Out of Ashes Into His Heart

"I was just getting some fresh air," Tom said with a smile. "Let me show you around my company."

I had imagined that, given his status, the military technology company he ran wouldn't be a small affair. But when we actually arrived at their lab, I realized my expectations were far too limited.

"This... This is military weaponry, right?" I couldn't help but gasp, my heartbeat quickening as I anxiously asked, "Isn't this a classified project? Shouldn't this be off-limits to outsiders?"

Although I wasn't an expert on military affairs, I had heard of confidentiality agreements before.

He looked at me for a moment and then smiled slowly. "You're not an outsider."

I quickly raised three fingers and swore. "I promise I won't tell anyone..."

Before I could finish, he took my fingers. "You don't need to swear."

His palm was warm and rough, and as our skin brushed against it, I felt a jolt of electricity pass through me.

I instinctively tried to pull my hand back, but he had already let go, flashing a casual smile. "Didn't you say you have a gift for me? Why haven't you taken it out yet?"

"Ah? Oh..."

I quickly opened my bag and handed him the carefully wrapped little box. "I hope you like it."

Tom opened the box and, when he saw the lighter inside, looked up, slightly surprised. "Did you pick this?"noveldrama

"Yeah." I felt a little nervous. "I didn't know what else to buy, but... I thought you might find it useful..."

"I really like it." He took the lighter and began to play with it. With a soft ding, a blue flame shot up, and his eyes gleamed as they reflected the light. "Thank you."

I let out a quiet sigh of relief. "I'm glad you like it."

He tucked the lighter into his pocket, his lips curling up in a smile, clearly in a good mood.

Seeing him this happy put my earlier anxieties to rest. I knew I hadn't chosen the wrong gift.

"Mr. White, is this your girlfriend? She's so beautiful!"

At that moment, someone in the lab suddenly spoke up, and the room was soon filled with voices teasing him.

I instinctively looked at Tom, hoping he would clarify things to his employees.

But he smirked and glanced at them quickly, smiling and saying, "It's none of your business. Get back to work!"

"Mr. and Mrs. White, may you have a lifetime of happiness!"

"May you have children soon!"

Hearing the increasingly outrageous comments, I could feel my face burning with embarrassment. The misunderstanding was growing larger by the second.

I wasn't sure if Tom was too lazy to explain or didn't realize the seriousness of the situation, but I knew it was important to clarify things.

I quickly raised my hands. "I'm not "

Before I could finish, I was interrupted again. "It's only a matter of time!" "Right!" someone chimed in.

"Hahaha!"

As the atmosphere grew lively, I desperately looked at Tom for help, but he seemed to ignore it, flashing a smile. "Don't argue with these guys. Let's go. I'll show you around more."

It wasn't until we left the lab that the noise from behind finally faded away.

As he continued to show me around, explaining various things, I started to worry that he might say something classified. Just as I was about to stop him, his phone vibrated in his pocket.

It was a call from Greg.

"Hello, what's up?"

But as soon as Tom answered the call, his smile quickly disappeared, replaced by a serious expression.

"Alright, I understand. We'll head over right now."

His face was tense when he ended the call, and I couldn't help but feel a tight knot

in my chest. I quickly asked, "What's going on? Is something wrong?"