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All Chapters of Echoes of that night: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

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The headache hit hard, pulling her back into consciousness piece by piece. Liana blinked groggily, her vision swimming in dark, heavy waves as she tried to force her eyes open. Everything ached, but the right side of her face hurt like hell—a sharp, throbbing agony centered on her cheekbone, a brutal reminder of the metal stall wall and the violent blow that had knocked her out completely. Her whole body felt heavy and leaden, trapped in a foggy haze as she tried to make sense of where she was. Then she felt the smooth, quiet movement beneath her. She was in a moving car. Panic instantly surged through her, her hands flying up to cover her chest, but she paused when she felt the heavy, dark suit jacket she was wrapped in. It smelled faintly of rain and expensive cedarwood, shielding her torn dress from the cold air conditioning. "Calm down." The voice rang out in the quiet space, low and steady. Julian slowed the car down slightly, turning his head to her in the dim

Last Updated : 2026-08-31

Recognition

Nina’s POV The bass inside Luxe was loud, thumping straight through the hardwood floors and into the heels of Nina’s boots. Flashing purple lights cut through the light fog hanging over the crowded room as Nina pushed her way forward, pulling Liana along until they snagged two high velvet barstools near the main bar. The bartender slid two glasses across the counter, but the second Liana settled onto her seat, Nina’s bladder gave an unwelcome, aggressive twitch. Damn it. She should have gone to the bathroom back at the apartment before they left. Nina sighed again, she knew liana would be mad but... there's nothing she could do, so she turned on her stool, leaning over to shout over the deafening music. "I need to hit the restroom!" She held up three fingers to emphasize the emergency. Liana looked at her, looking slightly offended. "Omg Nina, we just got here!" "I know, im sorry" Nina yelled over the music, an apologetic look on her face "Just.. stay right here!

Last Updated : 2026-09-01

Tired

"Nina?" When Nina heard her name called in that low, familiar voice, she stopped in her tracks and slowly forced her head up. The pain in her leg, the burning sting of the blood, the sheer physical exhaustion—it all went completely numb as her eyes locked onto the tall figure standing at the mouth of the alley. "Leo..." The surrounding noise of the night seemed to fade into absolute silence. The muffled, heavy thud of the club music behind the metal doors, the groans of the four men bleeding out on the wet pavement, the quiet drip of rain falling off the brick walls—it all died away. The entire world shrank down to just the two of them standing under the flickering yellow streetlight. They simply stared at each other for a full, agonizing minute. Neither of them moved. Neither of them dared to breathe. Then, Leo took a slow, tentative step forward. The confident, lazy smirk that usually rested on his face was completely gone, replaced by a raw, unreadable expression.

Last Updated : 2026-09-01

Email

Liana's pov The morning air felt crisp against Liana’s face as the taxi pulled away from the curb, leaving her standing on the quiet suburban sidewalk. Her mind was in a complete rampage. The entire ride from the hotel had been an agonizing blur of worst-case scenarios, fueled by the fact that her phone was dead and the throbbing ache on the right side of her face. She hadn't heard from Nina since they got separated in that loud, chaotic nightclub, and the silence was eating her alive. The only small comfort keeping her grounded was knowing that Ava wouldn't be inside to see her like this. By now, Nina’s neighbor would have already picked her up for the morning school carpool. Ava was safe, blissfully unaware of the storm her mother had walked through last night. Liana took a deep breath, clutching her coat tighter around her chest, and walked up the paved driveway. She unlocked the front door, pushing it open, fully expecting Nina to be home by now. "Nina?" Liana called

Last Updated : 2026-09-02

The interview

Liana stared down at the glowing phone screen in her hand, her thumb completely frozen over the glass. Nina stepped closer from the counter, setting her coffee mug down as her eyes narrowed with concern. "Liana? What is it? Did they reject you?" "No," Liana said softly, her voice barely carrying across the quiet kitchen. "No... look." She slowly turned the screen around. Nina leaned forward, her dark eyes quickly scanning the formal text. A second later, her hands flew to her mouth, letting out a sharp, breathless gasp. "Wait. Is this... are they actually calling you in?" Sender: Executive Office — Vance & Co. Date Sent: Yesterday, 4:15 PM Subject: Formal Interview Invitation — Miss Liana Mercer Dear Miss Mercer, Following a review of your application for the Executive Administrative Specialist position, we would like to invite you to our corporate headquarters for a formal interview this Friday at 9:00 AM. Please reply to this email at your earliest conv

Last Updated : 2026-09-02

My ex?

