Corporate life sucks.

Endless projects, ticket raising, error corrections, coding marathons, meetings that stretched for hours, project presentations, client meetings. It was a cycle that never stopped. And honestly I was already done with it.

This morning, the moment I stepped into the office, HR greeted our team with an earful of colorful words strung together like an art form of frustration. She even cursed our ancestors for passing down some traits from them.

Today was the project deadline. Not that it mattered. We had already completed and delivered it to the client. But the lecture was for the next project.

Mrs. Rosali-our HR. She had a knack for making us feel like we were crawling at a snail's pace. Apparently, we were the slowest team. We, on the other hand, liked to believe we were prioritizing the quality of our code. A little self-assurance never hurts.

Meanwhile, Zayne had taken Asher out for the entire weekend-Saturday and Sunday. In just two days, he had completely transformed Asher's room. Every inch of it. A new bed, closets, shelves, rugs-hell, even his bathroom furniture had been replaced. Everything was modern, sleek, and easy for Asher to access.

And while the change was overwhelming, a quiet relief settled in me when Zayne mentioned he'd be staying in Manhattan for a week. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

For a week, he would be the one picking Asher up from school instead of the nanny.

Asher must be happy. And that was all I needed.

Another client was scheduled to visit today.

Our team, along with the other, had already been pulled into a new project. A big one, according to Mrs. Rosali. Twelve members in total-six from each team.

And, unsurprisingly, Wren was assigned as the Team Lead. Again.

I nearly laughed when they announced the team lineup and his name as the leader. That man was always on edge-like he lived in a perpetual state of mood swings. If emotional instability were a full-time job, he'd be employee of the year.

We were used to it. We had built an immunity. But the new members were in for some mini cardiac attacks.

"I need coffee. I need my coffee. Now."

Wren's nervousness was almost comical. His pacing, the way his fingers twitched, the desperation in his voice-it was like watching a man on the verge of a meltdown.

"Chill, dude. You're giving me a headache," Freya groaned, rubbing her temples as if she could physically block out his anxious energy.

After the team-up announcement, the three of us had made our way to the cafeteria. The moment HR declared Wren as the TL, his emotions had gone through the roof. I could understand being nervous-this was a big project. But the way his legs trembled and his words stumbled, you'd think he was being sent to war.

I shoved a cup of coffee into his hands, watching as he took an eager sip-only to jolt back, his face twisting in agony.

"Are you trying to kill me, Eva?" he rasped.

Well, to be fair, the coffee was scorching hot. But something had to snap him out of his mood swings, So I didn't give him any warning. Now, his tongue flicked out, trying to soothe the burn, his lips parting like a snake tasting the air.

"Maybe," I said casually, taking a slow, sipping of my own coffee.

Freya chuckled and patted my shoulder. "Thanks."

We had been in the same team since I first joined this company. Over time, we had blended into a chaotic yet well-oiled unit. We didn't need new members-we functioned just fine in our own dysfunctional way.

Not that the other teams wanted us anyway.

Everyone knew about our so-called slow mechanism. Let them talk. Let them struggle with their new recruits.

While they scrambled to adjust, we stayed in our little, dysfunctional bubble-chilling, working, and thriving in our own perfectly messed-up way.

"The new project is from the Lancasters." Wren's voice held an edge of unease. "That's why I'm being like this. The Lancasters. If it were any other client, I couldn't care less. But them..." His words trailed off, his fingers tapping anxiously against the coffee cup.

See, this was exactly why we were the snails of our company. We never rushed. Never cared too much about the clients. We dragged projects to the last possible second, not out of laziness, but because finishing early was a nightmare in itself.

Submit before the deadline-Congratulations, you just opened the floodgates. Clients would pour in an avalanche of last-minute changes, some so absurd they defied the laws of logic. And when those changes didn't work, They wanted the original version back, as if we were magicians who could snap our fingers and undo time. Or worse-come up with modifications that only God could implement. Or God even couldn't.

Clients. Morons, Didn't even know how the code works but they were trying to give us ideas like we're just elementary school kids, try this, try that. Do this, do that as if everything came too easy. God, they didn't even know what they wanted. I was being silent just because they were the source of our income.

IT. PEOPLE. PROBLEMS.

I blinked at the name. "Lancasters?"

"Yes. This project is a personal one for Roman Lancaster," Wren explained.

My ex-brother-in-law. Not that anyone could know. They all knew I was divorced, but who I had divorced remained a secret until now.

"They're the kings of the IT industry. Why would they choose us?" Freya asked, voicing the obvious question.

