The next morning, Lila stood in the kitchen, cradling a mug of coffee and staring at the email on her phone for the fifth time. Ryan had sent it late last night, and the words still sent a small thrill of nerves and excitement down her spine:
"Lila, I'm impressed with your ideas. I'd like you to join me at an important dinner with one of our major investors in New York city. It's a great opportunity to present your concept further. Dress professionally, and I'll see you at the airport tomorrow morning."
Her stomach flipped again. Flying to a different city for a work dinner was not something she'd ever expected so soon after joining the company. She felt honored but also terrified. What if she messed this up? This wasn't just her career on the line—it was her reputation.
"You've got this," Mia said as she handed Lila a freshly ironed blazer. "You're brilliant. If Ryan trusts you enough to take you, you deserve to be there."
Mia's confidence was reassuring, but Lila couldn't shake the lingering unease that had settled over her since Adrian had shown up at her presentation yesterday. She pushed the thought aside, determined to focus on the opportunity ahead.
By early afternoon, Lila was boarding the flight with Ryan, sitting nervously in the window seat as the plane taxied down the runway. Ryan, ever the picture of calm professionalism, gave her a supportive smile.
"This dinner isn't just about impressing the investors," he said. "It's about showing them the future of our company. Your fresh perspective is exactly what we need. No pressure."
Lila laughed nervously. "Right. No pressure at all."
Meanwhile, across town, Adrian sat in the back seat of his sleek black car, scrolling through emails on his phone. His travel agent had booked his flight to New York for a separate meeting with the regional division of his company. Adrian didn't care for the trip—he had been trying to leave the city entirely and return to his quieter, simpler life. But avoiding this meeting would have raised too many questions.
As the plane took off later that afternoon, Adrian leaned his head back against the seat, his eyes closed. His mind, traitorous as ever, drifted back to Lila. He had told himself he wouldn't think of her, but the way she had looked at him during that meeting kept replaying in his head. That fleeting mixture of shock and hurt in her eyes had pierced something in him.
"Focus," he muttered under his breath. He was here for business, not personal distractions.
When Lila and Ryan arrived at the restaurant, a sleek rooftop venue overlooking the city's skyline, Lila felt a fresh wave of nerves. Her heels clicked on the marble floor as she followed Ryan inside. The atmosphere was polished, with soft jazz music playing in the background and waiters gliding past with trays of champagne flutes.
As Ryan exchanged pleasantries with the host, Lila straightened her blazer and clutched her laptop bag tightly. She could do this. She had prepared her slides meticulously, rehearsed her pitch, and double-checked every detail.
But when they entered the private dining room and she scanned the faces seated around the table, her heart stopped.
Adrian was there.
Sitting at the head of the table, dressed in a tailored black suit that only emphasized his air of authority, he was impossible to miss. His dark eyes locked onto hers for a split second before he masked his surprise with his usual cool indifference.
Lila froze, her mind racing. Why was he here? How was this even possible?
"Lila?" Ryan's voice snapped her back to the present. "Come on, let me introduce you."
She forced her legs to move, following Ryan to the table and taking the seat he pulled out for her. Adrian's gaze burned into her from across the room, but he said nothing.
Adrian felt his control slipping the moment he saw her. He hadn't expected this. He hadn't wanted this. And yet, there she was, sitting just a few seats away, her wide eyes betraying her shock. He immediately regretted agreeing to attend this dinner.
As the presentations began, Adrian leaned back in his chair, his expression carefully neutral. He refused to let his inner turmoil show, especially not in front of his team and the investors.
Lila, on the other hand, struggled to maintain her composure. She delivered her pitch as planned, but her voice wavered slightly, and her usual confidence faltered under Adrian's gaze. She avoided looking at him as much as possible, focusing instead on Ryan and the investors, who thankfully seemed engaged with her ideas.
When she finished, Ryan gave her a reassuring nod, and the investors offered polite applause. But Lila couldn't shake the feeling that she had fallen short. Her delivery hadn't been as strong as it could have been, and she knew it.
