getting old and want to meet my great grandchild."

Gu Cheng raised his water bottle to his lips, his throat suddenly parched. He thought about the scent of coconut that tickled his nose when she leaned past his shoulder to read the document earlier that day. She had become increasingly weary of being too close to him, and the effects of those rare moments became even more potent. If it wasn't for the way her breath would catch when they got too close, and how her eyes would linger on him when she thought he wasn't looking, he could almost believe that she was not affected by him at all and that it was one sided. But being attracted to someone was far from having feelings for them. "Just apologize to her and then stay out of it. She will be my wife eventually, unless you mess it up."

He knew that it would not be so easy. The old man was probably already planning something with his sly mind. Despite his harsh words and demeanor, he was a good-hearted man, and he just wanted his children and grandchildren to be happy. Not many scions of top families would be allowed to choose whomever they wanted to marry, no matter their background. It was only because his oldest grandson was never even rumored to be interested in anyone, even when surrounded by starlets and women throwing themselves at him all day, that he was worried. As long as the woman was not just after his grandson for his money, he didn't care what family she came from. He didn't want to be long in the grave by the time it happened, though, so he had begun to take matters into his own hands. Gu Heping took out his phone and sent a message to the butler of the family home, telling him to look into his grandson's new assistant.

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"Grandpa..." Gu Cheng said in a warning tone.

"What? I won't set you up on any more dates."

The two men spent another hour in the office with its austere furnishings, talking about things other than Gu Cheng's love life. They discussed future plans for the business and possible projects on the horizon. Gu Heping was not interested in forcing his opinions on the business, and Gu Cheng was not offended by the interest expressed.

"And you think that your brother will be capable of taking over the businesses?" he asked for the hundredth time in the last six months.

"Yes, Grandpa, I do. This is not the life that I want, but I wouldn't risk everything you built and give the reins to someone who was not ready. He will listen to the advice of both you and Mo Ye, but he has a good head on his shoulders, and I think he will do a good job. I will stay for a while more until he is comfortable, and then I will step back. I will keep the position of CEO until he is ready, but it will only be in name since he will be the president and running everything." Gu Cheng sighed and rolled his shoulders.

"You know I want you to take over as Chairman when that happens. I am getting too old, and I want to enjoy my final years in peace."

"I know. And as long as my future wife doesn't mind, then I will do that." A small smile flitted across his lips at the thought of being ordered around by the petite woman who controlled every thought in his mind.

They sat in silence for a few minutes until his grandfather stood up with a groan. "I have other things to do, and so do you. Don't work that girl this weekend. Let her have time off. And apologize to her. Women like a strong man, but they need to feel cared for as well."

"I know, Grandpa." Gu Cheng walked the older man to the elevator, sighing when the doors slid shut behind him. He turned back toward the quiet waiting area and walked to the empty desk in front of his office door. Sitting in the soft chair, he pulled out his phone and thought for a while about the wording before sending out

"I'm sorry."

There was no response, not that he expected one, but there was hope. The rest of the day, he checked his phone every few minutes in case there was a reply. Mo Ye returned, speaking a few encouraging words before heading to his office to catch up on his work. Shortly before 6 p.m., a message came through, and he smiled despite its chilly tone.

"There is no need for CEO Gu to apologize to me. I am sorry for leaving work early today. I can come in tomorrow to make up the time."

His finger hovered over the screen, itching to place the call. Hesitating another minute, he slid the phone into his pocket and closed down his computer, organizing his desk and locking everything down. The elevator trip down to the parking garage was stuttered, stopping on nearly every floor as people filed in to leave for the weekend. Before they were halfway to the bottom, the doors were opening and closing with no room inside to let on more. With the new normal this last month, Gu Cheng looked forward to the evening ride down since Zaria would end up closer than usual due to the crowded space. Alone, it was frustrating. Too many people too close, even if his employees were trying to create a bubble of space around him for his comfort. Not for the first time, he wondered what was special about the little assistant that he did not mind her being close, and actually wanted her closer.

His eyes drifted shut when he slid into the driver seat of his black suv. Everything was too quiet.

"Chiu Leong." He growled into the air. If his old friend had not warned her about being casual with others, he was sure that their relationship would be further along already. It was hard to progress when she was so adamant that they needed a professional distance. A month was already past, and something was telling him that if he didn't break through soon, it would be too late.

The engine started with a purr, a beep alerting him that his seat belt was not yet fastened. While he ruminated, the garage emptied, and there were only a few vehicles besides his own left. He wondered if it had been long enough that Zaria would be less angry.

Warm, early summer sunshine shone through the windows of the lonely car, the seats filling the air with the smell of warm leather. Every other night, it would have brought with it the faint smell of coconut. He scowled at its absence. How could someone who he didn't even know a month and a half before cause such a disruption just by existing?

Traffic was barely moving thanks to the Friday evening rush. While stuck at an intersection less than 2 km from the apartment building, Gu Cheng picked up his phone and opened his messages again.

"Have you eaten already? If not, please have dinner with me. I am cooking tonight."

Before he could change his mind, he hit send. His grandfather might be right. It might be time to be less subtle.

Only a minute later, "I can't make you cook for me. I can make your dinner when you get home."

"You aren't making me do anything. I will come by after I shower."

A smile slipped onto his face, and his fingers tapped excitedly on the wheel the rest of the way to the apartment. Gu Cheng hurried through his shower, taking no time to linger under the warm spray before getting out and carefully picking an outfit. A soft gray short sleeved shirt that he knew she liked, as evidenced by her tendency to stare when he wore it while she was making dinner, and a comfortable pair of black slacks went on. As he slid on a pair of loafers to go and pick her up from her apartment, he ran his fingers back through his hair and smoothed the smile from his lips. He walked down the short hallway and pressed the bell on her door. Never before had he tried to pursue someone openly. He was satisfied just behaving so that she would pay attention to him and be on her mind most days. He found that he was nervous. It was time to see if Grandpa Gu was right. If Zaria did feel something more than just normal employee feelings, he was sure to know by the end of the night.