The ride home was silent, save for the soft hum of the city outside. Lila sat in the backseat of her town car, staring out at the blur of headlights and skyscrapers, but her mind wasn't on the city. It was on Ethan.
It was absurd, really—how quickly and deeply she'd let herself fall for someone who had no ties to her world, no ambitions that mirrored her own. Ethan was a disruption, a beautifully chaotic force in her life that both thrilled and terrified her. But wasn't that what she had always craved deep down? A break from the suffocating expectations and endless power plays?
Her phone buzzed, breaking her thoughts. It was a message from Charles.
Charles: Dinner tomorrow. 8 PM. Don't be late.
Lila sighed. Her father never asked. He summoned. And tomorrow, it seemed, would be another attempt to remind her who held the real power.
She closed her eyes and leaned back in the seat, her thoughts wandering to Ethan's steady voice in the meeting. For a moment, he had become her anchor—a reminder that she wasn't as alone as she felt.
---
The next morning, Ethan walked into the office with a sense of determination. The meeting with Charles had rattled him, but he wasn't about to let it derail his focus. He had a job to do, and more importantly, he had a promise to keep—to Lila and to himself.
As he passed Lila's office, he hesitated. The door was slightly ajar, and he could hear her on the phone. Her tone was sharp, decisive, but there was an edge of frustration that made him pause.
"No, I don't care what they're saying," she snapped. "We're not cutting corners on this project. If they want to rush, they can do it without me."
There was a beat of silence, then a sigh. "Fine. I'll meet with them later. Just… handle it for now."
Ethan knocked lightly on the doorframe, and Lila looked up, her expression softening as she saw him.
"Come in," she said, waving him inside as she ended the call.
"You okay?" he asked, closing the door behind him.
"Just another day in paradise," she replied dryly, rubbing her temples. "Charles is pushing harder than usual, and it's taking everything I have not to snap."
Ethan leaned against the desk, crossing his arms. "You don't have to let him push you around, you know."
Lila let out a bitter laugh. "You don't know my father. He doesn't push—he bulldozes. And if you don't get out of the way, you're crushed."
"I know he's tough," Ethan said, his voice gentle. "But you're tougher."
The sincerity in his words made her pause. For all her confidence and ambition, she couldn't remember the last time someone had believed in her the way Ethan did.
"Thank you," she said softly, her eyes meeting his.
They stood in silence for a moment, the air between them charged. Ethan wanted to reach for her, to close the distance, but he hesitated. This wasn't the time or place.
"I wanted to check in on the firmware project," he said, steering the conversation back to safer ground. "I think I've found a way to address the vulnerabilities without delaying the timeline too much."
Lila raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Really? Show me."
He pulled out his laptop and set it on her desk, walking her through the updates he'd been working on. As they leaned over the screen together, their shoulders brushed, sending a jolt of electricity through both of them.
Lila cleared her throat, trying to focus. "This… this is actually really good, Ethan. You've got a talent for this."
He grinned, his confidence bolstered by her praise. "Thanks. I've had a good teacher."
She rolled her eyes, but her smile betrayed her amusement. "Don't let it go to your head."
---
That evening, Lila sat at the dinner table across from Charles, the tension between them palpable. The restaurant was upscale and quiet, the kind of place where deals were made and alliances were forged.
"I saw your little protégé in action today," Charles said, cutting into his steak.
Lila stiffened. "Ethan's not my protégé. He's part of the team."
"Part of the team," Charles repeated, his tone mocking. "And yet, he seems to be the only one you trust to have your back. Interesting choice, don't you think?"
Her grip on her fork tightened. "What are you getting at?"
"I'm saying you're letting personal feelings cloud your judgment," Charles said, his voice low and cutting. "You've always been too soft, Lila. Too quick to let emotions interfere with business. And now, it seems, you're repeating old mistakes."
Lila felt the familiar sting of his words, but this time, she refused to let them sink in. "I'm not soft, Charles. I'm smart. And if you can't see the value Ethan brings to the table, that's your problem, not mine."
Her father's eyes narrowed, but he didn't respond. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, studying her with a mixture of irritation and grudging respect.
"You've grown, I'll give you that," he said finally. "But don't forget where your loyalties lie. This company is bigger than you—or your little pet projects."
Lila met his gaze, her chin held high. "My loyalties lie with the company, yes. But they also lie with doing what's right. And if you can't accept that, maybe it's you who needs to reconsider your priorities."
For the first time in years, she felt a flicker of triumph as Charles fell silent, his expression unreadable.
---
Later that night, Lila sat in her apartment, nursing a glass of wine as she replayed the events of the day. Ethan's words, her father's criticism, the small victories and the lingering doubts—they all swirled in her mind like a storm she couldn't quiet.
Her phone buzzed on the coffee table, and she picked it up to see a message from Ethan.
Ethan: Just checking in. How was dinner?
Lila hesitated, then typed a reply. Complicated. But manageable. Thanks for asking.
A moment later, his response came through. If you ever need backup, you know where to find me.
She smiled, a warmth spreading through her chest. For the first time in a long while, she felt like she wasn't fighting her battles alone.
Lila: I'll hold you to that.
As she set the phone down, she realized something. Ethan wasn't just a disruption—he was a reminder. A reminder that she didn't have to follow the same path her father had laid out for her. She could forge her own.
And maybe, just maybe, she could find happiness along the way.