Chapter 2

Back at my desk, I looked at my male coworkers.

I shuddered.

We battled each other in meetings every single day like mortal enemies.

If my online boyfriend turned out to be one of them, I would literally die on the spot.

I scrolled through our chat history, desperately looking for clues.

And I actually found something.

Last month, he was struggling to choose a watch.

[I'm out shopping with a friend. Want to buy a watch.]

[Which one looks better? Which do you prefer? I'll get you one too.]

He had sent a few photos, and I had picked out the Rolex Daytona.

To protect my identity, I had politely declined his offer to buy me one.

[Whatever you choose is the best,] I had said.

He bought it right then and there. So all I had to do was look around the office and see who was wearing that exact Rolex Daytona.

I took a few laps around the office, secretly staring at every guy's wrist, but I couldn't find a single match.

I messaged my boyfriend:

[Are you wearing your new watch today?]

He replied instantly with a photo.

It showed a man’s dress shirt sleeve rolled up slightly, revealing a strong, tanned forearm.

On his wrist, the Rolex gleamed with a cold, low-key luxury. Just the way he rested his hand exuded the quiet confidence of a powerful, mature man.

Ah, so he had his sleeves rolled up.

No wonder. But why hadn't I spotted him?

While I was lost in thought, a message popped up on my work WhatsApp from my boss, Julian Vance:

[Chloe, there are some issues with the proposal. Come to my office right now!]

When I walked into the corner office, Julian was smiling into his phone, on a call.

"Yeah babe, I miss you too. Just come to the office tomorrow to see me."

"Oh, by the way, Ethan is coming over tomorrow. You can hitch a ride with him."

"Come on, I just don't want you driving all that way by yourself, it's not safe~"

"Alright, alright, have it your way. Drive safe. See you tomorrow."

"Talk to you later. Kiss kiss~"

I awkwardly looked away.

Yikes. Major cringe.

Who knew our tough CEO, Julian, had such a clingy, lovesick side?

Julian hung up, cleared his throat, and offered me a professional smile.

"Chloe, the investors looked at the proposal this morning. They're mostly satisfied, but they had a few notes. I’ve marked them here. Make the edits based on their feedback."

"Sure, Julian."

I turned to leave, but my eyes caught his wrist.

He was wearing a Rolex.

The exact Daytona model I had picked out!

In an instant, it felt like lightning had struck my brain. I froze.

Seeing that I hadn't left, Julian looked up. "Yes? Anything else?"

His voice snapped me out of my shock.

I took a deep breath, trying to act casual.

I pointed at his wrist. "Nice watch, Julian."

Julian smiled, his hazel eyes crinkling at the corners. "Thanks. My girl helped me pick it out. It is nice, isn't it?"

Me: "......"

Julian grinned.

"Why? Do you like it?"

I quickly masked my horror, waving my hand dismissively.

"Oh, no. Just making conversation."

With that, I practically bolted out of his office.

A wild, terrifying thought screamed in my head:

Julian is my online boyfriend!

But if I was his girlfriend... then who the hell was the "babe" he was just sweet-talking on the phone?

Was Julian cheating on his girlfriend with me?

Holy shit!

And why was Julian so different online versus offline?

Online, he was this dominant, mature, daddy-type protector. Offline, he was a gossipy, clingy millennial!