7– Meeting Again

Two years later. 

It had been two years since Lena signed those papers. Two years since she walked out of Julian’s house, out of his life, and out of everything they built; or more accurately, everything she thought they built.

In that time, she had changed. Not on the surface. Anyone looking at her perfectly tailored gown and meticulously done hair might think otherwise, but the real work had happened on the inside. That was where every illusion Lena had carried about love, about worth, about the things she once believed defined her had been torn apart and rebuilt.

To simply put, Lena was at her happiest.

“Stop fidgeting,” Leo said softly, his hand tightening around Lena’s arm as they walked into the grand ballroom. The party was already in full swing, glasses clinking, laughter echoing beneath glittering chandeliers.

“I’m not fidgeting,” Lena said, straightening her posture. “Stop being so observant, Leo. I’m not a child.”

“Yes, you are fidgeting,” he replied, grinning. “And anyone might think you’re a child with the way your face is scrunched.” 

“Can you stop it,” Lena said out of embarrassment.

Leo chuckled lightly. “Chill out, Lena. You’re the guest of honor. Father wouldn’t have thrown this huge party if he didn’t think you could handle it.”

“Yes but what about—”

“Tonight is about you, how about you focus on that,” Leo insisted, though his voice was gentle.

Lena exhaled slowly, forcing herself to calm down. Her brother was right. Tonight wasn’t just her father’s sixtieth birthday, it was her formal introduction into the business world. You see, in the past two years, while Lena was dealing with all life had thrown at her, she also received a training that was meant to prepare her to take over the family company: King Enterprises.

So this was her night, and nothing was going to ruin it: not her nerves. Not her self-doubt. And definitely not her past.

Of course, the universe chose that exact moment to test her resolve.

To put it simply, she saw Julian.

He stood near the bar, looking every bit the polished businessman he had always been; dark suit, sharp jaw, the easy confidence of a man who knew he owned the room. And on his arm was a woman Lena would recognize anywhere.

Rose was beautiful, of course. She always had been. Her long golden hair cascaded over her shoulders, her body impossibly perfect, her smile charming in a way that bordered on dangerous.

Lena’s stomach tightened, but she forced herself to keep walking. Julian hadn’t noticed her yet, and for a brief moment, she considered slipping away before he did. But Leo’s voice cut through her thoughts.

“Hold your chin up, Lena. You’re not the same woman he once knew. Don’t let him have that control.” Leo said.

It was easy to say.

Lena nodded anyway, clinging to her brother’s words like a lifeline. And when Julian’s gaze finally landed on her, she was ready. Maybe not fully.

There was a flash of recognition, surprise, and confusion in Julian’s eyes the moment they met Lena’s. It lasted only a brief moment before he masked it, but that brief second was all that mattered. 

“It’s showtime. Don’t forget to be the fearless woman I’ve always known you to be,” Leo said, his mouth leaned close to Lena’s ear.

“Of course, dearest brother of mine,” Lena replied, her voice touched by light playfulness to match her brother’s energy.

They both chuckled softly and continued forward, still holding each other’s gaze. Leo’s arm remained linked with Lena’s in a protective way. 

Though Lena was not looking directly at Julian, she saw through her peripheral, the hesitation in his steps as he approached them. 

“Mr. King,” Julian greeted Leo enthusiastically, extending his hand for a shake.

“Mr. Black,” Leo echoed, his tone friendly. “It’s been a while since we’ve all been together like this.”

“Definitely. We should plan a get together soon,” Julian replied. 

“Certainly,” Leo agreed.

Lena did not mind that she was ignored by her ex-husband. He after all regarded her as a nobody. And since her identity was still a secret, Lena was truly looking forward to when it shall be revealed.

After a moment, Leo’s eyes drifted to Rose who now stood beside Julian. “And who’s the sight beside you today, Black?” Leo asked, his voice taking its natural seductive path, though there was still a hint of mockery there. 

Lena nearly snorted at the mockery in her brother’s voice.

“Ah… pardon me,” Julian breathed, “this is Rose, my girlfriend.”

Girlfriend?

