Idaâs eyes turned frosty. âAlright, I donât think youâre the type to overstep your boundaries. Now that you know I have plans with someone else, you should be on your way.â
Byran raised an eyebrow as his long legs took a casual stance on her desk. âWhat if I decide not to leave?â
Ida frowned; only moments ago she was praising his maturity, and now he was acting like a petulant little lord.
âIf you donât want to leave, then feel free to stay! Iâll lend you my office and be on my way!â
With that, Ida rose from her seat, swiftly donning her coat and preparing to leave. Her stomach growled; she didnât have time to deal with him. After grabbing a bite to eat, she imagined he would be gone.
To her surprise, he stood and quickly intercepted her exit.
A flicker of annoyance crossed Idaâs face. âWhat are you up to now? I have a date to get to. Itâs not polite to keep people waiting, and I donât make a habit of tardiness.â
Blocking her path, Byran closed in, forcing her to retreat step by step.
Ida felt a threatening aura from him. âByran, didnât you boast that youâve grown up over the past three years? A mature man wouldnât act as childishly as you are now and block someoneâs way!â
Only when he had her cornered against the wall, his arms forming a barrier around her, did he speak.
âDo you really believe there are mature men in this world? Every man is childish in front of a woman heâs interested in.â
Ida paused. âSo, youâre saying youâre interested in me?â
Unabashedly, Byran tilted her chin up. âOf course! If I werenât interested in you, why would I seek you out to reminisce?â
His words were teasing and suggestive, yet his tone was far from serious. It was unlike the passionate, honest young man he was three years ago.
Regaining her composure, Ida smiled calmly. âIâm truly honored, Byran. I didnât realize youâve been pining for me all this time.â
Byran held her chin firmly. âIndeed! You should feel honored. I donât easily take an interest in women.
Arenât you going to regret just walking away?â
Ida tried to turn her head to shake off his grip, but she failed. He was too strong.
âByran, itâs not that I donât value your company, but thereâs a queue. Iâve already made plans with someone else.â
She said this deliberately.
Byran remained unfazed. âYou could always stand him up. After all, you arenât exactly reliable. Didnât you often stand me up in the past?â
Ida was at a loss for words. She hadnât taken him seriously back then and would often forget their plans, leaving him high and dry.
He certainly held a grudge since he brought it up now.
Todayâs meeting is different. The person Iâm meeting is very important, so I canât stand him up. Byran, could you please do me a favor and let me go?! promise to make plans with you another day.â
She didnât want to continue this conversation with him, but he was stronger than he used to be, and she couldnât break free.
Byran frowned. âNo way! Today is the day! I want to catch up with you today. If you have other important people to meet, thatâs your business.â