The driver watched in the rearview mirror as Susan ordered him back to the company. To him, it looked like a woman who couldn't stay away from the man she claimed to hate.

Inside the quiet office building, Callie stared at Susan in disbelief. Susan cleared her throat, offering a flimsy excuse about "unfinished work" before heading toward Manuel’s private office.

She knocked, but there was no answer. Pushing the door open, she found a sight she had never seen before: Manuel Johnson, the man who worked like a machine, was fast asleep at his desk.

The sight of his exhaustion melted her anger instantly. She tiptoed in, draped a blanket over his shoulders, and tucked him in. She decided to wait on the sofa for him to wake up, but the rhythmic sound of his breathing and her own lack of sleep soon took their toll.

She drifted off, and the dreams came—vivid, heat-soaked, and impossibly real. In the dream, she could feel his breath against her skin, the weight of a kiss that felt like more than a memory.

Susan’s eyes snapped open. Manuel was standing over her, his face a mask of cold professionalism.

"Time to wake up and leave," he said.

Susan scrambled to sit up, her heart racing. She felt flushed, terrified that her "erotic" dream had left some visible trace on her face. Manuel turned his back to her, and for a fleeting second, his hand brushed his own lips, as if wiping away a sensation.

It was just a dream, Susan told herself, trying to ignore the tingling on her lips. I’m just... frustrated.

She followed him out to the elevators, trying to regain her composure. As they descended, she finally broached the subject.

"Let Henry join your project team," she said, her voice regaining its edge. "He’s capable, and he deserves the chance. I’ve talked to my father, and he said it’s up to you. Don't let our personal history get in the way of professional talent."

Manuel remained silent, his gaze fixed on the elevator doors. His coldness only made Susan's temper flare.

"Are you even listening to me?" she roared as the doors slid open. "I said, let Henry join your team!"

Manuel finally glanced at her, his eyes unreadable. He knew what Henry was. He knew Susan was being used. But more than that, he knew what had actually happened on that sofa while she was "dreaming."