CHAPTER 3

MAYA POV

The fluorescent lights of the office restroom were unforgiving. I leaned over the porcelain sink, splashing cold water onto my face for the third time. My reflection looked back at me with wide, panicked eyes.

"Maya? Are you okay in there?"

It was my supervisor, Elena. I heard her heels click against the tile as she walked toward my stall.

"I’m fine," I called out, my voice sounding thin. "Just... a stomach bug. I think the coffee this morning didn't sit right."

"Julian—Mr. Sterling—is not a man who likes to be kept waiting," Elena said through the door. She sounded worried. "He asked if you needed a doctor. It was weirdly specific for a guy who looks like he has ice in his veins."

I gripped the edge of the sink until my knuckles turned white. "Tell him I’ll be back in five minutes. I just need a second."

"Take ten. I’ll tell him you’re reviewing the data," she sighed. "But Maya, seriously, you look like you’ve seen a ghost."

I waited until I heard the heavy restroom door swing shut. I pulled my bag onto the counter and dug through the bottom compartment. My hand brushed against something small and plastic.

The box. I had bought it at a pharmacy three blocks away from the office during my "lunch break," which had actually been forty-five minutes of pacing the sidewalk.

I looked at the door. It was locked. I took a deep breath and did what I had to do.

The three minutes of waiting felt like three years. I sat on the closed toilet lid, watching the digital clock on my phone.

9:42 AM.

9:43 AM.

9:44 AM.

I picked up the plastic stick. Two bright, solid pink lines stared back at me.

"No," I whispered to the empty stall. "No, no, no."

I checked the box. 99% accurate. I checked the stick again. The lines hadn't moved. They were mocking me. One night. One night with a stranger to forget Derek, and now I was tied to that stranger—who happened to be my boss—for the rest of my life.

I shoved the test into the very bottom of my bag, wrapping it in layers of tissue. I couldn't stay in here forever. I stood up, straightened my blazer, and forced myself to walk back to the boardroom.

The meeting was still in session when I slipped back into my seat. The air was thick with the scent of expensive cologne and paper. Julian was mid-sentence, pointing at a graph on the large screen.

"The conversion rates for the third quarter are unacceptable," Julian said. He didn't look at me as I sat down, but I saw his jaw tighten. "If we don't see a 15% increase in engagement, the entire department will be restructured. Am I clear?"

A chorus of "Yes, Mr. Sterling" followed.

He finally turned his gaze toward me. "Miss Brooks. Glad you could join us again. Are you feeling... hydrated?"

"Much better, thank you," I said, my voice barely shaking.

"Good. Since you missed the last ten minutes, you can stay behind and I’ll catch you up on the assignments," he said, clicking off the screen. "The rest of you are dismissed."

The room cleared out in record time. Elena gave me a sympathetic look before she followed the others out, leaving me alone with the man from the bar.

Julian didn't speak until the door clicked shut. He leaned back in his chair, tapping a silver pen against the mahogany table. "You're a terrible liar, Maya."

"I told you, it’s just a bug," I said, reaching for my laptop.

"A bug that makes you run out of a room the moment you see me?" He stood up and walked around the table. He stopped just a few inches from my chair. "You weren't this shy forty-eight hours ago."

"That was different," I snapped, looking up at him. "That was a mistake. I didn't know who you were."

"And now that you know?" He leaned down, placing his hands on the arms of my chair, effectively trapping me. "Does the title change how you feel?"

"It changes everything, Julian. You’re the CEO. I’m a marketing lead. There is no 'us.' There was just a Saturday night that we should both forget."

"I have a very good memory," he murmured. He reached out, his fingers brushing a stray hair away from my forehead. His touch was cool, but it sent a jolt of electricity through me that made my stomach flip—and not from the nausea this time. "You’re trembling."

"I’m tired," I lied.

He looked at me for a long moment, his eyes searching mine. He was so close I could see the flecks of gold in his dark irises. "If you’re sick, go home. I don't need my employees collapsing in the middle of a merger."

"I can work," I insisted, trying to stand up.

He didn't move. "I said go home, Maya. That’s an order."

I gathered my things, my hands fumbling with the strap of my bag. As I swung it over my shoulder, the bag tipped slightly. A small, crumpled receipt from the pharmacy fell out, fluttering onto the expensive carpet right at Julian’s feet.

I froze.

Julian looked down. He reached for the slip of paper before I could move.

"Don't," I said, my heart hammering against my ribs.

He ignored me, picking up the receipt. He scanned the items listed. His expression didn't change, but the air in the room suddenly felt very heavy.

"Prenatal vitamins," Julian read aloud, his voice flat. He looked up at me, his eyes piercing. "And a two-pack of digital tests."

I reached for the paper, but he held it out of my reach.

"It's for a friend," I said, the lie tasting like ash in my mouth. "She was too embarrassed to buy them herself."

Julian stepped closer, his presence suddenly overwhelming. He dropped the receipt onto the table and took a step into my personal space.

"You don't have many friends in this city, Maya. You told me that at the bar," he said. He lowered his voice, his gaze dropping to my stomach before returning to my eyes. "Is there something you want to tell me about the funeral you were attending?"

"It’s none of your business," I whispered.

"If it involves me," he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous, low rumble, "it is the only business I have."

A knock at the door broke the tension. Julian didn't look away from me.

"Mr. Sterling? Your car is ready for the airport," his secretary called out from the hallway.

Julian didn't move for five long seconds. Then, he stepped back, giving me room to breathe. "Go home. Get some rest. We will finish this conversation when I return on Wednesday."

"There’s nothing to finish," I said, heading for the door.

I didn't look back, but I could feel him watching me all the way down the hall.

I made it to the elevator and pressed the button for the lobby. When the doors opened, I saw a familiar face waiting. It was Derek. He was holding a bouquet of lilies—my favorite—and looking like he hadn't slept in days.

"Maya," he said, stepping forward. "Please. Just give me five minutes to explain."