Lexi

The week after the gala passed in a blur of awkward professionalism. I threw myself into work, burying my feelings under spreadsheets and reports. But every time Lucian walked into the office, my heart did this stupid little skip that I couldn't control.

"You're avoiding him," Mia said during our hang out on Friday.

"I'm not avoiding anyone." I stabbed my salad with unnecessary force. "I'm being professional."

"Professional?" Mia raised an eyebrow. "Girl, you practically dive under your desk when he walks by."

I sighed. She wasn't wrong. "It's complicated, Mia."

"Complicated how? The man is clearly crazy about you. Did you see the way he looked at those women who were giving you trouble at the gala? I thought he was going to buy their families just to fire them."

"He was being polite. Protecting a colleague."

"Bullshit." Mia leaned forward. "Lexi, I've worked here for three years. I've never seen Mr. Cross look at anyone the way he looks at you. Not even that Giselle woman who's been throwing herself at him for months."

My chest tightened at the mention of Giselle. "She's perfect for him. Rich, sophisticated, from his world."

"And boring as hell," Mia added. "I've met cardboard with more personality."

Despite my mood, I laughed. "Mia!"

"What? It's true. You, on the other hand, make him smile. Really smile, not that polite business smile he gives everyone else."

Before I could respond, my phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number.

Coffee tomorrow? We need to talk. - G

My blood ran cold. Giselle.

"What's wrong?" Mia asked, noticing my expression.

"Nothing. Just... work stuff." I shoved my phone back in my purse. "I should get back."

The rest of the day dragged by. Every time I tried to focus, my mind wandered to that text. What could Giselle possibly want to discuss with me?

Saturday morning came too quickly. I'd spent the night tossing and turning, imagining various scenarios. None of them ended well.

The coffee shop Giselle had chosen was in the upscale part of town, the kind of place where a simple latte cost more than my lunch budget. I spotted her immediately, sitting at a corner table, looking perfectly put-together even on a weekend.

"Lexi." She smiled as I approached, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Thank you for coming."

"What do you want, Giselle?" I sat down across from her, not bothering with pleasantries.

"Straight to the point. I like that." She sipped her coffee delicately. "I wanted to talk to you about Lucian."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Isn't there?" Her smile turned sharp. "The whole city is talking about the way he defended you at the gala. Very... intimate for a business relationship."

Heat crept up my neck. "Lucian was being professional. Protecting a colleague."

"Professional?" Giselle laughed, a sound like breaking glass. "Darling, I've known Lucian for years. I've never seen him touch another woman the way he touched you that night."

The way she said 'touch' made my skin crawl. "He put his hand on my back. It was nothing."

"Was it?" She leaned forward. "Tell me, Lexi, do you really think this little fantasy of yours can last?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you do." Her voice was patient, like she was explaining something to a child. "You're in love with him. It's written all over your face every time someone mentions his name."

I felt like I'd been slapped. "That's not…"

"True? Please. I've been watching you for weeks. The way you light up when he enters a room, the way you hang on to his every word during meetings." She paused. "The way you ran away from his house like it was on fire."

My mouth went dry. "How do you know about that?"

"I make it my business to know these things." She shrugged elegantly. "Lucian and I have history, you see. Our families have been friends for generations. We're meant to be together."

"Then why isn't he with you?"

For the first time, her composure cracked slightly. "He's going through a phase. Playing with something... different. But phases end, Lexi. And when this one does, I'll be there."

"You're delusional."

"Am I?" She pulled out her phone and showed me a photo. It was from the gala, Lucian and her standing together, looking like the perfect couple in their matching outfits. "This is what he's supposed to look like. This is his world, his life. Tell me, where do you fit in this picture?"

I stared at the photo, hating how right she looked standing next to him. How natural it seemed.

"You're a smart woman," Giselle continued, her voice softer now, almost kind. "You know this can't last. Lucian is a billionaire, heir to one of the oldest fortunes in the city. You're... what? A reporter? Playing at being a consultant?"

Each word was like a knife twisting in my chest. "I earned my position."

"I'm sure you did. But earning a position and belonging in someone's life are two very different things." She reached across the table and patted my hand. "I'm not trying to be cruel, darling. I'm trying to save you from heartbreak."

"How generous of you."

"I know you think I'm the villain here, but I'm not. I'm trying to protect both of you. Do you have any idea what the media would do if they found out about your... arrangement? Living in his house, working for his company? They'd tear you apart."

My throat felt tight. "We're not…"

"Together? Please. The whole city knows you were living with him. Do you think they care about the details? Do you think they'll believe it was innocent?" She leaned back in her chair. "They'll call you a gold digger, a social climber. They'll dig into your past, your family, your finances. Is that really what you want?"

I thought about my mother, about how hard she’d worked to give me opportunities before she died. The idea of her being dragged into some media circus made me sick.

"I can see you're thinking about it," Giselle said gently. "That's good. That's smart. Because I'm offering you a way out."

"What kind of way out?"

"Finish your contract. Do good work. Then walk away with your reputation intact and a glowing recommendation from Cross Industries. I can make sure of that."

"And what do you get out of it?"

"I get to save the man I love from making the biggest mistake of his life." Her eyes hardened. "And you get to save yourself from being destroyed by a world you don't understand."

I sat there for a long moment, her words echoing in my head. Everything she said made sense. Logically, practically, it all made perfect sense.

So why did it feel like dying?

"Think about it," Giselle said, standing up. "But don't think too long. These things have a way of getting out of hand quickly."

She left me sitting there, staring at my untouched coffee, feeling smaller and more alone than I had in years.