Lila walked into the boardroom, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floors. The atmosphere was tense, filled with executives waiting for her to take charge. She could feel the weight of their gazes, the unspoken demands of the room. This was her domain, the battlefield where she thrived, and yet, today, the air felt heavier than usual.
As she took her seat at the head of the table, Lila's eyes briefly flickered to Ethan. He stood off to the side, his usual composed demeanor unwavering, but something in his gaze gave her pause. She couldn't pinpoint it—concern, maybe? Frustration? Whatever it was, it unsettled her.
The meeting began, voices rising and falling as strategies were debated and decisions finalized. Lila led the discussion with her usual precision, her mind sharp and focused. But no matter how much she tried to immerse herself in the task at hand, her thoughts kept drifting back to Ethan.
He had been distant since their last conversation. Professional, yes, but colder than usual, as if he were keeping her at arm's length. It shouldn't have bothered her—after all, she had hired him to do a job, not to be her confidant. Yet, it did.
Her father's voice rang in her head: "Focus on the goal, Lila. Emotions are distractions. They make you weak."
Weakness. She hated that word, and she hated even more how easily it crept into her mind whenever Ethan was near.
When the meeting ended, Lila lingered in the boardroom, watching as the executives filed out one by one. Ethan stayed behind, collecting his notes and organizing the stack of files he always seemed to have in hand.
"Blake," she called, her voice cutting through the silence.
He straightened, his eyes meeting hers. "Yes, Ms. Devereaux?"
Lila hesitated, the words forming in her mind but refusing to take shape. She wasn't used to explaining herself, especially not to someone like Ethan. But the unspoken tension between them was becoming too much to ignore.
"You've been… different lately," she said finally, her tone clipped but not unkind. "Is there a problem I should be aware of?"
Ethan's brow furrowed slightly, and for a moment, she thought he might deflect the question. But then he sighed, setting the files down on the table.
"No, ma'am. No problem," he said, his voice calm but edged with something she couldn't quite place. "Just trying to do my job."
"Good." Lila nodded, but the response felt hollow. She crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair. "Because if there is a problem, I need to know. I don't tolerate distractions."
Ethan's eyes flickered, a brief flash of something she couldn't read. "Understood," he said simply, but his tone was quieter, more subdued.
The silence that followed was thick, charged with unspoken words. Lila felt the urge to say something more, to bridge the growing distance between them. But before she could, Ethan gathered his files and turned toward the door.
"Blake," she said, stopping him in his tracks.
He turned back, his expression neutral but expectant.
She hesitated, her fingers tightening around the edge of the table. "You're not just another employee to me," she said, the words slipping out before she could stop them.
Ethan's eyes widened slightly, and for a moment, the mask he wore slipped. "I didn't think I was," he said softly.
Lila felt her heart quicken, the vulnerability in his voice striking a chord deep within her. But before she could say anything more, he nodded once and left the room, leaving her alone with the silence and the weight of her own emotions.
As the door clicked shut behind him, Lila leaned back in her chair, her mind racing. She had spent her entire life keeping people at a distance, building walls to protect herself from the pain of attachment. But Ethan Blake was different, and for the first time in years, she wasn't sure if she could keep the walls from crumbling.