Chapter 47

Lila’s POV

I was sipping the last of my lukewarm coffee when I saw her storm out.

Kimberley. The sight was impossible to miss.

I was still seated at my desk, a highlighter in hand while I reviewed the final layouts for the PR visuals. But the moment I caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of my eye, all thoughts scattered like birds startled by a gunshot.

Her heels clicked aggressively against the marble floor, each step laced with fury she could barely contain. Her perfect olive green pantsuit was still pristine and the perfectly done face that was painted with precision just hours ago, now looked frozen. You could see the cracks in her expression.

Jaw tight, eyes glassy with rage, chin tilted too high, nostrils flared, lips pressed so tight they were nearly white.

Shoulders drawn in like she’d been backed into a wall and couldn’t pretend otherwise. She looked... wrecked. Not outwardly though. Kimberley would never allow herself that level of vulnerability in public. But her posture told the real story.

She didn’t notice me at first. She was too focused on escaping whatever had just unfolded behind Drew’s office door. But then, as she turned the corner toward the exit, our eyes locked.

Only for a second.

But it was enough.

Enough for her to register my presence.

Enough for me to see it, that flash of humiliation. Like she knew I could guess what had happened inside that office. Her mouth curled slightly, as if she wanted to summon a final jab, a smug remark to salvage her pride. But it never came.

Instead, she looked away, her chin lifting as she marched toward the elevator, spine stiff with wounded pride.

I didn’t smirk or say a word. I didn't even let any emotion rise to the surface. But deep down, something in me steadied.

She had walked into this place like she was untouchable. Like she could push me away with a half smile and a name drop. But now, she was leaving with her pride bleeding and her mask slipping.

She was brimming with arrogance and sugar coated insults but now this version of Kimberley had been disarmed.

By Drew.

And I couldn’t lie to myself, I wanted to know how.

Later that afternoon, I gathered the final pieces of the updated designs and headed toward Drew’s office. We had agreed to finalize some of the launch visuals and iron out key partnerships this week. Still, something about this particular walk felt… heavier. Like I was carrying more than folders in my arms.

I paused at his door and gave a quick knock.

“Come in,” he called.

I stepped inside. Drew was behind his desk, sleeves rolled up, fingers scrolling across a sleek tablet. He looked up when he saw me, expression neutral, calm, even. There was no trace of the storm that had clearly brewed between him and Kimberley earlier.

“I have the updated timeline,” I said, walking toward him. “Thought we could review the week’s priorities.”

He nodded and gestured for me to sit. “Let’s do it.”

We spent the next few minutes going over adjustments. There was a slight shift in the vendor budget, a delay in billboard placements in Brooklyn, and a new influencer Drew wanted to add to the campaign. Nothing major. Nothing out of the ordinary.

There was no awkwardness or tension or mention of this morning’s drama between Kimberley and I.

But I could feel it sitting between us. Unspoken.

Like something was waiting under the surface.

I cleared my throat after we’d wrapped up the last of the notes. “Everything looks good. I’ll get final approval on the visuals tomorrow and notify the agency.”

“Perfect.”

I reached for my folder but paused. The curiosity was gnawing at me now, and if I didn’t ask, I knew it would haunt me the rest of the day.

“So…” I said slowly, like I wasn’t trying to dig too deep, “Kimberley.”

Drew looked up.

“I saw her leave earlier,” I continued, keeping my tone even. “Didn’t exactly look like she got what she came for.”Drew didn’t respond immediately. He leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing slightly, as if deciding how much to say.

I kept my tone light. “She also didn’t look too happy.”

He didn’t say anything at first. Just leaned back in his chair and studied me for a beat, as if gauging how much I really wanted to know.

Then, with a slow breath, he said, “She came to offer a partnership.”

I blinked. “A partnership?”

“Her father’s marketing firm. Full campaign package; media coverage, influencer outreach, press.”

My fingers curled slightly around the edge of the folder. That proposal? It would’ve been a big deal. Bigger reach, stronger networks, more media firepower. If Drew had taken it, it would’ve made this launch even more high profile than it already was.

A deal like that could catapult our launch into top headlines. It was not a small offer.

“And… you said no?”

Drew nodded once. “Yes.”

I stared at him. “Why?”

“Because we don’t need it,” he said simply, like it was obvious. “We already have a strong team in place. And someone capable managing the campaign

His eyes didn’t waver.

The breath caught in my throat.

He didn’t have to say it. But he did. I was the ‘someone capable.’

I looked away for a moment, pretending to smooth the page in front of me. “Still… from a business standpoint, it could’ve helped.”

“I’m not going to trade integrity for temporary reach,” he said, voice quiet but firm. “Besides, the launch isn’t just about flash. It’s about impact. And I trust the team already handling it.”

I swallowed.

Hard.

I shouldn’t have been affected. It was just a professional compliment, wasn’t it? Just a team leader trusting someone he hired. It didn’t have to mean more.

But it did.

The words were simple.

But they landed with weight.

He just said it, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“And the marketing team we’re working with?” he added, “They’ve been solid. We don’t need Kimberley. Or her strings.”

My throat tightened.

Because that meant… he chose me. Over her. Over her fancy connections and billion dollar agency and whatever history they once shared.

Drew. The man who used to make me feel invisible in meetings. The man who, for weeks, had barely looked at me without a mask of formality was choosing my work, my voice over someone he once claimed to love.

And not because I was trying to prove myself.

But because he already believed I could do it.

“I see,” I said, lowering my gaze to the file, even though the lines on the paper had blurred.

Silence settled again, but this time it wasn’t cold. It was laced with something else. Respect, clarity and a strange new tenderness.

I rose from my chair slowly and prepared to leave, papers clutched to my chest. “I’ll keep you updated on the final rollout then.”

“Lila.”

I turned at the door.

He wasn’t smiling. But there was something in his eyes that felt like the beginning of something fragile. “Don’t ever let someone like Kimberley make you question your worth.”

I nodded once. “I won’t.”

Then I walked out, back straight, heart thundering.

Not because I’d won something.

But because, for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel like I had to fight to be seen.

Drew saw me.

And no matter what came next whether with Max, Kimberley or anything else that might spring up, the fact that Drew saw me and acknowledged my worth mattered.

It mattered more than I was ready to admit.

And whether I liked it or not… that meant something.