Vance & Co. Head Office Julian's pov. "Mother, you have told me about this two weeks ago!" Julian gripped the edge of his mahogany desk, staring back at the glowing high-definition monitor in front of him. On the screen, his mother sat poised in her sunlit courtyard back home, her pristine white hair styled effortlessly. "And since then, I haven't seen any changes," she replied smoothly, "Not a single one, Julian. You treat this company like it is your entire life, yet you ignore the foundational terms that keep it in our hands." "I am running the company just fine," Julian said, leaning forward, his voice tight. "I have doubled our quarterly projections and restructured the entire logistics division in six months alone. The company is performing better than it ever did under my grandfather." "Performance is irrelevant to a dead man's will, my dear," she said, her tone infuriatingly calm. "Your grandfather was explicit. The chairman seat—and the controlling shares of

Last Updated : 2026-09-05

not a problem

The soft clink of hangers slid across the rack as Liana looked through a line of tailored blazers. They were crisp, professional, and definitely outside her usual budget, but today was an exception.They had sent her the email the night she got home from the interview.Sender: Executive Office — Vance & Co.Date Sent: Friday, 7:42 PMSubject: Offer of Employment — Executive Secretary to the CEO — Miss Liana MercerDear Miss Mercer,Following your interview today, we are pleased to inform you that Vance & Co. has formally selected you for the position of Executive Secretary to the Chief Executive Officer.Your performance and composure during the selection process met the standards required for our executive suite. Attached to this email, you will find your official employment agreement detailing your compensation structure, benefits package, and onboarding documentation.You are expected to report to the top-floor executive suite at Vance & Co. Headquarters this coming Monday m

Last Updated : 2026-09-05

First day

Liana’s POV Monday came faster than Liana wanted it to. By seven-fifteen in the morning, she was already standing outside the soaring glass towers of Vance & Co., holding a paper cup of warm tea she barely touched. She had spent forty-five minutes in front of the mirror that morning—adjusting the collar of her new cream blouse and smoothing down the high-waisted trousers. She was excited, yes, but beneath the excitement was a nervous, knotting tension in her stomach. She couldn't mess this up. Not today. Not ever. Liana pushed through the heavy glass revolving doors into the lobby. The ground floor was already bustling with suit-clad executives and assistants rushing toward the elevators. She walked up to the main reception desk, where a polite young woman verified her name, scanned her temporary ID, and handed her a sleek, black security badge printed with her photo and title: Executive Secretary — Office of the CEO. "Floor forty," the receptionist said with a profe

Last Updated : 2026-09-08

He forgot

Liana stared. The breath caught right in the middle of her chest, keeping her frozen where she stood on the plush carpet. The dark hair, the sharp jawline, the quiet intensity in those gray eyes—it was him. The man from the country club. The one who had walked her into a private hotel suite, handed her his custom jacket without asking questions, and left her to take a warm shower in peace while she gathered herself. Now, he was sitting behind a massive dark wood desk in a tailored dark suit, holding a silver pen, looking every bit the cold corporate executive Rachel had just warned her about. Her mind raced, her tongue feeling heavy and useless in her mouth. She stood there holding the ceramic mug, her brain stubbornly refusing to connect the quiet, almost gentle man from that night to the untouchable CEO of Vance & Co. Julian looked up from his papers. His eyes swept over her face and when she didn't move or offer a single word for three long seconds, his brow furrowed

Last Updated : 2026-09-12

A drink for him

Liana’s POVIt had been a week since Liana started working at Vance & Co., and she fully understood why the last executive secretary had quit.Julian Vance was harsh, unrelenting, and strictly business. He didn't do small talk, he didn't give second chances, and he expected absolute perfection every single hour of the day.By seven in the morning, Liana was already sitting at her workstation, rubbing the sleep from her eyes while reviewing his schedule. She had learned that getting in early was the only way to stay sane. It gave her enough time to handle incoming emails, organize his files, and prepare his coffee before he could find something to criticize.At seven-fifteen sharp, Liana picked up the ceramic mug of hot, dark espresso and pushed open his double doors."Good morning, Mr. Vance," she said, setting the coffee down on his desk coaster.Julian didn't look up from his tablet. "Morning, Ms. Mercer. The schedule?"

Last Updated : 2026-09-14

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