Part 11 –
Lila didn't sleep that night.
She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling as the city pulsed outside her windows. Her lips still tingled from Ethan's kiss, her heart a restless drum in her chest.
It had happened.
Finally.
And it hadn't been a mistake.
It had been everything.
But now… the silence.
Ethan hadn't called. No message. No explanation.
Just that one whispered promise as he walked away: "This isn't over."
But silence had a way of twisting promises into doubts.
And doubts into fears.
Wolfe Enterprises – Morning After
The office buzzed with gala prep, but to Lila, everything felt oddly muted. People passed her with polite nods, but no one dared interrupt her. Her presence had shifted from the outsider with a sharp vision to the woman the CEO was maybe looking at too long.
Whispers were beginning.
And she felt them all.
Worse, Ethan hadn't spoken a word to her all morning.
He passed her in the hall once, flanked by two legal advisors. His eyes caught hers for a split second but it was gone before she could even process it.
No emotion.
No heat.
Not even recognition.
Just… blank professionalism.
Like nothing had ever happened.
Later That Day – Executive Conference Room
Lila sat across from the head of the events division and a cluster of senior VPs reviewing final timelines. Her jaw was clenched as she tried to stay focused on floral delivery schedules and lighting sequences, but her mind kept drifting to his mouth, his hands, his breath against her skin.
Snap out of it, she told herself.
But it only got worse when the door opened, and Ethan walked in mid-meeting.
He didn't acknowledge her.
Didn't look her way.
Just gave crisp instructions, approved vendor substitutions, and turned back toward the door like she wasn't even in the room.
The message was clear:
We don't exist. Not here. Not now.
And it stung more than she was ready to admit.
Afternoon – Private Roof Terrace
Unable to bear the stillness of the office, Lila escaped to the small rooftop garden Ethan had built for executive staff.
It was quiet, high above the chaos, filled with minimalist furniture and potted olive trees. She sat on the bench beneath a metal pergola, arms wrapped around herself, trying to breathe.
He had kissed her.
He had wanted her.
And now he was pretending nothing happened?
Was I just another distraction he decided he couldn't afford?
The thought made her stomach twist.
She didn't hear him until he was right behind her.
"I never wanted to hurt you."
She turned sharply.
Ethan stood there, the wind tousling his dark hair, his expression drawn with something deeper than guilt. Regret. Conflict. Fear.
Lila rose to her feet. "Then why are you pretending like we're strangers?"
"Because if I don't," he said, voice low, "I'll ruin you."
She scoffed. "Ruin me? You're not that powerful."
"I'm not talking about your job, Lila."
His voice cracked slightly.
"I have enemies. People who watch me constantly waiting for weakness. And the second they find out you matter to me, they will come for you. In ways you can't imagine."
"I'm not afraid of being seen with you."
"You should be."
He stepped closer, frustration and longing coiled tight inside him.
"I've lived my life in shadows, Lila. There are things in my past that would make you run if you knew half of it."
"Then show me," she said. "Let me decide."
He shook his head. "You don't understand. This isn't about a bad ex or a tragic past. This is deeper. Dangerous."
Her eyes softened, but her voice remained firm. "I know you're scared. I am too. But we already crossed the line, Ethan. We can't go back."
His jaw tensed.
His restraint was crumbling and she saw it in the way his hands curled into fists at his sides.
"I want you," he said, like a confession dragged from the deepest part of him. "Not just your body. Your mind. Your fire. Everything. And it terrifies me."
"Then let it," she said softly. "Because I'm not going anywhere."
Something inside him broke.
And he reached for her.
But this time, the kiss didn't come.
This time, he just held her. Arms tight around her like she was the only thing anchoring him to the world.
Lila rested her head against his chest, feeling his heart pound beneath his tailored suit.
They stood like that for a long time.
Saying nothing.
Just breathing.
Just feeling.
But down below…
In a sleek black car parked across the street from Wolfe Enterprises, a camera clicked through a telephoto lens.
The man behind it adjusted the focus, locking in on the rooftop terrace on the way Ethan Wolfe was holding his assistant.
Click.
Click.
Click.
He smirked.
"Gotcha."