The hum of the city was always loudest at the end of work. Lila loved this Job but she was always so happy to go home.As Lila stepped out of the marketing firm's sleek glass building, she inhaled deeply, hoping the crisp evening air would clear her lingering exhaustion. Her heels clicked softly against the pavement as she joined a small group of fellow interns heading toward the curb to hail cabs. The day had been long, but she couldn't ignore the faint sense of accomplishment that came from surviving another intense workday.
Just as she adjusted the strap of her purse, movement caught her attention. A woman was walking toward the building, her figure drawing attention like a magnet. She wore a red, form-fitting dress with a neckline that plunged daringly low and heels high enough to make walking an art form. Her glossy hair cascaded over her shoulders like liquid gold, and her makeup was flawless, strikingly bold.
Lila's brow furrowed slightly. That was… odd. She glanced at her colleagues, wondering if they had noticed. They had.
"Wow," one of the interns, Anna, murmured beside her, raising a curious eyebrow. "That's the fifth one this week."
"The fifth one?" Lila repeated, glancing back at the disappearing figure.
Anna nodded knowingly. "Oh, yeah. Haven't you noticed? Every day around this time, one of these women shows up. Always dressed like that, always heading to the upper floors."
Lila's stomach twisted slightly, though she couldn't explain why. "You're saying this happens every day?"
"Like clockwork," Anna said with a sly smile. She lowered her voice as if sharing a secret. "Word around the office is they're here for the big boss."
Lila blinked. "The big boss?"
Anna nodded, clearly enjoying the gossip. "Yeah, you know, the CEO. Apparently, he has a thing for 'variety,' if you know what I mean. Different flavor every night, or so they say. He's rarely around, but when he is, these women show up. Makes you wonder what kind of business he's really running."
Lila laughed nervously, unsure why she suddenly felt so uneasy. It wasn't like it was any of her business, but something about the whole situation didn't sit right with her.
"And you've seen him? The CEO, I mean?" she asked, trying to sound casual.
Anna shrugged. "Not personally, but some of the senior staff say he's drop-dead gorgeous. Tall, dark hair, sharp features—you know, the kind of guy who could make a woman lose her mind. Sounds like a real player, though."
Lila's heart skipped a beat. That description… It sounded like… No, it couldn't be.
Her thoughts raced as she and Anna finally flagged down a cab. They exchanged polite goodbyes, but the moment Lila was alone, her mind began to spin.
Could it be Adrian? She had seen him at the building that day—his presence had been undeniable. But was he really the CEO? And if he was, did that mean these women were…?
She shook her head, trying to suppress the rising wave of frustration. When she got back to her apartment, the first thing she did was pull out her laptop. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment before she typed in the name of the firm and hit enter.
It didn't take long to find the information she was looking for. There it was, plain as day: Racroft Enterprises. CEO: Adrian Ravencroft.
Her stomach sank as the reality of it hit her. Adrian owned the company. He was the one those women were visiting.
Lila shut her laptop with more force than necessary, leaning back against the couch with a frustrated groan. She felt betrayed, though she couldn't quite understand why. After all, Adrian wasn't her problem anymore. He could do whatever—or whoever—he wanted.
By the time Mia got home, Lila was pacing the living room, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
"Uh-oh," Mia said, dropping her bag onto the kitchen counter. "What happened? Bad day at work?"
Lila stopped pacing and looked at her friend, her expression stormy. "Adrian owns the company."
Mia blinked. "Wait, what? The marketing firm? Are you serious?"
"Dead serious," Lila said, sinking onto the couch. "And that's not even the worst part. Every day after work, these women show up—practically dressed for a nightclub. And now I find out they're all there for him. He's apparently got this reputation for sleeping with a different woman every night."
Mia whistled low, sitting beside her. "Wow. That's… a lot to unpack.But why are you so affected?Lila I hope you don't have feelings for this Dickhead?
Lila buried her face in her hands. "No off course I don't,I just can't believe I didn't see it sooner. I should've known he'd be involved in something like this. And now I don't know what to do. Should I quit? How am I supposed to work there knowing he's—"
"Hold up," Mia interrupted, placing a hand on Lila's arm. "You've been there how long? A couple of weeks? And how many times have you actually seen Adrian?"
Lila frowned, thinking back. "Just the once, and even then, he pretended I didn't exist."
"He did what??The nerve of a guy he is too proud.Not like I am surprised anyway"Mia Said.
Lila frowned"He acted like we have never met,like he doesn't know me"
"Exactly," Mia said firmly. "He's clearly not interested in making your life difficult. He's probably already moved on. You said it yourself—he's got a new woman every night. He's probably forgotten all about you."
The words stung more than Lila wanted to admit, but she knew Mia had a point. Adrian had been avoiding her just as much as she had been avoiding him.
"I just hate how much space he's taking up in my head," Lila muttered.
"Then stop giving it to him," Mia said with a shrug. "Focus on your job, your goals, your future. Adrian is a distraction, and from the sound of it, he's already distracted himself with other women. Let him go, Lila. He's not worth it."
