"Ah. Hello, Teacher Jeremy. I’ve heard a lot about you from my daughters. First of all, I cannot express enough how thankful I am."
Lukas offered an earnest smile as he stepped closer. Julius returned the smile and gestured to the seat across from him.
"Ah. You must be Helga and Alina’s father," Julius said.
"Yes. That’s right." Lukas nodded, taking a seat. "I wanted to thank you. The girls speak about you often. They enjoy your lessons very much."
Julius lifted a stack of worksheets and set them aside.
"They are wonderful children," Julius said. "They show a lot of interest. It is a pleasure to teach them."
"They used to dislike studying. But lately, they come home eagerly telling me about new topics they’ve learned. I assume it’s all thanks to you."
Julius let out a laugh, mostly to calm his racing heart. The wind felt cold against his skin for some inexplicable reason.
"They’re easy to motivate," Julius continued. "They seem to like learning as long as someone guides them step by step."
"That sounds like good teaching," Lukas replied.
Julius nodded once, careful to keep his face composed. He could feel Lukas watching him with genuine curiosity. That somehow felt more dangerous.
"I’m new here," Julius said. "So I’m still learning how to approach students. Your daughters help me as much as I help them."
"Oh?" Lukas smiled lightly. "I didn’t expect that. I suppose teachers learn a lot from children."
"That is true."
"Teacher Jeremy," Lukas said as he reached into his pocket. He took out a small envelope and offered it to Julius. "I understand it’s not easy managing your workload and still helping the girls after school. Please, take this. You’ve been teaching them for free. It is the least I can do."
"Ah, no, Mister Meinhardt. It is really alright," Julius replied.
"No. Please. I insist."
There was no room to argue. Julius accepted the envelope with a respectful nod and thanked him. Lukas looked pleased.
"And now that we’re on the topic," Lukas continued, "if it is not too much trouble, I would like to hire you, Teacher Jeremy."
Julius’s brows raised. "Hire me?"
"Yes. I heard you’ve been staying late to tutor the girls. I appreciate that, but I’ve been worried about them coming home late every day. So I would like to ask if you could visit us on weekends instead and teach them at home. I’ll pay you properly. This should also lighten your workload here at school. How does Saturday sound?"
"...."
Julius did not respond at once. His expression remained calm, but inside, he was already taking note of every word. The offer fell neatly into the path he had paved all this time.
"This is very considerate of you," Julius said. "I only wanted to help them. If studying at home will make things easier for them, then I would be happy to."
Lukas smiled with visible relief. "Thank you. The girls will be overjoyed."
Julius nodded slowly. "Then I look forward to meeting them this weekend."
"That’s wonderful," Lukas said. "Come before lunchtime."
"Of course. I’ll do my best."
Lukas extended his hand again, and Julius shook it firmly. His heartbeat was calm now.
Because this was the result he wanted.
Lukas smiled gratefully. "Thank you again, Teacher Jeremy."
"The pleasure is mine," Julius said.
With that, Lukas excused himself and left the classroom. Julius looked up at the ceiling with his hand on the envelope.
He reached into his pocket and tapped a small device once, sending a confirmation to the person waiting on the other end.
"Gabriel, I’m in."
——This quickly? Should we proceed with the plan?
"Yeah. Keep filming. Gather as much evidence as you can. I’ll do my best on my end."
——Alright. Good luck.
The line went silent. Julius lowered the device and set it aside. His eyes turned toward the envelope resting on his desk.
Money?
He had more than enough of it.
Slowly, he placed his fingers on the flap.
Riiip——
He didn’t need any dirty money from a Glassheart.
* * *
"It’s okay, Director. You can drop me off here. My house is just a block away."
"No. I insist, Miss Meinhardt."
"Director, it really is alright. You do not have to do even this for me..."
Every day, without fail, Gisela and Klaus had been working late into the night for their company project. The week before, their presentation to investors had finished with overwhelming success.
The project was approved on the spot. They received praise from every department involved. Several higher executives even reached out to congratulate their team.
Since then, their workload had only increased. They now had to prepare execution briefs, finalize schedules, rules, and coordinate with partner firms. Klaus handled most negotiations and oversight, while Gisela took responsibility for compiling and organizing all related documents.
She had been exhausted for days, yet she kept showing up and doing everything that was asked of her.
Naturally, she became closest to Klaus during this time. They shared nights in the office, surviving on instant coffee and bad cafeteria sandwiches. He would order dinner when she forgot to eat, make sure she took breaks and even correct her posture whenever she slouched too long in front of the computer.
Over time, the cold and strict Director Heitmann seemed to soften around her.
And only around her.
For some reason, this made Gisela feel special. She wasn’t frightened by him anymore, and he was became easier to speak to.
Now, after another late night, Klaus insisted on driving her home.
They stopped near the foot of her street. Gisela unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to him.
"Thank you again. You really have done more than enough. You should go home and rest, too."
She reached for the handle, but when she pulled, the door stayed shut. She tried again, this time more slowly, still confused. Even after riding in this car many times, she still couldn’t remember how to unlock it. The unfamiliar system always threw her off.
Klaus leaned toward her. "Here. Let me."
He reached across her side, searching for the lock. His arm brushed against hers, then continued past her shoulder. In doing so, his face came so close he could feel his breath against her cheek.
"...."
"...."
Everything froze.
Her hands paused on the handle. Klaus’s fingers paused above the latch. Their bodies hung in the space between them. The silence reigning inside the car pressed down on them as their breaths mingled.
"...."
She could hear his breathing.
"...."
He was too close.
"...."
He looked up.
Their noses nearly touched. His cheek brushed hers again lightly. Gisela felt heat rise along her skin, and her heart pulsed rapidly. She should have leaned away. She should have reached for the door again.
But she stayed still.
"...."
"...."
Klaus’s eyes turned to her lips.
He made no sudden move.
He simply closed the distance.
"...."
"Director—Mmh."
The next moment, their lips met.
A small whimper escaped Gisela’s breath. Her hand rose, halfway between pushing him away and pulling him closer, but in the end, it simply settled weakly against his chest. She did not resist. She only felt the warmth and the pressure of him leaning even closer.
His hand rested beside her. The kiss deepened just a little. Gisela closed her eyes, feeling her thoughts turn hazy. The world outside didn’t seem to exist.
When Klaus finally pulled back, his forehead hovered close to hers. Neither spoke. Their breathing was uneven, brushing lightly against each other.
Gisela barely found her voice. "Director..."
Klaus looked at her. "You should go inside."
He pressed the lock, and the door clicked open. Gisela sat silently for a moment before stepping out. The night air felt sharp against her flushed skin. She closed the door behind her and took two small steps away from the car, unable to look back at first.
Her thoughts spun in confused circles.
She finally turned her head. Klaus was still parked, watching her. Only after she forced herself to walk toward her gate did he drive away.
Gisela entered her home. She leaned against the closed door, pressing a hand to her chest. Her heart was racing uncontrollably. Her lips still felt warm. Her body trembled with confusion and guilt.
She did not know how to face him tomorrow.
She did not know how to face herself.
And more importantly...
"...."
...She did not know how to face her husband.