It had been two years since he divorced me for Rose, and they still weren’t engaged. Pathetic. Lena thought to herself.

Why did his eyes look so hollow? She wondered.

Lena shook her head to rid herself of any thought linked to Julian. She shouldn’t care. It wasn’t her place to care anymore.

Rose stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over Lena like a predator assessing her prey. Her red painted lips curved into a sharp smile. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Julian’s ex-wife. You really do know how to make an entrance, Lena,” she said arrogantly. 

Lena met her gaze, refusing to show how deeply the words stung. “Hello, Rose. It’s always nice to see you.”

“You two know each other?” Leo asked, feigning ignorance.

Lena opened her mouth to respond, but Rose beat her to it. “Of course we do,” her eyes narrowed as she moved closer on a precise step, her voice dropping so only Lena could hear her next words. “So, Lena, how does it feel being with another man right after your divorce? Or is that something you normally do, moving from bed to bed?”

Though Rose had spoken in a whisper, Leo had heard every word that came out of her mouth. He stiffened, his mouth parting as if he was about to read her to filth. 

But Lena placed a hand on his arm, silently urging him to stand back.

“I’m sorry, Rose, but you must be confusing me with someone else. You’re the one who’s always been in someone else’s bed. Isn’t that how you ended up with Julian in the first place?” Lena said calmly.

Anger flashed across Rose’s face, so raw Lena almost expected her to strike her. 

But instead of attacking physically, Rose roared with laughter; a sound so loud and harsh it drew the attention of the room to them. 

“You do not belong here, Lena, you never did. This world isn’t meant for women like you, women who cling to men like leeches just to survive,” Rose sneered loudly, making sure those nearby could hear. 

The room fell into an uncomfortable wave of silence. 

For half a heartbeat, Lena looked towards Julian, half expecting him to stand up for her. But he looked away like the coward he was. 

That brought a smile to Lena’s face, though bittersweet. Her heart thudded with reckless abandon. 

“You’re right to think I do not belong here, Rose,” Lena said, her voice indifferent. She waited for the words to settle and for Rose to believe she had won before adding, “I belong up there.”

Lena tipped her head, gesturing toward the head table, where her father sat alongside the board of directors. 

“Oh do not kid yourself,” Rose muttered.

“And who says she’s kidding,” Leo interjected.

Whispers erupted instantly, shock rippling through the room.

Rose went pale, her mouth opening and closing without sound.

Julian blinked over and over and over, wondering if he had heard wrong. Before he realised that his words were forming, he was already speaking. “Lena… you’re the new CEO?”

Lena scoffed. This was the first he had acknowledged her since they stood opposite one another, the first time in two years, in fact. She was shocked he still recalled her name. 

Lena looked up at Julian, holding his gaze with a calm she didn’t truly feel. “Of course, Mr. Black. I am the next CEO of King Enterprises.”

Julian felt his breath stutter. All this time, he did not know that Lena was a King. It was now that he spotted the similarities between Leonardo King and Lena. His mind went back to the day Lena signed the divorce papers: he had called her a nobody, and yet… here she was, about to own the highest shares in his company.

Julian wished to speak, but the words did not come. 

Before he knew it, Leo had already led Lena to the center of the room. “Gentlemen and ladies, allow me to formally introduce my sister, Lena King, the new CEO of King Enterprises!” He declared with his usual poise.

The applause was thunderous. Lena barely heard it over the sound of her own heartbeat. 

Julian’s eyes burned through every inch of her skin, as though he wanted to understand how it turned out the way it did.

And Lena did not care. At that moment, all that mattered was that she had stepped into a position she was willing to forgo two years ago for a stupid illusion of love. 

Lena was thankful to Rose for appearing just at the right time. She was thankful to Julian who tossed her away like garbage, thereby helping her escape that fantasy she had created.

Now, it was her time to shine.

Lena prowled forward on steady steps, closing the distance between her and Julian who would not take his eyes away from her. She stopped a few paces away from him, enough so that her words were only absorbed by him. 

“You look pale as a ghost, Julian. Why? Does it hurt your ego knowing that this nobody is now a major shareholder in your company?”