After the dinner, Lila excused herself and stepped outside onto the terrace to catch her breath. The cool night air was a welcome relief, but it did little to calm the storm inside her.
She pulled out her phone and dialed Mia's number.
"Mia," she said the moment her friend answered, "I saw him again. Adrian. He was at the dinner."
"What?!" Mia's voice was a mix of shock and indignation. "What is he doing there?"
"I don't know. He didn't say anything to me, but I could feel him watching me the entire time. It completely threw me off."
"Lila, you can't let him get to you," Mia said firmly. "You're better than that. He's probably just trying to mess with your head."
"Maybe," Lila said, her voice tinged with doubt. "But I don't think he even cares enough to mess with me. He didn't acknowledge me at all."
"Good. Let him stay in his corner. Focus on your work and let him be irrelevant."
Lila sighed, gripping the railing of the terrace. "I'm trying, Mia. I really am. But seeing him again… it just brought everything back."
Inside, Adrian was fighting his own battle. As the investors chatted and exchanged pleasantries, he slipped out of the dining room and onto the opposite side of the terrace, needing air. The dim city lights reflected in his dark eyes as he leaned against the railing, his fingers gripping the edge tightly. He had to pull himself together.
Adrian hadn't planned on seeing her. He'd done everything in his power to avoid her, even leaving the city entirely for his next stop. But fate—or whatever cruel force dictated his life—had thrown her in front of him again.
She looked different. Stronger, more determined. But there was a shadow of vulnerability in her eyes, something he couldn't quite place. And yet, it wasn't his business. He reminded himself of that over and over again. She wasn't his to protect, to admire, or to care about.
He exhaled sharply, his frustration building. That evening had gone from a simple business dinner to a test of his self-control, and he was losing.
On the other side of the terrace, Lila took a deep breath, trying to let Mia's words sink in. But as the moments passed, she became acutely aware of another presence. The weight of a gaze she had felt many times before.
She turned slightly, and there he was.
Adrian.
For a moment, their eyes met in the faint glow of the terrace lights. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes… there was something there, just for a fleeting second. Regret? No, that wasn't it. Curiosity? Anger? Whatever it was, it was gone too quickly for her to identify.
Lila straightened her back and quickly turned away, determined not to let him get under her skin. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.
"Lila." His voice, smooth and low, cut through the night like a blade.
She froze, her heart hammering. She hadn't expected him to speak to her, not after the way he had ignored her at work.
Slowly, she turned to face him, her mask of professionalism slipping into place. "Adrian," she said, her voice even.
He studied her for a moment, as if searching for the right words. "You did well in there," he said finally, his tone betraying nothing.
Lila blinked, caught off guard. "Thanks," she said cautiously, unsure if he meant it or if he was just being polite.
"I mean it," he continued, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Your idea was solid. With more confidence in your delivery, you'll have them eating out of your hand."
She didn't know how to respond. The compliment felt genuine, but coming from Adrian, it only added to her confusion. Why was he saying this now, after everything?
"Well," she said, crossing her arms, "I guess I'll work on that."
Adrian nodded, his gaze lingering on her for a moment longer than necessary before he turned and walked back inside without another word.
By the time Lila returned to her hotel room that night, she felt drained in every possible way. She replayed the brief conversation on the terrace over and over, trying to make sense of it.
Why did he have to say those things? Why did he have to acknowledge her at all? She had been doing fine ignoring him, pushing him to the back of her mind where he belonged. But now… now she felt like she was back at square one.
Mia's words rang in her ears: "He's trying to mess with your head. Don't let him."
Maybe she was right. Maybe Adrian's words were just another way to toy with her. But then why had he seemed so… conflicted?
Lila sighed, kicking off her heels and collapsing onto the bed. She couldn't afford to waste energy on him, not when she had more pressing things to focus on—like proving herself in her new role.
Tomorrow, she decided, she would be better.