Chapter 2
One by one, the team filed out of the meeting room—except for Freen and Becky. They remained in their seats, locked in a silent eye war, their PAs, Nam and Irin, awkwardly caught between them.
Nam and Irin exchanged a look, already knowing the drill. Without a word, they slowly backed away—then, without hesitation, closed the door behind them.
Now, the real meeting had begun.
Freen leaned back in her chair, a smirk creeping across her lips. “So, that was all you had? I figured.”
Becky mirrored her expression, tilting her head with mock amusement. “Oh, that’s exactly what I wanted you to believe. Voila. Bullseye.”
Freen chuckled darkly. “If that helps you sleep at night, then by all means.”
Neither broke eye contact.
“And by the way,” Freen continued, crossing her arms lazily, “if you ever need a list of my team’s weaknesses, just ask. I’ll save you the trouble of burning the midnight oil.”
Becky scoffed. “Huh?”
Bing.
A notification popped up on Becky’s laptop.
She glanced at the screen. Freen had just sent her a file.
Becky’s eyes flicked back to her, suspicion laced with irritation.
“I keep things transparent,” Freen added with a proud smirk. “And even with all those so-called setbacks, my team still delivers the best results.”
Becky rolled her eyes. “If my dad didn’t polish your reputation with endless fake compliments, you wouldn’t be standing so tall, pretending to win it all.”
Freen’s jaw tensed. “Yeah? And if my dad wasn’t always supporting you, backing you up at every step, you’d be off practicing legal arguments instead of playing CEO.”
The air grew thick. Becky stiffened. Freen always knew Becky always wanted to be a lawyer, wanted to pursue a law degree and yet she is here arguing with her.
Freen knew exactly what she had just done and before her statement stink care—she added more to her argument.
“I’d love to see you fail at the one thing you swore you were born for.” Freen’s voice was edged with cruelty, but before the words could linger too long, she added with a devilish smirk, “You’d look real good losing.”
With that, she stood, pushing back her chair.
Becky clenched her fists, her fury simmering beneath the surface. “You just want to eliminate your biggest threat. And I love how much it terrifies you to think I could take this company right from under your nose.”
Freen turned slightly while Becky smirked and said. “Want me to leave?” “In your dreams, Freen. In your dreams.”
They walked out together, neither willing to slow their pace, now side by side, Their proximity was suffocating—the kind that felt too close, too charged, too much.
“If you know what we do in my dream you would be………..” Freen made another smug remark when— Becky shoved her against the wall.
The impact was quick, calculated.
Before Freen could react, Becky crashed her lips onto hers—a rough, angry, dominant kiss meant to do nothing but shut her up.
Then, just as quickly, Becky pulled back, stepping away.
“I don’t even have to dream to bring you to your knees.” Her voice was laced with defiance as she turned to walk away.
But she had barely taken two steps before Freen grabbed her wrist, spun her around, and slammed her back against the opposite wall.
Before Becky could protest, Freen’s lips were on her neck.
Hot. Hard. Possessive.
She sucked on the skin, biting just enough to leave a mark before pulling back with a victorious smirk.
“Don’t test your Dad-Daddy.”
And with that, she stormed off.
Becky remained frozen for a second, fuming.
Why the hell did Freen always win?
With an irritated scowl and an aura of pure rage, she stormed out of the office as well.
They grew up together, and the more they hated each other, the closer their proximity became—but never in a romantic way. There was always something that pulled them together, something neither of them could name.
Moments of heated arguments turned into seconds of unintended intimacy—a hand gripping too tight, a breath too close, a gaze that lingered longer than it should.
But it was never love. Never tenderness.
They were rivals, challengers, sworn enemies. They couldn't stand each other, and yet, they were always drawn back into battle.
So, don’t even think of them as romantically involved.
Their bond? Only God could define it.
__
Everyone in the office knew why they despised each other so much.
Everyone—except Kade.
Not yet.
"They're like Tom & Jerry—always beating each other up. Cute but terrifying," Kade muttered to Nam, who was flipping through reports.
"Hmm, they are Tom & Jerry," Nam agreed absently.
"But why?" Kade asked, leaning closer. "They look so hot together. If they weren’t enemies, they’d be the heavenly couple of this planet."
Nam barely looked up. "You’re new, girl. Just chill."
"Well, everyone else seems to know. I should too! What exactly have I stepped into—a war zone?" Kade demanded.
A voice chimed in from behind. "Pretty much."
Kade turned to see Krik strolling in. "Krik! Where the hell were you during the meeting? You’re the operational manager, damn it!" Nam scold him.
