The office felt different when Lila returned. The weight of the business trip, the tension with Ethan, and the simmering emotions that had been building up over the past few weeks seemed to have followed her back. The air felt thicker, charged with an undercurrent of unspoken words. And no matter how much she tried to bury it, there was a growing awareness of what had changed between her and Ethan.
She sat at her desk, the same desk she'd occupied for years, but today it felt foreign. Her mind was scattered, trying to balance the piles of work waiting for her, but she couldn't focus. The words from their conversation in the jet echoed in her mind—"You don't have to carry this alone, Lila."
The idea had taken root, growing into something she wasn't ready to face. She had always prided herself on being independent, the one who could handle everything without help. But now, for the first time, she was questioning that part of herself.
The sudden ping of her inbox interrupted her thoughts. A reminder for a meeting with her father.
Lila exhaled, running a hand through her hair. She couldn't escape him, even if she tried.
---
The meeting room was as imposing as always. Her father sat at the head of the table, his posture rigid, his eyes sharp as they scrutinized every detail of her work. Lila knew the routine well: a quick update on the status of the merger, a few suggestions for improvement, and then the inevitable push for results.
"Lila," her father began, his voice cool and businesslike, "the merger has been handled well, but I need to see results from you. The partners are getting restless."
She nodded, swallowing the knot in her throat. "I'm on it, Father. We're finalizing the contracts this week, and the new project initiatives will be rolled out shortly."
Her father's gaze didn't soften. "That's not good enough. You need to show them something substantial—something beyond just the merger. You're not being evaluated on effort; you're being evaluated on results."
The words stung, but Lila had heard them all too many times. She had always been a workhorse in her father's eyes, a tool to push the company forward. It didn't matter how much she sacrificed or how hard she worked. It was never enough.
"I'll make sure it's done," she said, her voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions inside her.
As the meeting came to a close, her father didn't offer any words of encouragement. His eyes were already on the next task, his mind already focused on the next hurdle to clear.
Lila walked out of the conference room feeling like a shadow of herself. The weight of his expectations was suffocating. But what really bothered her, what gnawed at her insides, was the knowledge that no matter how hard she tried, she would never live up to his vision of success.
---
Back at her desk, she was greeted by a message from Ethan. The subject line was short: "Lunch?"
Lila smiled faintly at the simplicity of it. She hadn't spoken to him much since the plane ride. She'd buried herself in work, avoiding the growing tension between them. The kiss, the quiet moments of vulnerability—it was all too much, too fast. She didn't know how to process it.
Maybe lunch is a good distraction, she thought, her fingers already typing a reply.
"Sure. Let's meet in 30."
---
When Lila arrived at the café, she saw Ethan sitting at their usual corner table, a half-smile tugging at his lips as he watched her approach. He stood as she sat down, ever the gentleman. But the warm, easy atmosphere they'd once shared now felt heavier, laden with unsaid things.
"Good to see you," Ethan said, his voice warm. "How's the day treating you?"
Lila glanced at him, her gaze lingering for a moment longer than necessary. "It's been… busy." She hesitated, then added, "Dad had his meeting this morning. Same as always."
Ethan's brow furrowed. "Still pushing you to your limits?"
Lila nodded. "It's never enough, Ethan. No matter what I do, it's never enough."
There was an edge to her voice that she couldn't mask, and Ethan noticed it immediately. He leaned forward slightly, his expression softening. "You know, you don't have to carry that alone. You don't have to prove anything to him."
Lila looked down at the table, the knot in her chest tightening. She couldn't explain it to him—not fully. She didn't want to be the daughter who couldn't meet her father's standards. But she also didn't want to be the woman who lost herself trying to be someone else's vision of success.
"I've spent my entire life trying to meet his expectations," she said, her voice quiet. "I don't know how to stop."
Ethan's eyes softened, and he reached across the table, placing his hand over hers. The simple gesture was enough to make her heart skip a beat. It was the kind of reassurance she hadn't realized she needed.
"You don't have to stop, Lila," he said, his voice low and steady. "But you don't have to do it all by yourself. You don't have to lose yourself in the process."
She met his gaze then, really looked at him for the first time since their trip. The connection between them, the warmth, the understanding—it was undeniable. Ethan wasn't just offering her support in a professional sense. He was offering her something more, something she had been too afraid to consider.
"Ethan…" She trailed off, unsure of how to put her feelings into words.
"I'm here, Lila," he said, his voice softer now. "I'm not going anywhere."
And in that moment, Lila felt something shift within her. The constant pressure from her father, the weight of her responsibilities—it all felt a little lighter, a little less overwhelming, just knowing that Ethan was there. She wasn't sure what this was between them, or what it could become, but for the first time in a long time, she allowed herself to believe that maybe, just maybe, she didn't have to face it alone.
---
After lunch, as they walked back to the office together, Lila felt a sense of clarity that had eluded her for months. The choice was hers: she could continue to try to meet her father's impossible expectations, sacrificing herself along the way, or she could find a way to balance the woman she was with the businesswoman she had to be.
Ethan's hand brushed against hers as they crossed the street, the touch brief but electric. It was simple, small, but it meant more to her than she could articulate.
She wasn't ready to make any decisions yet. But for the first time in a long time, she wasn't afraid of the future.