Lila woke up with a dull ache in her head and a heavy feeling in her chest, but at least she wasn't as bad as the day before. She sighed, pushing herself up from her bed, the coolness of the wooden floor grounding her. She'd read somewhere—probably one of those werewolf forums she and Mia had been scouring—that severing a mating bond could have lingering physical and emotional effects. But she wasn't going to let that dictate her life.
No.
Today was important. Today was the day she got to pitch her idea to Ryan's team and officially take a step toward proving her worth at the company.
Her laptop sat open on her desk, the glowing screen a reminder of the hours she'd poured into her slides. She pulled up her presentation again, combing through the details to ensure everything was perfect. Marketing strategies, potential risks, timelines—it was all there.
"Mia!" she called out, pacing the room with her notes in hand.
Mia shuffled in, still in her pajamas, clutching a mug of coffee like it was her lifeline. "What now?"
"Just listen to this one more time, please?" Lila pleaded.
Mia groaned dramatically but sat on the edge of Lila's bed, motioning for her to go on.
Lila took a deep breath and launched into her pitch. She felt the adrenaline rushing through her as she spoke, mimicking how she'd present to the team. When she finished, she turned to Mia, her heart pounding.
"Well?"
Mia raised an eyebrow. "It's really solid, Lila. You've got this."
"Really?"
"Yes. Now stop overthinking it, or you're going to spiral," Mia said, taking another sip of her coffee. "Now, go get dressed and knock 'em dead."
Lila smiled, her confidence bolstered by Mia's words. After quickly getting ready, she grabbed her bag, double-checked her laptop, and headed out.
The office buzzed with the usual morning energy, a mix of ringing phones and chatter. Lila's nerves simmered just beneath the surface as she made her way to Ryan's office.
When she stepped in, Ryan was reviewing some documents. He glanced up and gave her a nod of approval.
"You ready for today?" he asked.
"Yes," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Good. I took a look at your slides earlier, and I have to say, you've done an excellent job. The partners are going to love this."
Lila's stomach fluttered. His praise was exactly what she needed to hear.
The meeting room was spacious, lined with floor-to-ceiling windows that let in streams of light. Lila walked in, setting up her laptop at the head of the table. She went over her notes one last time while the team trickled in, chatting amongst themselves.
And then the door opened.
Her heart stopped.
Adrian.
He walked in like he owned the place—because he did. His sharp suit hugged his tall frame, and his presence seemed to suck the air out of the room.
Lila froze. Why was he here?
He didn't even glance her way, instead taking a seat at the far end of the table, directly in her line of sight. Her mind raced, but before she could process anything, Ryan's voice snapped her back to reality.
"Lila?"
She blinked, realizing everyone was watching her. Forcing a smile, she cleared her throat and began.
Her voice was steady, but her hands trembled slightly as she gestured to the slides on the screen. She could feel Adrian's eyes on her, and it was like an invisible weight pressing down on her chest.
Her idea was solid—she knew it was—but she could feel her delivery slipping. She stumbled over a few words, her confidence faltering under the pressure of his presence.
When she finished, the room was silent for a moment before the team erupted into a round of polite applause. Ryan gave her an encouraging nod, but she could see it in his eyes—he knew she could have done better.
Her stomach churned as she quickly gathered her things.
Lila locked herself in the restroom, her back pressed against the cool tile wall. She pulled out her phone and dialed Mia.
"Hey," Mia's voice came through, cheerful.
"I'm falling apart," Lila whispered, her voice
cracking as she spoke.
"What happened?" Mia's tone shifted instantly to concern.
"The meeting—it was awful," Lila said, pressing the heel of her hand to her forehead. "I froze, Mia. He was there."
"Wait, who?"
"Adrian," Lila muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
There was silence on the other end for a moment before Mia spoke. "Adrian? As in Adrian Adrian? The boss Adrian?"
"Yes," Lila groaned. "He just walked in, sat down like it was nothing, and completely threw me off my game. I could barely focus."
Mia let out a frustrated sigh. "What's he even doing there? I thought he was avoiding you!"
"I don't know," Lila said, her voice rising slightly. "He just showed up. And now I feel like I've ruined everything. Ryan believed in me, and I messed it up."
"Lila, stop," Mia said firmly. "You didn't ruin anything. You're just overwhelmed. Your idea is good—it's solid. Even if the delivery wasn't perfect, they'll still see the value in it.You need to stop allowing him affect you like this.Act the exact same way he is acting "
Lila leaned her head back against the wall, closing her eyes. "I just wasn't expecting to him at all after concluding he was avoiding me.i just feel so out of place, Mia. Like I'm not good enough to be here."
"Listen to me," Mia said. "You belong there. You've worked hard, and you've already proven yourself more than once. Adrian showing up was just bad timing. Don't let him get in your head."
Lila nodded, even though Mia couldn't see her. "Thanks. I needed to hear that."
"Always," Mia said. "Now, take a deep breath, fix your lipstick, and walk out of that restroom like the badass I know you are."
Lila smiled faintly, her spirits lifting slightly. "I'll try."
Meanwhile, Adrian sat in his office, his hands steepled in front of him as he stared out the window. He hadn't planned to attend the meeting. One of his managers had insisted he join to get up to speed on the latest developments before he left the city, and he'd reluctantly agreed.
But the moment he walked in and saw Lila standing there, his carefully constructed façade cracked.
She looked different—stronger, more confident. And yet, the moment their eyes met, he saw the flicker of vulnerability that made his chest tighten.
He hated himself for coming. For disrupting whatever progress she was making.He hated how he couldn't seem to stop thinking about her and each time he decided to remove her from his mind,he always runs into her.
Her idea had been impressive, but her delivery… he could tell his presence had thrown her off balance.
Adrian clenched his jaw, frustration bubbling under the surface. He'd tried to avoid her, to stay away, but fate seemed determined to cross their paths. He reached for his phone and dialed his travel agent.
"Brenda,I need a favor.I need you to Move my flight forward today ," he said curtly. "I would like to leave tonight."
The sooner he was out of this city, the better.
Back in the office, Lila stepped out of the restroom, her shoulders squared. She wasn't going to let Adrian or anyone else define her success.
Ryan caught her on her way back to her desk.
"Hey, good job in there," he said, giving her a reassuring smile.
"Thanks," she said, though she didn't quite believe it.
"You've got potential, Lila. Just work on your confidence a bit, and you'll be unstoppable," Ryan said, patting her shoulder before walking off.
His words stayed with her as she sat at her desk, staring at her laptop. Maybe she wasn't as far off track as she thought.
That night, Adrian boarded his private jet, the city lights fading into the distance as the plane ascended. He poured himself a glass of wine, leaning back in his seat.
Lila's face lingered in his mind, no matter how hard he tried to push it away.
"She'll be fine," he muttered to himself, trying to believe it. "She doesn't need me.And I sure as hell don't need her either.I need to focus"
As his plane Descended from the sky he made plans to push Lila far from his mind and focus on his goals because he couldn't afford to keep being so disorganized because of a girl.He would go back to his former life and enjoy the women who couldn't seem to resist him and that made him feel powerful and very confident
But deep down, he wasn't sure who he was trying to convince—himself or the ghost of her that seemed to haunt him.At this rate she might conclude he was stalking her not knowing he was actually avoiding her.