LOGINI barely heard anything Adrian said after the elevator doors closed. His mouth moved, words came. But my mind was still upstairs, still in that office, still caught in Julian’s kiss and the words he said. I hated that he still had power over me. I hated that Julian could stand there, say almost nothing, refuse me the truth, and still leave me shaken to the bone.Beside me, Adrian watched me quietly. “You’re not listening,” he said at last.I blinked, pulling myself back.“I’m listening,” I said hurriedly.“You’re not.”The elevator doors slid open into the lobby. Adrian stepped out first, then slowed when he realized I hadn’t moved right away.“Amara.”I exhaled slowly and followed him out. The lobby was quieter now. Evening had deepened into night. The building glowed with expensive silence, all polished marble and hidden tension.“I need air,” I said.Adrian studied my face for a second, then nodded.“Fine. But don’t go back up there tonight.” The words were simple, but the tone be
The office was quiet, almost too quiet for my liking.The city skyline glowed faintly through the glass walls, but the hum of fluorescent lights and the soft clicking of keyboards was the only soundtrack to the late evening.I looked up from my laptop, rubbing my eyes. I had been at it for hours. The Valeron project was complicated, even by my standards, and Julian had personally insisted I oversee the financial aspect of every section involved.And he hadn’t just assigned it to me. He had insisted on working late with me. That was something I could not say no to because obviously, he is my boss.I exhaled slowly, realizing I had been staring at the same spreadsheet for the last ten minutes without actually interpreting a single number. Elena’s words, “But men like him rarely want something without a reason,” lingered in my heart rent-free. I kept asking myself, “What did she mean?”A few minutes later, the office door clicked open, and Julian entered without knocking.“Still here?”
Monday morning at Ardent Holdings began like any other. Sharp suits everywhere, clean, polished floors. The entire building was filled with people who had quiet ambition hiding behind polite smiles.I walked into the building calmly in a burgundy jacket and a short corporate skirt. I carried my white handbag in my left hand, and my laptop was in my right hand.The entire twenty-first floor was buzzing, and I knew why before anyone said a word, because when I stepped out of the elevator, I saw it. A massive bouquet of deep red roses was sitting on my desk. Also sitting by it was a bouquet of dollars, and a very expensive bottle of wine. It was not a small arrangement, not a polite office bouquet.No. This was the kind of arrangement that looked like it belonged at a wedding.The bouquet had at least fifty roses, or maybe more. And every single pair of eyes in the department was staring at it.I froze as I stepped into my office. “Oh my God,” someone whispered nearby. “Who sent those?
Amara's POV----Adrian chose a restaurant that suited my taste. The ambience was calm and aesthetically pleasing. It was hidden on the top floor of a tower overlooking the entire city. The lightening was dim with a touch of golden lights to give it a glow. The restaurant was a place only the rich and mighty came to dine it. Each table had champagne glasses with a bottle of champagne on it. The waiters were all dressed in jet black suits. The menu was so exquisite, and it had any type of dish you could think of. I walked out of the elevator in a black shiny dinner dress, gold heels, and a gold statement purse to match. My skin glowed like sunlight, and my scent immediately filled the room as I came in. I walked in confidently with my hips strutting up and down. I immediately saw Adrian in the VIP section of the restaurant. Dressed in a well-tailored ash suit, Adrian looked confident and Relaxed. He looked like he belonged here. A bit dangerous in a way, powerful men often were.
AMARA'S POV I barely slept that night, not because of work. I was drowned in my own thoughts so deeply. And it wasn't because of the numbers I still had to finish for the strategy report. But because of Julian’s kiss.It was reckless, unexpected, and dangerously familiar.And worst of all, it had awakened feelings I had spent years trying to bury.I finally fell asleep in the early hours after I put on soothing music to ease my anxiety.By morning, I had convinced myself of one thing. It meant nothing. Or at least, it had to mean nothing.I prepared for work, had breakfast with a cup of coffee, and headed to work. When I stepped into the Ardent Holdings building the next morning, I expected the day to feel normal, but it didn’t, because the moment I walked into the executive floor, I felt eyes on me.Julian stood in his office and watched me through the glass walls as I walked into the elevator that took me to the top floor, where my office was located beside his. Our eyes met bri
AMARA'S POV---I tried to focus on the numbers in front of me. Revenue models. Forecast projections. Risk analysis charts. All at the same time, but I could not.Normally, work calmed my mind, but today, it didn’t, because three offices away sat the man who had once walked out of my life without a word.And now he watched me like I was a variable he hadn’t predicted.I hated that it still affected me.The soft knock on my desk broke my concentration.“Ms. Cole?” The voice said as I looked up.The man standing there was unfamiliar, tall, confident, and dressed in an expensive charcoal suit. His smile was easy, warm in a way that felt natural rather than calculated.“I’m Adrian Cross,” he said, extending a hand. “Investment consultant. I’m working with the executive strategy division on the foreign expansion proposal.” He explained further. I shook his hand politely.“Amara Cole,” I said with a warm smile. “I know,” he said lightly. “Your risk report from yesterday? Impressive. I’ve







