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Kimberly's POV
I stood outside his office door, frozen. I'd been standing here for over five minutes, unable to bring myself to knock. My palms were sweaty, and my legs felt like they didn't belong to me. Just then, Mrs. Jane walked past.
"Let me guess," she said, raising an eyebrow. "You're having a hard time with Mr. Andy."
I nodded. I couldn't even open my mouth — fear had sealed it shut.
"I'll let you in," she said, giving me a look like she could see straight through me. Then she walked to the door and knocked three sharp times.
"Thank me later," she whispered before walking away, leaving me ten times more anxious.
The door creaked as I opened it and stepped inside.
He was there — sitting like a storm behind his desk, eyes locked on me.
"Why are you late?"
"I... er…" My voice betrayed me. I could barely speak.
"I told you 1 p.m."
"I was… trying to finish something," I stammered, my whole body trembling.
"Do I look stupid to you?" His voice was calm but razor-sharp.
"No ma'am," I whispered, eyes glued to my shoes.
"Ma'am?" he repeated.
"No—sir! Please forgive me, sir," I said quickly, panicked.
He leaned back in his chair, exhaling.
"Kimberly, if you don't start getting serious, this company will fall apart. If this job is too much, say so. I've got applications piling up."
"No, sir!" I blurted, finally meeting his eyes for a brief moment. It felt like lightning — just two seconds, but enough to burn through me. I looked away just as quickly.
"Sir, you asked me to come in early… I did. I even called your line multiple times, but no one picked up. And still, I haven't been assigned anything. I'm trying," I said, my voice small but honest.
Silence.
The kind that stretches too long, heavy and suffocating. My head started pounding. The room spun. I closed my eyes just for a second—
Then everything went dark.
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Andy's POV
I was watching her, trying to stay cold — trying to be a boss. But the truth? I was overcompensating. She was trembling, and still, she had the guts to speak up. I felt something twist in me.
I was about to rise, maybe even apologize.
But then she collapsed.
"Kimberly!!" I shouted, louder than I'd ever meant to. Panic struck like thunder. I rushed around the desk and dropped to my knees beside her. She was unconscious.
In that moment, I didn't care about pride, image, or control. I carried her out in my arms — past the stunned eyes of the entire staff.
"She passed out!" someone gasped.
"It's like those werewolf stories on Webnovel!" another whispered as I brushed past.
But I didn't care.
I drove like a madman straight to the hospital.
---
Later, at the hospital...
"She's okay," the doctor said. "Just stress and exhaustion. She needs food, sleep, and peace."
"Thank you," I said, finally breathing.
The doctor smiled. "Are you her boyfriend? Or brother?"
"I'm her boyfriend," I replied without thinking — and for the first time in a while, I smiled.
---
Kimberly's POV
"She brought me to the hospital?" I said aloud, chuckling softly. "I thought she didn't have a heart."
I tried to mimic her voice: "Don't call me ma'am. I'm not a woman, I'm a man."
Just then, the door creaked open.
My heart stopped.
She'd heard me.
Her eyes pinned me to the bed like nails.
"I-I'm sorry… ma—sir," I fumbled, fear prickling across my skin.
She walked toward me and sat beside me.
"I'm sorry," she said softly.
My chest tightened.
"I shouldn't have pushed you so hard. I just… wanted to see you succeed."
I blinked. "I'm not angry, sir. Thank you for taking care of me."
He brushed his fingers through my hair and stood up.
"Get dressed. I'll be waiting outside."
Did… did she just apologize?
I should've recorded that!
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Andy's POV
I leaned against the car, staring at my reflection in the side mirror. What the hell was I doing?
Why does she keep calling me a woman?
I know what I am. But I don't feel like one. I don't live like one. I just… want her to see me. See me. The man who's falling for her like a damn fool.
She walked out, and I swear, the world stopped. Her smile, the way she held herself — it burned into my memory like a brand.
"Can I take you somewhere?" I asked, not even knowing where the words came from.
"If you want to," she said, a shy smile tugging at her lips.
I hit the gas.
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Kimberly's POV
We drove for a while until he finally stopped.
A garden. Stunning. Alive.
The sight of it pulled a string deep in me — memories of my mom, her garden, her smile, her laugh. A tear slipped down my cheek before I even knew it.
"What's wrong?" he asked, gentle.
I wiped my face quickly. "Nothing. It's beautiful. That's all."
"You really like it?" he said, a rare grin lighting his face.
"I do."
"I always come here," he said. "When I'm sad. When I'm happy. When I need to feel… real."
"I get that," I said. "It feels like a place you can just… be."
I pointed at a red flower. "That one's my favorite."
