A lollipop as a reward? Was he treating me like a child?


    I was about to call him childish, but before I could, he’d already ced the candy in my hand and grabbed a drink for himself, then handed me my water bottle. Josh sat down on the rest chair, patting the seat next to him. “Take a break.”


    I didn’t need a break.


    I hadn’t done anything yet-just dealt with people’s nonsense.


    But since Josh was sitting down, I had no choice but to sit as well. Without him, I’d be stuck.


    That’s when I realized-he was the one leading me.


    “You were pretty fierce just now,” Joshmented.


    I took a sip of water and shrugged. “Was I?”


    “Yeah, you scared me,” Josh added, making me tilt my head to look at him.


    He nodded seriously. “Really.”


    For some reason, I couldn’t help but feel that something about his serious face was… kind of cute.


    It was strange to feel that way about him—a tall, handsome, and very straightforward man. It made me want to tease him. “Josh, how old are you?”


    I meant to joke, poking fun at how immature he was being.


    But he just replied, “I’ve told you already.”


    I blinked, not fully processing.


    “We talked about it when we went on that blind date,” he continued.


    I was speechless.


    “I’m 31,” he finally answered, skipping over my memorypse.


    I didn’t know how to respond. He and I were clearly on different wavelengths when it came to talking.


    I drained my water bottle, trying to focus, when Josh suddenly said, “Holly called me. She heard we’re working together. She wants me to finish up and then take you home with me.”


    This was the first time Josh had mentioned Holly since he came here.


    He didn’t seem bothered by it, but I was. Holly had always been the one pushing Josh and me together, so just bringing her up made everything feel a little awkward.


    Josh might not have been aware of it, but now that he’d mentioned it, I had to say something. I gave him a tight-lipped smile. “Didn’t you tell her you’re staying here long-term?”


    “I’m ying it by ear,” he replied casually, his eyes focused on his water bottle. His nonchnt tone made me nce at him.


    But Josh wasn’t looking at me. He was drinking again, and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. I unconsciously mirrored the motion, then quickly averted my gaze, feeling a little guilty for watching.


    “I’m going to see herter. Doesn’t mean I have to go with you,” I muttered under my breath.


    “Why not together?” he asked, his hearing sharp.


    “I like doing things alone,” I replied coolly, turning to look him dead in the eye. “I’m someone who enjoys solitude.”


    I said it on purpose, to make sure he didn’t get any ideas. I wasn’t interested in developing anything further with him, so I needed to keep him at a safe distance.


    Even if I kept identally brushing up against him-like earlier, in the elevator.


    Thinking of that, I nced at the elevator and asked, “What happened with the elevator earlier? Why did it suddenly shake?”


    “Huh?” He looked at me, confused.


    “You didn’t tamper with it, did you?” I asked directly.


    After all, Josh was the kind of guy who could control the whole park’s lighting. Messing with the elevator wouldn’t be a stretch for him. And considering I hadn’t moved or walked in it, there was no wind-there was no reason for it to shake on its own.


    “You think I did that?” he asked, his voice calm but sharp. “Why would I do that?”


    His questions left me speechless.


    Why would he do that?


    Was it just to make me cling to him out of fear?


    I stared at his eyes, searching for any sign of guilt. But he just put his water down and said, “Let’s go. Back to work.”


    I didn’t move. Josh stepped into the elevator and turned to me. “Come on, let’s go up together.”


    I held the lollipop tightly, watching him. He added, “Also, there’s some more testing I need you to check.”