Beyond The Gaze: A Love Unseen

Chapter 51

Elysia's POV:

I placed the files on his desk, making sure they landed with an intentional thud, as it echoed in the quiet office. Sitting on the chair behind his desk, Ares' gaze snapped towards me, a mere acknowledgment of my presence.

"Here's the data for the last three years of Peterson Steels," I announced, accompanied by my best professional smile.

For the past few days, I have been seriously questioning how I fell for this man?

"With all this banging and noise, should I assume it's getting too much for you to handle, Miss Lawson?" Ares asked, feigning innocence, raising an eyebrow as he locked eyes with me.

I averted my gaze to the table in front of me, biting the insides of my cheek, and mumbled, "No, sir!"

"What? I might need to get my ears checked. I can't hear things," he tilted his head, turning his ear towards me.

"I said, it's not a problem at all, sir!" I responded, this time loud enough, gritting my teeth inwardly.

"Good," he gave a satisfied nod, signaling toward the couch. "Back to your designs," he ordered, redirecting his attention to the file rack.

I didn't miss a hint of amusement in his eyes before he resumed work. Mister seemed like he was enjoying my misery.

Gritting my teeth, I moved towards the couch, glancing at the design I was working on, in which Ares counted a list of problems.

'Your measurements seem a bit off here.'

'There is inconsistent symmetry.'

'The stone setting isn't correct!'

'Your choice of metal clashes with the gemstone.'

I knew I was skilled in designing, but Ares, being the perfectionist he is, scolded me for the simplest mistakes. I bet if there's any awards in the field of criticism, Ares would earn a gold medal. Mr. Williams, the junior manager who initially assisted me, had unfortunately transferred to the branch in Australia, leaving Maron to suggest another collaborator. Surprisingly, it turned out to be none other than my boss, but instead of working together, Ares was now taking on the role of my design mentor, guiding me to design and craft the main jewelry pieces to be showcased in the upcoming exhibition of Knight Jewelers. But I don't really mind that, since I get to learn so much from him.

However, I have been wondering...

Managing a diverse business portfolio like the Knight Group can indeed be challenging. It won't be uncommon to get bald with all the stress and exhaustion.

From the corner of my eye, I carefully scrutinized Ares' hair. Contrastingly, he had quite thick hair to consider the possiblity; possessing a mane of abundant, medium-length locks that gracefully cascaded down to the nape of his neck.

Considering this, I shifted to another possibility. People might develop anger issues due to extreme exhaustion and stress, a fitting explanation in his case. But, it shouldn't make him bipolar?

Then, what on earth could be wrong with him?!

A week ago, when Ares apologized with genuine sincerity, I was overjoyed. He displayed kindness, gentleness, and consideration - the qualities one would expect from a human. But then...

Once he shifted into his "professional" mode, it was hard to reconcile that he was the same man who earnestly sought my forgiveness, as if his world was dependent on my positive response.

He wasn't cold, distant, or aloof; instead, he became exceptionally strict, and oddly enough, all that strictness seemed directed solely at me.

Professional? Hah! I'd prefer to label it as his "Demon" mode.