"HR said it's about the partnership," Wren continued, waving his hands around like an animated TED Talk speaker. Perfect TL material. "Our company is in talks for a partnership with Phoenix Prime Inc.-and this project is their way of testing us. They want to see if we meet their standards."

Freya scoffed, shaking her head. "So, basically, we're being evaluated like school kids? Our company needs to prove itself worthy? Petty."

I sighed, but Freya was already on a roll.

"Eva, Eva-did you know the men of the Lancaster family are ridiculously perfect? I saw Roman Lancaster in magazines and on the news. God, he's so handsome. What if he meets my criteria?" Her eyes gleamed as she floated off into her delusional dreamland.

"He's married," I said, my voice deliberately quiet. Roman might have been my ex-brother-in-law, but I had no intention of throwing his dignity to the wolves.

"Who cares?" she huffed, flipping her hair. "If he likes me, he can divorce her."

I stared at her, unimpressed. Did she even know the wrath of Lyra? That woman would slaughter anyone who so much as glanced in Roman's direction.

"He has a child," I pressed, hoping to knock some sense into her.

"Love has no restrictions, Eva," she sighed dreamily, cupping her cheeks and gazing at the ceiling as if the heavens would bless her with a Lancaster husband.

I raised a brow. If Freya wanted to meet her untimely end at Lyra's hands, who was I to stop her?

"If he doesn't work out, I'll just set my sights on his brother. If I get the chance," she mused, already planning her next move.

My stare turned into a glare.

Was she seriously talking about Zayne?

"Freya, you already have a long line of men who got dumped by you-confused as hell about why it even happened. Maybe focus on them first? Give them their answers. Then we can talk about the Lancasters," I said, trying to keep my temper in check.

She rolled her eyes, completely unfazed. "I'm on a mission. No one can stop me." She shrugged.

Ladies, can we please focus? We have actual problems-like the Lancaster project," Wren cut in, exasperated.

"I'm out of this," I muttered and walked out of the cafeteria.

Why the hell was everyone so fixated on Zayne? Someone was going to get killed by me. I was sure of that.

When I entered the production room, my team was already there-the other three from my wonderfully fucked-up group. Skye, Riley, and Peyton. As usual, they were just chilling at their workstations while Wren was off somewhere handling his breakdown.

I dropped into my chair, leaned back, and let out a slow breath.

"How's our TL doing?" Riley asked, probably noticing the irritation on my face. Maybe I looked exhausted, but honestly, I was just fuming inside.

We had a brief window of peace before this project devoured us. Might as well enjoy it.

In my team, there were three men and three women. The guys already knew about Freya's endless hunt for a man to settle down with, so they had mastered the art of staying silent whenever she brought it up. My team men are trained. Because they didn't want to end up her next victim.

"Not much," I said lazily, tilting my head back against the headrest. Then, with a sigh, I added, "Freya wants one of the Lancasters."

Peyton and Skye reacted immediately, raising their eyebrows in unison.

"She wants who?" Peyton didn't even try to hide his shock.

"Tell her we wish her good luck getting killed by them," Skye chuckled.

"They're married, right?" Peyton asked.

"One is married. The other's divorced," Riley corrected.

I simply spun my chair around and turned to my screen, deciding this conversation wasn't worth my energy.

Later that day, Wren walked out of the conference room looking like he had just seen a ghost. His face was pale, his movements stiff, as if he had been thrown into a battlefield unarmed. Given the people inside that room, I wasn't surprised.

The meeting had all the important figures-senior developers, HR, the project manager, the lead developer, the QA lead, and a few department heads.

But what made it more nerve-wracking was the presence of Rowan Harrington, our company's CEO. That was enough to tell me how serious this project was. If he was personally involved-it was a potential turning point for the company.

Despite the tension, everyone else walked out of the room looking normal. Everyone except Wren, who looked like he was ready to hand in his resignation. That guy seriously needed a vacation once this project was over.

Before I could ask him what the hell had happened, the conference room door opened again. A familiar figure stepped out. Roman Lancaster.

That was unexpected. Roman rarely made direct appearances for projects like these-he usually had his secretary handle everything. If he was here personally, it meant the stakes were even higher than I thought.

Just as I was about to turn away, another person followed him out.

Zayne?

My breath hitched for a second. What the fuck was he doing here?

More importantly...where was Asher?

Did that bastard not pick him up from school? My eyes darted to my watch, and irritation flared up inside me. It was almost time. If Asher ended up waiting because of him, I would personally deal with Zayne later.

