Chapter 3: My One-Night Stand Lives Next Door

I stared at Ethan, my hand still wrapped around the doorknob.

Seriously? Why couldn't he have stayed asleep for another thirty seconds?

"I don't know," I admitted.

His eyebrows lifted slightly. "You don't know?"

"I mean, it wasn't bad. Obviously." I immediately wanted to slap a hand over my mouth. "That's not what I meant."

A small smile tugged at his lips.

Great. Just great.

I shifted my shoes to my other hand. "Look, Ethan. Last night was fun, but I wasn't looking for anything serious. I still have a lot going on, and I don't want complications."

He watched me for a moment, then nodded.

"Okay."

I blinked. "Okay?"

"That's what you want, isn't it?"

"Yes. I just thought you'd..."

"Ask you to stay? Ask for your number? Promise to call you?"

I looked away. "Something like that."

"Would you want me to?"

The question caught me off guard.

"No."

"Then we're fine."

He leaned back against the pillows, completely at ease, and somehow that annoyed me more than if he'd argued.

I couldn't tell whether he genuinely didn't care or was simply good at hiding it.

Either way, I wasn't about to investigate.

"Good. Then we're on the same page."

"Seems like it."

I gave him a quick smile and left before my mouth could get me into any more trouble.

Outside, I finally let out the breath I'd been holding.

One night. No promises. No complications.

Easy.

So why did I keep thinking about his stupid smile on my way home?

Three days later, I was standing in front of my new apartment with two bags, a box of kitchen stuff, and absolutely no energy left.

The place wasn't fancy. The living room was small, the kitchen barely had enough space for two people, and one of the windows refused to close properly.

But the rent was lower than my old place, and the commute to Maison Luxe would be shorter.

For now, that was enough.

I pushed the door open with my hip and carried my things inside.

"New beginning," I whispered to myself.

Then I nearly dropped a box on my foot.

"Ow! Okay. A slightly painful new beginning."

I spent the next hour unpacking the essentials, wiping down the kitchen counters, and trying to make the place feel like home. My phone buzzed with another reminder about the overdue rent, and my good mood disappeared.

I shoved the phone into my pocket.

One thing at a time, Mia.

I'd survive this. I had to.

When I ran out of cleaning supplies, I grabbed my purse and stepped into the hallway, intending to find a nearby shop.

Instead, I walked straight into a man carrying a folder.

"Sorry," I muttered, stepping back.

He looked up.

I stopped breathing.

Dark hair. Familiar eyes. That face.

No. No, no, no.

Ethan.

He looked just as surprised to see me, though he recovered quickly. His gaze moved from my face to the boxes still visible through my open door.

"Mia."

I tightened my grip on my purse.

"Hi."

That was it. One tiny word. I was an adult woman with a job and a degree, and apparently that was all my brain could produce.

He glanced at my apartment, then back at me.

"You live here?"

"Looks like it."

His mouth twitched.

I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me.

Before I could think of something else to say, a contractor approached him with a question about the renovation schedule. Ethan turned to answer, and I caught the name printed on the folder in his hand.

BLACKWOOD DEVELOPMENTS.

I looked at him again.

Wait.

Blackwood?

I'd heard that name at work. Everybody had. Blackwood Developments was one of the biggest property companies in the city, and its billionaire head was known for buying struggling businesses and turning them around.

I glanced at the folder once more.

Then at Ethan's expensive suit.

Oh, you've got to be kidding me.

"You're Ethan Blackwood?"

He looked at me for a second.

"Yes."

I laughed, but there was nothing funny about it.

"Of course you are."

"Is that a problem?"

"No. Why would it be a problem?" I asked, even though about a hundred things suddenly felt like problems. "You just forgot to mention you were a billionaire."

"I don't remember you asking."

I opened my mouth, then closed it.

Fair point. Annoying, but fair.

Still, I'd spent a night with a man whose identity I hadn't known, and now he owned the building I could barely afford to live in.

Could my life get any more ridiculous?

I folded my arms.

"Well, whatever happened between us stays between us. We're neighbours now, and I'd prefer to keep things simple."

His expression changed slightly.

"Agreed."

"Good."

"And Mia?"

I looked at him reluctantly.

"Welcome to the building."

I gave him a tight smile and went back inside before he could say anything else.

The door had barely closed when I leaned against it.

This was fine.

Totally fine.

I could live next door to a man I'd slept with. People did it all the time, probably. And the fact that he was a billionaire didn't have to change anything.

I just had to avoid him.

Simple.

A loud drilling sound started outside my window.

I closed my eyes.

Apparently, even the building wanted to laugh at me.

The next morning, I stepped into the hallway just as two workers carried a large piece of equipment toward the stairs.

One of them nearly knocked over an elderly woman's shopping bag.

"Careful!" I called, rushing forward to help her.

She looked shaken, and I steadied the bag while the workers muttered apologies before continuing down the corridor.

I watched them go.

The renovations were already making life difficult for the tenants. The noise had started early, and there were notices about temporary water interruptions taped beside the lift.

I found Ethan downstairs, looking over plans with the property manager.

"Can I ask you something?"

He looked up. "You just did."

I ignored that. "How long are the renovations going to last?"

"Several weeks, depending on the work."

"And what happens to the tenants while you're doing all this? Some of them work nights. Some have children. You can't just make their lives miserable because you want the building finished quickly."

The property manager shifted beside him.

Ethan's expression cooled.

"We're improving the building, not destroying it."

"I understand that. But people live here. They can't all afford to move somewhere else if the noise or water problems become too much."

"We've arranged temporary measures where necessary."

"Have you explained those measures to everyone?"

He paused.

That pause told me enough.

I shook my head. "That's what I thought."

"Mia, you don't know the full plan."

"Then tell the tenants what they need to know."

His jaw tightened. "I have a business to run. I can't stop every time someone has a concern."

"And I can't pretend people don't matter just because they're inconvenient."

For a moment, we simply stared at each other.

Then Ethan closed the folder.

"I'll have the property manager review the notices."

It wasn't an apology, but it was something.

"Thank you."

I walked away before we could start arguing again.

I was halfway to my car when I remembered the presentation waiting for me at Maison Luxe. I needed that promotion. I needed my work to speak for itself.

And I absolutely did not need Ethan Blackwood getting inside my head.

By the time I reached the office, my manager had gathered the design team in the conference room.

"We have some important news," he announced. "Blackwood Developments is considering acquiring Maison Luxe. Their representatives will be reviewing our work, and today's presentation could influence their decision."

My stomach tightened.

No. Please, no.

"The meeting starts now," he added, glancing toward the door. "And the man leading it is Ethan Blackwood himself."

The doors opened.

Ethan walked in, looking every bit the billionaire I'd never expected to meet.

His eyes found mine across the table.

For one brief second, neither of us moved.

Then my manager placed my proposal in front of him.

"Mia will be presenting our main design concept. The future of this firm may depend on what she shows you today."

Ethan pulled out the chair opposite me.