Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Tiana could swear that Ryan didn’t recognize her.

Of course he didn’t, why did she feel she was special enough to be remembered? She was almost invisible back in high school. No one ever really saw her then; they looked through her, except Ryan Lancaster, perhaps he was too young then to understand the bridge between them, but now with this new arrogance, and the fact that he doesn’t know that she was the wife of Nikolai Toriaga, he has decided to act like he didn’t recognise her. 

But of course, Ryan recognised her. How could he not recognise Tiana Selma, his highschool crush who was impregnated by the bully, Nikolai Toriaga and forced into marriage with him? 

His expression was blank but professional, not a flicker of familiarity in his eyes. Not the slightest sign that he remembered the quiet girl who used to sit beside him under the old tree at Velmore High, sharing chocolates after class and laughing softly at his terrible jokes. He was the same boy who had invited her to the graduation dinner that changed her life forever.

Maybe eight years really had erased her completely, Tiana thought. 

Her palms grew damp, but she forced her shoulders straight, willing herself not to look small. Ryan’s gaze swept over the room again, calm, commanding, sharp, before landing on her once more. The weight of that look sent a rush of heat up her neck.

“What’s your name?” he asked, his deep voice cutting off the murmurs in the office.

“Tiana,” she replied quickly, the sound of her own voice startling her. Then, realizing how faint it had sounded, she cleared her throat and added firmly, “Tiana Selma.”

The name felt strange on her tongue. She hadn’t used it in so long, not since she became Mrs. Toriaga. For a split second, she wondered if Ryan would recognize it, but he didn’t even blink.

Still, something inside her fluttered. It felt good, liberating, to speak her own name again.

Ryan’s eyes dropped briefly to her desk, where the half-melted cupcake and a few gift bags sat.

“It’s your birthday?” he asked, his tone unreadable.

“Yes, sir,” she managed.

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-five, sir.”

Her answer came steady and clear, but her pulse was anything but. Her heart was hammering so hard she feared everyone could hear it.

The entire office was silent now, all eyes darting between her and the new CEO. The air had grown thick, heavy, charged with a strange electricity.

Ryan gave a slow, deliberate nod, pouting his lips as if he’d reached some invisible conclusion. His stare lingered on her for one long, suffocating heartbeat, long enough for her to wonder if maybe, something in him did recognize her, and then he spoke.

“You’ll take over as chief secretary,” he said. “Effective immediately.”

The department rippled with disbelief… people’s chairs squeaked, some stopped writing midway, a few gasps escaped. Their whispers darted through the room like startled birds.

Tiana blinked, her mind struggling to process what she’d just heard. Chief secretary?

“What?” someone muttered behind her.

Mr. Todd, the former chief secretary, stood frozen, his mouth hanging open. “But… sir, she just started two weeks ago.”

Ryan’s gaze flicked to him, sharp and cool as ice. “Then she’ll learn fast,” he said flatly.

Tiana felt her chest constricted. Every eye in the room turned to her now, whispering, speculating, judging. She could almost feel their thoughts pricking at her skin… Who is she? Why her?

She didn’t know what to say, she may be very smart academically but her social life is zero, she doesn’t know how to interact socially, this is as a result of her being trapped in the Toriaga Mansion.

Ryan’s gaze met hers again, steady, unreadable, holding her captive in that brief, breathless silence.

“Prove yourself, Ms. Selma,” he said, his voice lower now, more deliberate. “Don’t disappoint me.”

He turned away, signaling the end of the discussion. “HR will forward your incentives and new contract to your email. Start immediately.”

And just like that, it was done.

Her world had tilted again, from the safety of quiet invisibility to the sharp, burning light of unwanted attention.

She gathered her files with trembling hands and stepped out of her cubicle, she needed some air.

Outside felt cooler, quieter. She leaned against the wall, trying to steady her breathing. Her heart wouldn’t slow down.

Had that really just happened?

Eight years ago, Ryan Lancaster changed her life with a single graduation dinner invitation. Now, after just two weeks of enjoying the quiet life as an associate secretary, he’s back — threatening to upend it all over again with a promotion she didn’t want. 

“Congratulations!” Lyn’s voice screamed behind her, making Tiana jump in fright.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” Lyn gasped, covering her mouth. “I didn’t mean to scare you!”

Tiana exhaled shakily, pressing a hand to her chest. “It’s fine,” she said softly, forcing a smile. “Thank you. I just… I didn’t expect this.”

…

That evening, The Lancaster Group hosted a welcome dinner for the new CEO. It was supposed to be a double celebration, for Ryan’s arrival and, coincidentally, for Tiana’s twenty-fifth birthday.

But unfortunately, the atmosphere was anything but festive.

The restaurant was filled with the soft hum of conversation and clinking glasses of Tiana's colleagues, yet an invisible tension lingered at the table. 

Everyone spoke in hushed tones, careful, measured, as if they were afraid of saying the wrong thing because their new and arrogant CEO, Ryan Lancaster sat at the head of the table, effortlessly commanding the room even in silence. 

He wore that unreadable expression as he sipped his wine slowly, like a man who had no interest in the people around him.

Tiana sat two seats away, her hands neatly folded in her lap, her smile practiced and polite. The new title felt strange with the annoying congratulatory words from everybody that looks at her. She is struggling with her social life and now she has to face the consequences of being social with the weight of attention pressing down. 

She should’ve felt proud. It was her birthday, after all.

Instead, she felt raw, exposed, like someone had peeled back her skin and left her nerves bare for the world to see. Sucks to not have a social life.

The chatter around the table was stilted, even laughter sounded forced. If Ryan wasn’t here, it would definitely not be like this.

Killjoy CEO.

Mr. Todd, cheeks flushed from wine, eyes glassy, leaned back in his chair, his tone laced with mockery.

“Birthday girl,” he slurred slightly, waving his glass in her direction. “In your CV, it says you’re married, right? Shouldn’t you be home with your husband instead of here? Wouldn’t he want to take you out for your birthday?”

Tiana froze, her fingers tightened around her napkin under the table. That question hit harder than she expected, like a punch straight to her gut.

Ryan’s gaze lifted from his glass, slow and assessing, his expression unreadable.

Tiana forced a polite smile, but her the worms in her stomach twisted painfully. That question stung… it really stung.