Before I could fully process my frustration, Freya's hands grabbed me, shaking me like a lunatic. "Eva, Eva... Look at them! Don't they look handsome?" She practically squealed in my ear.

I let out a long, exhausted sigh. "Someone please take me away from her. I can't handle this right now."

"You need to calm down, Freya," Riley said, patting her head as if she were a child throwing a tantrum.

Freya, of course, didn't listen. Her eyes were still glued to Roman and Zayne, practically drooling at the sight of them. Mine, however, stayed only on Zayne.

Not that he noticed. He didn't stop to acknowledge anyone. Instead, he strode straight for the exit, his expression unreadable. His hurried steps told me he was probably on his way to pick up Asher. He better be.

Roman, on the other hand, lingered behind. He walked beside Mr. Rowan, engaged in what seemed like an important discussion about the project. Their voices faded as they moved toward the CEO's office, leaving the rest of us standing there in the aftermath of the meeting.

"Did your dad pick you up on time?" I asked Asher as I pulled off his clothes, scooping him up in my arms before heading to the bathroom.

He nodded eagerly. "Daddy told me that he's going to stay here for a long time." He stretched his little arms wide as if to show just how long.

I froze mid-step. "What?"

Asher blinked up at me, tilting his head. "What, Mommy?"

I crouched down to his level, eyes narrowing slightly. "Your dad said what?"

"He's going to stay here for a long time this time. He said he got a job here," Asher repeated, wiggling in my arms.

I twisted the bathroom knob and walked in, my mind stuck on his words. A job here? That meant Zayne was involved in the project too.

I exhaled sharply. He'd kill me in the meantime.

Setting Asher down in the bathtub, I turned on the water. He clapped his hands and slapped the surface, giggling as the ripples splashed around him.

"Mommy, shall we go out?" he asked suddenly, his big brown eyes filled with hope.

I raised an eyebrow. "Out? Where, Muffin?"

"I don't know. Somewhere." He shrugged, giving me that look-the one I could never say no to.

I sighed dramatically, then smiled. "I can't say no when you ask me like that. Alright, let's go somewhere tomorrow."

His entire face lit up. "Mommy, shall we take Daddy with us?"

My hands stilled for a fraction of a second before I resumed washing him. "Did your daddy tell you to ask me this?"

He shook his head quickly. "No. My friends told me they were going out with their mommy and daddy. But I never go out with both of you." His little lips formed a pout.

Something in my chest clenched.

"Okay, Ash. Let's take your dad with us." I flicked some water at him playfully.

He squealed with laughter, splashing me back.

Asher rarely asked for anything. He was an easygoing kid, never demanding, never whining-unless it was something truly important to him, unlike he asked Zayne literally everything he saw. And when he did ask for something, I couldn't bring myself to deny him.

This is going to be a disaster.

Zayne and I couldn't be in the same space for too long without something happening.

And with his relentless flirting? I already felt the headache forming.

A few hours later, I picked up my phone and sent Zayne a text.

Me: "Are you free tomorrow evening?"

It didn't take long for my phone to chime with his reply.

Zayne: "Missed me, Tigress?"

I stared at the screen and instantly regretted my life decisions. Why did I even bother? I frowned and decided to ignore his usual bullshit.

Me: "Asher wanted to go out somewhere."

Straight to the point. No room for his games.

Zayne: "Get him ready tomorrow evening. I'll take him out"

I let out a slow sigh. It was always like this. I took Asher out. Zayne took Asher out. But always separately. Never together. And maybe... maybe that was the problem.

Rubbing my temple, I hesitated before typing my response.

Me: "No. He wanted..."

I stopped midway, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. Closing my eyes for a second, I took a deep breath before finishing the message.

Me: "...us to take him out."

The moment I hit send, I stared at the screen, waiting. Seconds passed. Then minutes. No reply.

Just as I exhaled and was about to toss my phone aside, it vibrated.

Zayne: "If you want me to spend time with you, you can ask me directly, Eva.😉"

I scowled. This was exactly why I was already done with this bastard.

With an irritated sigh, I threw my phone onto the couch and leaned back against the backrest, trying to shove the annoyance out of my head.

Then another notification. I turned my head lazily, catching a glimpse of his next text.

Zayne: "Text me the time. I'll clear my schedule. If you don't wanna text, then call me.I don't mind hearing your voice."

I closed my eyes, exhaustion creeping in. Him. This life. Everything fucking sucks.

And then, like a cursed reminder, Freya's face popped into my head. That woman really had the nerve to plan to make a move on Zayne.

I shook my head, forcing the thought away.

Maybe tomorrow, I'd deal with everything. But not tonight.