New Blood, Old Trouble

The office was unusually quiet for a Monday morning. The type of quiet that made Amara Zainal suspicious.

She adjusted her navy blazer, took a sip of her lukewarm coffee, and tapped her fingers on the desk. Something was off. The creative floor of Z&E Marketing was rarely this calm. Usually, someone would be yelling about deadlines, laughing over weekend gossip, or arguing over font sizes on a billboard ad.

Not today.

“HR said someone new’s joining the team today,” Sara whispered, appearing at her desk like a gossiping ghost. “Rumour is—he’s from the Singapore branch. Big brain. Big ego.”

Amara arched an eyebrow. “That narrows it down to… every strategist we’ve ever met.”

Sara leaned in. “Apparently, he’s good. Really good. Like, ‘the regional director personally recommended him’ kind of good.”

Amara didn’t look up from her screen. “Let me guess. Man in a suit. Thinks buzzwords are a personality trait?”

Sara smirked. “You’ll see.”

Before Amara could respond, the glass doors at the end of the hallway slid open with a soft whoosh.

And in he walked.

Tall. Confident. Perfectly pressed charcoal suit. Designer laptop bag slung over one shoulder. Hair styled with the kind of effort that looked effortless. He had the kind of walk that belonged to people who had never been told no.

Then she saw his face.

Her breath caught.

It couldn’t be.

Ethan Lee.

No. Freaking. Way.

The same Ethan Lee who had humiliated her during a cross-branch strategy workshop last year. The man who had taken one look at her pitch casually said “Bold idea. A little messy, though. Maybe next time.”

The same man who smiled through every condescending comment like he was doing her a favour.

Her fingers curled tighter around her mug. “Unbelievable.”

Ethan handed something to HR, then glanced around the room—and his eyes landed on her.

His expression shifted from neutral to amused in under a second.

“Good morning,” he said, flashing that infuriating half-smile as he approached.

“Well, well,” he drawled, stopping at her desk. “Didn’t expect to see you here, Amara.”

She rose slowly to her feet, every movement calm and controlled. “Trust you to show up uninvited. Again.”

He chuckled, and the sound made something twist in her stomach—whether from annoyance or something else, she didn’t want to examine too closely.

“I wasn’t uninvited. I was transferred. Surprise.”

Her stomach dropped further when she saw him place his laptop bag on the desk opposite hers.

No. Surely not.

“You’re joining my team?” she asked, trying to keep her voice even.

He leaned casually on the edge of the desk. “It’s our team now. Guess we’re going to be seeing a lot of each other.”

Sara, who had been silently observing, grinned like she’d been waiting her entire life for this kind of drama. “Ooooh, that’ll be fun.”

Amara sat down and opened her laptop without another word, trying to ignore the storm swirling in her chest.

She had worked too hard to let Ethan Lee—Ethan freaking Lee—waltz into her workspace, her territory, and act like he belonged here. Like they hadn’t spent three hours arguing in front of a regional director last year over campaign ethics and brand tone. Like he hadn’t smirked every time she opened her mouth.

“You look good,” he added casually, taking his seat. “Same fire. New blazer.”

“Still charming, I see,” she replied dryly. “Let me guess—you brought your own coffee machine?”

“No need,” he said, stretching. “I’ll just borrow yours.”

Amara turned her chair slightly away from him and stared at the wall for a moment, breathing deeply. There were worse things than having to work with an arrogant ex-rival… right?

Probably.

Maybe.

She glanced sideways. Ethan was already setting up his screen, acting like he hadn’t just upended her entire week.

Or month.

Or sanity.

---

Ten Minutes Later

“Okay, team,” came Puan Liyana’s voice, loud and commanding from the hallway. “Briefing room in five. Bring your brains.”

Amara stood and grabbed her notepad. Ethan followed a moment later, hands in his pockets, utterly unbothered.

They entered the meeting room side by side—yet worlds apart.

As the team filed in, Liyana gave them a tight smile. “Big news. We’ve just landed Aurora as a client. Regional skincare brand. High expectations, tight deadlines.”

A ripple of excitement buzzed through the room.

“And,” she continued, “I’ve assigned two leads for the campaign. A strategic duo.”

Amara already felt the dread forming in her chest.

“Amara Zainal,” Liyana said, smiling.

And then—

“Ethan Lee.”

The room went silent.

Amara blinked.

Ethan just smiled.

“I trust you two to bring firepower and finesse,” Liyana added, oblivious—or maybe very aware—of the tension. “You’re both brilliant. Just try not to kill each other.”

Someone snorted. Probably Sara.

Amara didn’t move.

Ethan leaned closer and whispered, “Looks like we’re partners now, Zainal.”

She didn’t look at him. “This won’t end well.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” he said, too softly. “I think this might be the beginning of something... explosive.”

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