The Public Courtship

When Elena stepped out of the Vance Global skyscraper, her phone was practically melting in her pocket. The moment she unlocked it, thirty missed calls and a dozen increasingly desperate texts from Julian flooded her screen.

Julian: Elena, why aren’t you answering? I’m at your office right now with your favorite lunch. Your team says you haven’t checked in. Julian: Is everything okay? Chloe said you seemed distant this morning. Please text me back, I’m getting worried.

Elena stood on the top step of the corporate plaza, a cold, dark satisfaction settling deep in her chest. In her past life, Julian’s persistent "worry" had felt like romantic devotion. Now, she recognized it for what it truly was: an attempt to monitor her movements and isolate her from her work.

She opened her messaging app and typed a brief, clinical reply.

Elena: I am busy with a corporate client. Do not wait for me.

She didn't give him a chance to respond. She blocked his notifications and hailed a luxury town car. Her destination was her startup’s headquarters—Unicorn Tech. Right now, her company was valued at eighty million dollars, on the verge of hitting the coveted one-billion-dollar Unicorn status. In her past life, this was the exact week Julian had introduced his fraudulent venture capitalist scheme to slowly siphon away her power of attorney.

When she arrived at her office, the atmosphere was chaotic. Engineers were running around, monitors were flashing with data streams, and right in the middle of her glass-walled executive suite sat Julian.

He looked exactly as he did in her nightmares—impeccably groomed, wearing a tailored gray suit, holding a massive bouquet of white orchids and a boutique catering bag. He had a gentle, concerned smile on his face that had fooled the entire tech industry into thinking he was a saint.

"Elena!" Julian bolted out of his chair the moment she walked in, rushing toward her with open arms. "Thank goodness you're back. I was worried sick. You've been working yourself to death, honey."

Elena smoothly stepped to the side, letting his hug miss completely. She walked past him, tossing her handbag onto her desk and sitting down in her executive chair.

Julian froze, his arms dropping to his sides. A flash of irritation flickered across his eyes before his face quickly smoothed back into a mask of loving concern. "Elena? Is something wrong? You seem... cold."

"I'm at work, Julian. I expect professional boundaries in my office," Elena said, her voice flat and piercingly clear. She didn't look at him; she opened her laptop and began scanning the server logs.

Julian let out a forced, breathless laugh, setting the flowers on her desk. "Professional? Elena, I'm your boyfriend. I’m the man who loves you. Chloe told me you've been acting strangely since last night. She thinks the stress of the upcoming software launch is getting to your head. I think you need to take a break. Let me handle the meeting with the board this afternoon."

There it was. The exact phrasing. In her past life, this was the moment she had sighed, thanked him for being so supportive, and let him take the lead. That single meeting was where he had planted the seeds of doubt among her investors, whispering that she was emotionally unstable.

"My head is perfectly clear, Julian," Elena said, finally looking up. Her gaze was so sharp, so utterly devoid of affection, that Julian instinctively took a half-step back. "And my business meetings are none of your concern. You don't work here."

Julian’s jaw tightened. He wasn't used to this version of her. Usually, Elena was quiet, submissive, and easily swayed by his sweet words. "Elena, don't be unreasonable. I'm just trying to protect you. People in the industry are already talking, you know? They say a young woman running a company this big is bound to crack. I'm trying to save your reputation."

"My reputation doesn't need saving by a man who has no stake in this industry," Elena replied, her voice ringing out through the open door of her office, catching the attention of several nearby developers.

Before Julian could speak, the glass doors of the main lobby burst open.

Two men in dark, identical tailored suits marched into the office, carrying a massive, heavy velvet box wrapped in a deep black ribbon. The entire floor went silent as the men walked straight past security, stopping right outside Elena’s office door.

"Miss Elena?" the lead man asked, bowing slightly. "Compliments of Mr. Ethan Vance. He requested that you wear this to the executive gala tonight. His personal vehicle will arrive to collect you at seven o'clock sharp."

The man opened the velvet box. Inside lay a breathtaking, custom-tailored midnight-blue silk gown, glittering with thousands of micro-diamonds that caught the office fluorescent lights like a galaxy. Resting on top of the gown was a sleek, platinum card embossed with the Vance Global seal.

Julian’s face went entirely pale, his eyes widening in sheer shock as he stared at the dress, and then at Elena. "Ethan... Vance? The CEO of Vance Global? Elena, what the hell is this?"

Elena looked at the dress, then up at Julian’s horrified, crumbling expression. For the first time in two lives, she felt a genuine, triumphant smile spread across her face.

"I told you, Julian," Elena said smoothly, leaning back in her chair. "I was busy with a corporate client. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a gala to prepare for."