The next day, Lila stood in front of the mirror, scrutinizing her reflection as though it were a stranger. Her hair, meticulously styled, fell perfectly around her shoulders. The black blazer she wore was sharp and tailored, every detail flawless. Yet, despite the polished exterior, something inside her felt... off.
Her father's words echoed in her mind, as they often did when the weight of the day pressed down too hard:
"You must be stronger than everyone else. Weakness will never be tolerated."
She had spent years believing that. Convincing herself that perfection was the only way to survive. To control every detail, every outcome, and never, never show any crack in her armor. She couldn't afford to be anything less than perfect, because imperfection—vulnerability—was dangerous. It made people weak. And weakness had no place in her world.
But today… today, she felt the walls beginning to crumble. The nagging sense that she wasn't enough. That no matter how hard she tried, she was failing. And she couldn't even admit it to herself—let alone anyone else.
The problem wasn't the company. It wasn't the deals or the mergers or the expectations. It was her.
For years, she had buried the loneliness beneath her ambition, the ache beneath the power. But as she stood here, staring at her reflection, she wondered if it had all been worth it. What had she sacrificed to get here? And for what?
Lila's breath caught in her throat. The realization was sharp and painful. She had sacrificed herself.
The office, the high rises, the endless work—it was all a fortress. A fortress to keep her safe, to protect her from the world that had always seen her as a means to an end. But it had become a prison.
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.
"Lila?" It was Blake, his voice hesitant as he peeked his head inside.
Lila straightened, immediately slipping back into her mask, the confident, unshakable CEO. She wiped the unsettling emotions from her face like a painter wiping away a stroke that didn't belong. "Come in, Blake," she called, her voice as composed as ever.
He entered, holding a stack of reports—just another day's work. Yet, as he crossed the room toward her, Lila noticed something in his eyes, a knowing look that made her pulse quicken.
"I've got the numbers for the upcoming merger," Ethan said, handing her the files. "I've also looked into some of the potential risks that we didn't account for earlier. I'll need your input before I finalize the report."
Lila took the files without a word, but her eyes lingered on him for a moment longer than usual. She could feel the shift inside her, the conflict warring within her mind. The professional distance she always kept between herself and her employees was starting to feel... thinner. Her walls were cracking, and Blake was part of it.
He was an enigma—someone who refused to bow down to her power. He wasn't intimidated by her authority, and yet he respected it. In a world full of sycophants, that was refreshing. But it was also dangerous. Lila had always believed that the best way to stay in control was to never let anyone see her as anything more than the CEO. It was the only way to keep people from getting too close.
And now, here was Blake—quietly piercing through the armor she had so carefully crafted.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice unexpectedly soft.
Lila blinked, her gaze snapping back to his. She took a steadying breath, forcing herself to focus. "I'm fine," she said, her voice crisp, detached. "Just reviewing some details."
But Ethan didn't move. He studied her for a moment longer, and Lila could feel the weight of his gaze, sharp and perceptive, as if he could see right through her.
"It's okay if you're not," he said gently. "I've seen the way you push yourself, Lila. I've seen how hard you work to keep everything together. But you don't have to do it alone. Not all the time."
Lila's breath caught, and for a moment, she forgot to hide. She forgot to mask the vulnerability, the exhaustion that had been building for months, maybe even years. But only for a moment. She quickly regained control, pushing the emotions down and hiding them behind her polished facade.
"I don't need help," she said, the words as automatic as they were rehearsed. "I never have."
Ethan didn't press, but the faint look of concern in his eyes didn't go unnoticed. He stood there for a moment longer, before turning and heading for the door.
"I'll leave the reports on your desk. You can look over them when you're ready."
Lila nodded, but she didn't speak. As the door clicked shut behind him, she allowed herself a moment of silence, the kind she never let herself have. She sank back into her chair, the weight of the world on her shoulders.
For the first time in years, she wondered if she had been wrong all along. Maybe she wasn't as invincible as she had thought. Maybe, just maybe, she could let someone else in.
But the thought terrified her.