"I had some errands to run," Krik replied lazily, sliding into a seat.
"You take way too much advantage of being friends with both of them," Nam scoffed.
"Wait, you’re friends with both?" Kade asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Best of," Nam chimed in with a smirk.
Krik stretched his arms and grinned. "Let’s just say, I know how to calm them down. When we have normal, friendly group lunches, I make sure they don’t kill each other."
"Oh, you wish," Nam snorted.
"Okay, but seriously—why do they fight like madwomen?" Kade pressed.
Krik leaned forward. "You know how we all hate when our parents compare us to other kids? The whole, ‘Look at them! Why can’t you be like them?’ nonsense?"
Kade nodded. "Ugh, yeah. The worst."
"Well, same case here. Becky’s dad adores Freen. He praises her like she’s the son he never had—effortless, talented, everything he wants. Meanwhile, Freen’s dad worships Becky. He loves how hardworking she is, how she always finds solutions. He talks about her like she’s the perfect daughter he wishes he had."
"Wait—so they idolize each other’s daughters more than their own?" Kade’s eyes widened.
"Exactly." Krik nodded. "It’s not that they don’t love their own daughters—they do. But the constant comparison made Freen and Becky hate each other’s guts. That’s why they’re always at war."
"Ohhh," Kade exhaled, still processing. "That explains why Mr. Chankimha told Freen to stay calm, and why Mr. Armstrong made Becky prove herself in the meeting. Their dads totally pit them against each other."
"Exactly. And now we are in the middle of their warzone," Krik sighed. "Even though we’re all friends, when it comes to those two... it’s better to back off."
"Wow," Kade muttered. "Thanks for the insight, though."
"Okay, okay, enough gossip," Nam cut in. "Back to work!"
Krik turned to Kade, ignoring Nam’s orders. "Hey, wanna join our group for lunch? You might get a closer look at Freen and Becky’s chemistry."
"A big YES," Kade grinned. "I swear, their chemistry is so hot."
Krik smirked. "Well, you’re hot too, so this works out for me."
Kade rolled her eyes but laughed. "Oh, please."
Nam sighed, shaking her head. "You two are impossible."
Lunch hour rules were set: no work talk, no fighting. If you couldn't be nice, stay quiet.
Of course, these rules were made specifically for Freen and Becky—because, let’s be real, they were the main event of every gathering.
Freen noticed Kade taking charge of the orders since she was new to the group. All thanks to Krik. She rolled her eyes. But when she saw what Kade had ordered—everything spicy, nothing mild—she took a deep breath.
Just as everyone was about to dig in, including Becky, who sat between Irin and Krik, Freen suddenly spoke up, loud and clear:
"Wow, Kade! How did you know I love spicy food? Seriously, each and every dish looks so delicious. It’s like this meal was made just for me."
Becky’s fork froze mid-air.
Freen leaned back, satisfied. "I mean, this might just be the best combination of meals ever." She pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the entire table.
That was enough for Becky. Without a word, she pushed her plate away, gestured for the waiter, and ordered her usual meal.
Everyone saw how blatantly rude Becky was being—but no one reacted. It was normal for them because they all knew it was between Freen & Becky.
Kade, however, gulped nervously.
Meanwhile, Freen smirked. Mission accomplished. She knew Becky couldn’t handle spicy food. It made her turn red—to the point of vomiting. And yet... Freen always made sure she never had to suffer through it.
Why did she care? Even Freen didn’t know the answer. But she did.
Nam, watching quietly, noticed everything. How effortlessly Freen got her way. How smoothly she looked after Becky while still keeping up their enemy act.
Nam never dared to name what she was witnessing—because their fights, hatred, and rivalry spoke louder than anything else.
As they ate, Krik was deep in conversation with Kade, Irin was discussing something with Becky, and Freen was chatting with Nam.
Then, at the table just behind freen, a birthday celebration was happening. Right as someone was about to pop a party pooper, Becky suddenly snapped—
"This is not your damn party hall!"
Her glare was enough to shut them up. The table fell silent.
Freen scoffed. "God, could she be any ruder?"
But Becky ignored her, keeping her gaze locked on the now-quiet table.
Because she knew. She knew Freen hated sudden, loud noises. They startled her every time.
Irin, sitting beside Becky, noticed. She saw exactly what Becky had done.
But, like Nam, she didn’t dare to put it into words.
Because in the world of Freen and Becky, their hatred was louder than anything else.
And yet... Everyone was a witness.