Chapter 4: Enemy Territory

The next morning, Liliana walked into the headquarters of Grandland Holdings feeling like a general entering enemy territory after signing an unwanted truce. She had been awake all night, Sebastian’s words, his touch, his almost-kiss, replaying in her mind like a storm. She hated him for trapping her. She hated herself even more for the traitorous shiver she’d felt when he was so close.

Sebastian's assistant, a nervous-looking young woman named Clara, greeted her. “Good morning, Ms. Dawnson. Mr. Blackwood is waiting for you in his office.”

Sebastian’s office was a reflection of the man himself: vast, minimalist, and commanding. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls offered a stunning, dominant view of the city, as if he owned everything the eye could see. The furniture was all dark chrome and black leather, expensive and uncompromising. There were no photos. No personal touches. Just power.

He was standing by the window, his back to her, just as he had been on the first day. A deliberate power tactic.

“You’re two minutes late, Ms. Dawnson,” he said without turning.

“The elevator was crowded,” Liliana retorted, refusing to be intimidated. “It seems you need to invest in a more efficient vertical transport system.”

Sebastian finally turned. Today, he looked more relaxed, his suit off, the top two buttons of his crisp white shirt undone. It made him look more dangerous, not less. “Always have an answer, don’t you?”

“It’s one of the reasons you hired me,” she said, placing the large architectural blueprints on his expansive desk. “To find answers to your problems. Shall we begin?”

She would not let yesterday’s intimacy bleed into today’s work. This was her territory. She was the expert here.

She unrolled the blueprints. “I’ve reviewed the architectural plans for ‘The Apex’ lobby. There’s a problem.”

“Oh?” Sebastian walked over, standing beside her, far too close for comfort. She could feel the heat of his body again, smell the faint, clean scent of coffee and his cologne.

“Yes,” Liliana said, forcing herself to focus on the paper in front of her. “The traffic flow is wrong. You have the main entrance leading directly to the elevators, but the entrance to the retail area is hidden. You’ll lose valuable foot traffic.”

“My architectural team is among the best in the world,” Sebastian said, his voice low, right beside her ear.

“Then they should know that aesthetics should never compromise functionality,” Liliana replied, not budging. “I suggest we move the elevators to the west wall and create an open, central atrium that leads naturally into the retail space. Like this.”

She picked up a pencil and began to sketch over the blueprint, explaining her idea with sharp precision. She was in her element, and for a moment, she forgot who was standing beside her.

Sebastian was quiet, listening. He wasn't looking at the sketch. He was watching her. He was watching the way the light from the window caught in the strands of her dark hair, the way her brow furrowed in concentration, the way her lips moved as she passionately explained her concept. He had forgotten how alive she was when she was excited about something.

“…and that will increase the rental value of the retail space by at least twenty percent,” she concluded, finally looking up at him, expecting an argument.

She didn't get one. She got a look so intense, so full of an undisguised, raw longing that it stole her breath.

“Brilliant,” Sebastian whispered, his eyes not on the blueprint, but on her.

“It’s… it’s just my job,” Liliana stammered, feeling flustered under his gaze.

“No,” he said quietly. “It’s your gift. You see the world differently. You always have.”

The genuine compliment was more disarming than his arrogance had ever been. She had to change the subject. “Anyway,” she said, pointing to another part of the plan. “About the launch timeline…”

“To hell with the timeline,” Sebastian cut in, his voice husky. He pointed to a tiny, insignificant detail on the original sketch near her hand. “What is this faint line here?”

Liliana leaned in to get a better look, trying to understand what he meant. “That’s just… a notation for an interior partition wall.”

“Not that,” he said. He leaned in, his shoulder pressing against hers, his hand coming down to point at the same spot, closer still. His index finger deliberately brushed against the back of her hand where it rested on the paper.

A jolt. Hot and undeniable.

They both froze.

The silence in the room was pulsing. The only sound was the frantic, panicked beat of Liliana’s own heart in her ears. She could feel the texture of his expensive cotton shirt against her arm, feel the warmth of his breath on her cheek. She lifted her head slowly, and her eyes met his.

They were inches apart. His face was no longer cold or calculating. It was conflicted, raw desire warring with a deep, consuming regret. He was going to kiss her. She knew it. And the most terrifying part was, she wasn’t sure she would stop him this time.

“Sebastian,” she breathed, a warning, a plea.

Her name on his lips seemed to break the spell. He pulled back abruptly, as if he’d been burned. He cleared his throat, his mask slamming back into place, though it was slightly cracked around the edges.

“Yes, of course. That line,” he said, his voice strained. “Make sure it’s… accurate.”

Liliana took a step back, creating a safe distance between them. The air was still charged, thick with what had almost happened.

“I… I think I have everything I need for today,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. She began to roll up the blueprints with hands that weren't quite steady.

“Of course,” Sebastian said stiffly.

She walked quickly to the door, desperate to escape the shrinking feeling of the room.

“Ms. Dawnson?”

She stopped at the threshold, her back to him. “Yes?”

“Dinner. Tonight. Eight o’clock. To discuss… further project synergies.”

It wasn't a question. It was an order wrapped in the guise of an invitation. He was testing her again.

Liliana took a deep breath. She would not run. Not anymore.

“I’ll check my schedule and have my assistant let yours know,” she replied coolly. “If I’m available.”

She walked out without waiting for a response, leaving Sebastian alone in his vast, silent office. He stared at his hand, the finger that had brushed against hers, as if he could still feel the jolt. This was going to be much, much harder than he had imagined.

“Liliana, My Liliana…” He whispered.

***