Nothing gets past him, it seems., I stepped back from his embrace, trying to defuse the awkwardness with a laugh.

"You just crossed a line there, Dustin is our boss, and you're assigning him tasks?

",

"Well, he came in later, didn't he? Would you rather have him assigning tasks to us?

" Ernest's retort left me without a comeback., Dustin might be out of his element, but that doesn't mean he knows what Ernest and I are doing.,

"What, you wanna team up with him?

" Ernest suddenly asked.,

"Not in a million years,

" I denied, glancing at Ernest, just in time to catch a quick smirk crossing his face., Work went on as usual for Ernest and me, with Dustin keeping his distance. However, Deborah came rushing over,

"Felicia, what's the deal? Is the prince here to personally supervise the project?

",

"Exactly, and he's here specifically to keep an eye on you. He'll be joining your team for the troubleshooting,

" I told her, watching her eyes go wide in disbelief.,

"Felicia, that's not fair. I don't want to be teamed up with the prince. You two are a better match. He wouldn't dare scold you even if you mess up,

" Deborah immediately protested.,

"I disagree,

" Ernest chimed in on my behalf., Both Deborah and I turned to look at him. Ernest didn't meet our gazes, focused on his work, but that didn't stop him from replying,

"I disagree.

", His response caught both me and Deborah off guard., Deborah looked at me, and I almost burst into laughter, biting my lip.,

"Felicia, you see...

", Before Deborah could continue, Ernest intervened,

"Ms. Hudson, could you come up here and check if there's any discrepancy with the current setup?

", Prompted by his request, I immediately got on the elevator lift. As it ascended, I could see Deborah pouting in frustration below., Reaching Ernest's side, I leaned in to inspect the setup, only to freeze at what I saw., I want you as my partner., Was this what he had been working on?, I turned to him, speechless., Ernest looked back at me, his eyes pleading as if to say,

"Promise me.

", I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head. The next second, he pressed a button, and the display reverted to its normal troubleshooting mode. I stood by his side, watching him navigate the control tablet.

"Ernest, you're such a sly dog,

" I couldn't help but tease.,

"Sly dog?

" He looked at me, feigning ignorance with such seriousness that, considering his military background, I almost felt like I was misunderstanding him., But recalling everything I knew about him since we met, I realized he was far from simple.

"I mean, you're playing dumb but actually being sharper than anyone else.

",

"Me?

" Ernest looked genuinely surprised.

"Is that what you think of me?

",

"Are you not?

" I countered., Ernest didn't reply, just glanced at me before returning to his tablet. Seconds later, the elevator lift we were on started shaking., I panicked, grabbing onto him, and the shaking intensified, making me fear I was about to be thrown off., I wrapped my arms around Ernest tightly, and then I heard him say,

"Ms. Hudson, what are you doing? It wouldn't look good if someone saw us like this.

", I closed my eyes, clinging to him,

"Why is it shaking? Check it, please.

", Little did I know, Ernest was already watching someone approaching from below. His arm was firmly around my waist as he whispered in my ear,

"Don't move, and it'll stop shaking.

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