7

Hanna left the presidential office without looking back.

Her heart was still pounding, but her face remained firm, almost cold. She refused to let anyone see how much that conversation had shaken her. She walked to her desk, sat down, and opened the first file she found, even though she couldn’t read a single line.

Paula watched her from a distance. She approached carefully.

— Hanna… are you okay?

Hanna took a deep breath before answering.

— I’m fine. — she said curtly. — Nothing I’m not used to.

Paula frowned.

— He was rude to you, wasn’t he?

— He’s like that. — she replied without looking up. — And I’m sure it won’t be the last time.

Paula wanted to insist, but she realized Hanna had built an invisible wall around herself. When she became like this, there was no room for comfort.

— If you need me… — Paula began.

— I know. — Hanna interrupted with a tired smile. — But I’m not going to give him the satisfaction. I’m going to do my job. Better than ever.

And she went back to typing as if nothing had happened.

Inside the presidential office, Nathan remained standing near the desk.

The silence didn’t bother him — he was used to it. What bothered him was the persistent memory of Hanna’s green eyes, not frightened, but defiant.

She hadn’t cried. She hadn’t apologized. She hadn’t begged.

That irritated him.

Nathan ran a hand along his tense jaw.

— Women… — he muttered, more to himself than to the empty room.

The image of his ex-fiancée surfaced almost automatically. The carefully rehearsed lies, the calculated compliments, the interest disguised as love. The feeling of having been used, exposed, ridiculed.

He clenched his teeth.

It was obvious that he had projected some of that story onto Hanna. But that didn’t mean he was wrong.

Deep down, they all started the same way.

Kind. Competent. Different.

Until they weren’t.

Hanna simply had a better mask.

And perhaps that was what bothered him the most.

Nathan sat in his chair, slowly turning until he was facing the door she had walked through.

— If she thinks she’s going to fool me… — he thought. — She’s very wrong.

If Hanna Roshe thought her firm attitude would make him lower his guard, she would learn — sooner or later — that he didn’t make the same mistake twice.

After lunch, Albuquerque Engineering returned to its usual pace.

The modern building, with its straight lines and mirrored glass, projected exactly the image Nathan Albuquerque wanted for his leadership: control, stability, and authority.

The presidential office was now officially his.

Nathan stood in front of the glass wall, watching the city below. He liked that feeling — from up there, everything seemed predictable.

Unlike people.

The intercom rang.

— Mr. Albuquerque? — the female voice came clearly from the other end.

— Laura. — he replied. — Go ahead.

— Mr. Jessi McCartney has arrived for the meeting. — she explained. — Hanna hasn’t returned from lunch yet, so I thought it would be better to let you know directly.

Nathan slightly furrowed his brow.

— All right. You can send him in.

— Of course. — Laura replied before hanging up.

A short while later, the door opened.

Jessi McCartney walked in with confident steps, wearing an impeccable suit, but with the ease of someone who already knew the place well.

The McCartney and Albuquerque families had shared projects for years — shopping malls, business centers, and commercial complexes that shaped entire cities.

— Nathan. — Jessi greeted him with a confident smile.

— Jessi. — Nathan replied, shaking his hand. — Have a seat.

They settled across from each other, the large dark-wood table separating two men accustomed to being in charge.

— My father thought it would be better for me to come personally to discuss the next project. — Jessi began. — The new commercial complex in San Francisco.

Nathan opened the folder in front of him.

— Three interconnected shopping malls, a hotel, and a corporate center. — he commented. — It’s ambitious.

— That’s always been how things work between our companies. — Jessi gave a slight smile. — We think big.

— And we execute even better. — Nathan added bluntly.

The conversation continued smoothly and objectively.

They discussed deadlines, suppliers, permits, and expansion strategies. It was obvious they understood each other well — two heirs prepared to carry on their empires.

— My father has always trusted Albuquerque Engineering. — Jessi commented. — Especially when it comes to execution.

Nathan slowly closed the folder.

— The execution remains impeccable. — he replied. — But some guidelines have changed.

— I imagine. — Jessi leaned slightly forward. — New leadership, new approach.

Nathan held his gaze.

— Exactly.

The silence that followed wasn’t uncomfortable — it was strategic.

Jessi then leaned back in his chair.

— I think we can move forward more effectively if we take our time. — he said. — How about a coffee before we continue?

Nathan nodded briefly. He picked up the phone on the desk and dialed the internal number.

— Hanna Roshe’s desk. — he said firmly. — Please bring two coffees to the presidential office.

He hung up without waiting for a response.

For a moment, Nathan kept staring at the phone, realizing something that bothered him.

His secretary should have returned from lunch by now.

— Does she usually run late? — Jessi asked casually as he flipped through some documents.

— No. — Nathan replied curtly. — She’s punctual.

Jessi nodded without commenting.

The door to the presidential office opened softly.

Hanna walked in carrying the tray with two coffees, her posture straight, her steps confident.

Nathan lifted his eyes at the exact moment she crossed the doorway.

He said nothing.

He simply watched.

Hanna walked to the desk and carefully placed the tray down. Before she could even turn to leave, she heard Jessi’s voice, light and filled with a familiarity that was impossible to hide.

— So this is how you treat important appointments now? — he teased. — Showing up late?

Hanna immediately looked up, surprised, and the smile that appeared on her lips wasn’t professional.

It was intimate.

Genuine.

— I’m not late. — she replied, pretending to be offended. — Actually, I didn’t even take a lunch break.

Jessi raised an eyebrow, amused.

— Of course you did.

— I didn’t. — she insisted. — I just went downstairs, grabbed something quickly, and came back. There’s a lot of work piled up.

Nathan watched everything in silence.

The tone. The looks. The natural way they treated each other.

Nothing about it seemed recent.

Hanna handed Nathan his coffee first, then Jessi’s. When their fingers almost touched as she handed him the cup, Jessi smiled even more.

— You’re still the same. — he murmured. — Always pushing yourself too hard.

She looked away, slightly flushed.

Nathan noticed.

He also noticed the way she looked at Jessi — there was something there that couldn’t be improvised.

It wasn’t just affection.

It was history.

It was feeling.

Or, at the very least, a very well-rehearsed illusion.

He didn’t comment.

Not now.

— Have you two known each other for a long time? — Nathan finally asked, his tone neutral, almost casual.

Jessi didn’t answer immediately.

He looked at Hanna.

A long, gentle look, filled with something that made Nathan’s stomach tighten without him knowing exactly why.

— You never forget your first kiss. — Jessi finally said with a half-smile.

Hanna felt the heat rise to her face.

— Jessi… — she murmured, visibly embarrassed.

Nathan remained still.

His blue eyes fixed on the two of them.

— Excuse me. — Hanna said quickly, regaining her professionalism. — I’m going back to my desk.

She started to move away, but Jessi was faster.

He took her hand.

The gesture was simple. Natural. Far too affectionate to be ignored.

He leaned forward slightly and placed a sweet kiss on her fingers, as if that were the safest place in the world.

— Don’t work too hard. — he said softly.

Hanna nodded, unable to hide her smile, and then left the office.

The door closed.

Nathan remained silent.

He brought the coffee cup to his lips, but he didn’t taste it.

All he could think about was that this woman — the same woman he had pressed against the wall hours earlier — wasn’t just a secretary protected by his father.

Nathan didn’t say a word about it.

But at that moment, he was certain of one thing:

This wasn’t a coincidence.