Lila nodded slowly, though her chest still felt heavy. Mia was right. She couldn't let Adrian derail her.
Across town, Adrian leaned back against the headboard of his luxurious hotel suite, a cigarette dangling loosely between his fingers. The woman beside him was draped in silk sheets, her breathing even as she slept.
He didn't even know her name. Didn't care to.All he knew was she was good.Too good Infact.She had given him really good head and he was trying to remember if he had gotten better.The sex itself was great.
Reaching for the crystal glass on the nightstand, he took a slow sip of bourbon, the liquid burning its way down his throat. His gaze drifted toward the floor-to-ceiling windows, where the city lights stretched endlessly into the night.
For a brief moment, Lila's face flashed in his mind—her wide eyes, the way her lips had parted in surprise when she'd seen him at the office. He clenched his jaw and took another drag from the cigarette, willing the image away.
She wasn't his type. Too innocent, too fragile, too… boring. She didn't satisfy him the way experienced women could.She was naive and honestly he had met better women.
But then, why couldn't he stop thinking about her?
He shook his head, annoyed with himself. Lila Collins was a closed chapter. He had no interest in revisiting it.
Adrian glanced at the sleeping woman beside him, feeling a familiar emptiness settle in his chest. This was the life he had chosen—the life he enjoyed. A different flavor every night, no attachments, no complications. It was better this way.
As he stubbed out the cigarette, he made a decision. He would leave the city in two days. There was no reason to stick around any longer.
And no reason to think about Lila ever again.
By the time Lila went to bed that night, her resolve was firm. She wouldn't quit. She wouldn't let Adrian's presence or his behavior dictate her choices.She wasn't with him after all so it wasn't her business.
But as she lay staring at the ceiling, she couldn't shake the feeling that their paths were far from finished crossing. No matter how hard she tried to distract herself—flipping through a book, scrolling aimlessly on her phone, or even playing music—it wasn't working. Her mind felt heavy, cluttered, and the loneliness of the evening wasn't helping.
Without thinking much of it, she picked up her phone and scrolled to a number she hadn't called in a while. The phone rang twice before her mom's familiar voice filled the silence.
"Lila! Sweetheart! Oh, you have no idea how happy I am to hear your voice!"
A faint smile broke through her otherwise somber expression. "Hey, Mom. How are you?"
"Oh, you know, same old, same old. Your dad's outside in the garage—says he's fixing the lawnmower, but I think he's just hiding from my to-do list." She chuckled. "And I've got cookies in the oven for the church fundraiser tomorrow. But tell me about you! How's my city girl doing? How's work?"
Lila relaxed a little, hearing her mother's warmth. "It's going really well, actually. I… I've been meaning to call and tell you about it."
"Well, I'm all ears. What's been going on?"
For the first time in days, Lila felt like the cloud over her head was lifting as she told her mom about everything—her suggestion in the meeting, the way it had turned things around for the company, and how her boss had asked her to join the team handling the project. As she talked, she could hear her mom's excitement growing with every word.
"That's my girl!" her mom said, pride evident in her voice. "I always knew you had it in you, Lila. I mean, you've always been sharp, creative, and hardworking. Of course, they'd see it too."
Lila swallowed the lump in her throat, trying not to get emotional. "Thanks, Mom. It's just… it's nice to feel like I'm actually making a difference, you know? Like, I'm not just another intern fetching coffee."
"Oh, sweetheart, you've never been just anything," her mom said firmly. "You've always been special. But promise me one thing, okay?"
"What's that?"
"Take care of yourself. You sound tired, and I know you—when you get focused, you forget to eat, sleep, or even breathe sometimes. You're no good to anyone if you're running on fumes."
"I'm fine, Mom," Lila assured her, though the pang of exhaustion in her body told her otherwise.
"Uh-huh. Fine isn't good enough," her mom teased lightly. "Promise me you'll rest this weekend."
Lila laughed softly. "Okay, okay. I promise."
"Good. Now, let's talk about Thanksgiving," her mom said eagerly. "You're coming home, right? We're planning the whole thing around you."
"I wouldn't miss it," Lila said, her chest warming at the thought of being back home.
"Oh, you have no idea how happy that makes me," her mom gushed. "We'll make all your favorites—pumpkin pie, mac and cheese, all of it. And you can tell everyone at dinner about your big-city adventures. They're going to be so impressed."
Lila smiled, picturing the chaos of Thanksgiving at home—the warmth of her family's laughter, the smell of her mom's cooking, the cozy familiarity of it all.
They chatted a bit longer, her mom filling her in on small-town gossip, church events, and her dad's latest antics. By the time Lila hung up, she felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest.
She sat on the edge of her bed for a moment, staring out at the city lights twinkling in the distance. The call reminded her of what really mattered. For the first time in a long while, she felt a sense of clarity.
Adrian, Caleb, the mating bond—it all seemed less significant now. She had her own life to live, her own goals to chase.
With that thought, she climbed under her blankets, her lips curling into a faint smile as she closed her eyes. The restless storm inside her had calmed, and for the first time in weeks, she drifted off into a peaceful sleep.