"Wait here," he said, already halfway into the garden.
"What are you doing?" I laughed as he moved carefully between the flowers.
"Just wait."
He returned with the red bloom in hand, standing in front of me like he was about to give a speech.
"I want to tell you something, Kimberly."
"Yes, sir?"
Stop calling me sir, I could see the words dance behind his eyes.
"I love you," he said. "I've loved you since the moment our eyes met. I want something real with you. I'll treat you like a queen. I'll—"
"Mr. Andy…" My head spun. What was happening?
"You're my boss. How can you be in love with me?"
"How can I not?" he asked, stepping closer. "Have you looked at yourself? You're everything a man could ever want."
"But… you're not a man. Or are you?"
He went silent. I saw something crack behind his eyes.
"So what if I'm not?" he said, voice raw. "Do you think this is easy for me? Do you think I chose this? Kimberly, I don't look like a woman, and I don't feel like one. I've loved you since day one."
"I… I can't," I said. "What will people say?"
He stepped back, the flower dropping from his hand.
"So, you don't feel anything?"
"I…"
Before I could finish, he grabbed me — hands firm around my waist, one behind my neck — and kissed me.
Hard. Desperate. Real.
And I froze.
Everything about it felt wrong — but also so right.
When I found the strength, I pushed him back.
"Stop."
He stared at me, breath heavy. "Is it because I wasn't born with a manhood?"
I looked at him.
This powerful, broken, beautiful man.
And then I kissed him — fiercely, desperately.
Wrapping my arms around his neck, I whispered against his lips.
"I love you too."
---
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Andy's POV
Her lips on mine were soft, trembling. But they stayed.
Her arms were around my neck, clinging to me like I was something she didn't want to lose. And those words — "I love you too" — they echoed in my head like a sacred song.
I held her there for a few seconds longer, my hand still resting gently on her waist, afraid that letting go would make it all disappear.
But she pulled back slightly, her eyes searching mine.
"Are you okay?" she asked, almost in a whisper.
"I don't know," I said honestly, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I don't even know what just happened. But I've never felt something so real in my life."
She smiled softly and looked down, but I could see her cheeks flush pink.
"I didn't plan to fall for my boss," she mumbled.
I chuckled, stepping back to give her space. "And I didn't plan to fall for someone who makes me forget I'm supposed to be heartless."
We stood in silence, the wind carrying the scent of the flowers between us.
Then she said it — the thing I'd been waiting to hear.
"Andy…" Her voice was gentle, unsure. "Can I still call you that? Or do you prefer something else?"
I swallowed.
It was like the world paused.
"You can call me Andy," I said. "That's me."
She nodded. "Okay. Andy."
And just like that, I felt seen.
Not judged. Not questioned. Seen.
---
Kimberly's POV
He looked… softer now.
Like the mask he always wore had finally cracked, and the real person had stepped out. Andy — no longer the terrifying boss with eyes like steel, but someone I wanted to understand.
We sat down on a bench near the garden's edge. He didn't try to hold my hand, and I didn't lean on him — it wasn't about that. It was quiet. Safe.
"I don't care what people think," I finally said. "About… whatever this is. About us."
His eyes widened slightly, and I could tell those words meant more to him than he could express.
"But I'm scared," I added honestly. "Not of you — of how much this already means to me."
He looked at the ground for a long moment. "You and me both."
Another pause.
"I've lost a lot," he said. "Family. Friends. Even my old self. I buried everything just to survive. And I thought if I became someone cold enough, sharp enough… I'd never need love again."
He turned his head and met my eyes.
"But you messed that up."
I smiled through the ache in my chest. "Good."
---
Andy's POV
I drove her home, the silence between us no longer uncomfortable — just full of unspoken thoughts.
At her doorstep, she hesitated before getting out of the car.
"I'll see you at work?" she asked.
I nodded. "But not as the heartless boss."
She laughed, then leaned in, pressing a kiss to my cheek. "No, now you're the boss with a heart problem."
"Because you're in it," I replied before I could stop myself.
Her eyes widened, and for a second, I thought I'd ruined the moment. But then she beamed.
"I'll take that as a compliment," she whispered, and with that, she disappeared inside.
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Kimberly's POV – Later That Night
I lay on my bed, replaying everything — the kiss, the confession, the garden.
Andy's eyes. The way he said I love you like it hurt to say it but even more to hold it in.
I didn't care anymore about titles, about confusion. I cared about what I saw in him.
Strength and vulnerability.
Masculinity that wasn't about gender, but about presence. Protection. Love.
I don't know where this story is going, but for the first time in a long time, I want to find out.
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