Chapter 5
1206 Words
Emily paced her living room, phone in hand, debating whether to press call.
After her mother’s relentless nagging about bringing Ryan over, she knew she had no choice but to invite him. But the idea of actually saying the words felt... strange.
She sighed, closing her eyes for a second before finally hitting dial.
The phone rang twice before Ryan picked up.
"Emily?" His voice was smooth, slightly amused, like he already knew she was struggling with something.
She huffed. "Don’t sound so smug."
He chuckled. "What did I do?"
"You exist."
Another low chuckle, and she could hear the smirk in his voice. "That bad, huh?"
Emily rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at her lips. "Look, I need to ask you something."
"Go on."
She hesitated, then sighed. "My mom wants you to come over for dinner."
There was a beat of silence. Then
"She does?" His voice held a mix of curiosity and amusement.
"Yes," Emily said, rubbing her temple. "And before you say no, just know that Stella Daniels doesn’t take rejection well. She’ll probably track you down herself if you refuse."
Ryan hummed. "Sounds... terrifying."
"You have no idea," she muttered.
Another pause. Then
"Alright," he said simply.
Emily blinked. "Wait… what?"
"I’ll come," Ryan repeated, like it was the easiest decision in the world.
She narrowed her eyes. "Just like that?"
"Just like that."
Emily frowned. "You’re not even going to argue?"
"Why would I? I like dinner."
"Ryan"
"And," he cut her off smoothly, "I assume this means I’ll get to meet your father and brother?"
She sighed. "Yes."
"Good."
Emily frowned deeper. Why did he sound so pleased?
"Okay, fine," she said, shaking off the weird feeling in her chest. "It’s tomorrow at seven. Don’t be late."
"I wouldn’t dream of it," Ryan murmured.
Emily was about to hang up when his voice softened.
"Emily?"
She paused. "Yeah?"
There was a beat of hesitation, then
"Are you okay?"
Her fingers tightened around the phone.
She wanted to lie. To say yes.
But something about the gentle way he asked made her chest tighten.
"I will be," she said finally.
Ryan was quiet for a moment. Then
"I’ll see you tomorrow."
The call ended.
Emily let out a slow breath, her heart beating just a little too fast.
Tomorrow was going to be... interesting.
As soon as the call ended, Emily tossed her phone onto the couch and sank down beside it, running a hand through her hair.
Her mother’s overbearing demands, her family’s expectations, and now dinner with Ryan.
Ryan Blackwood.
Her ex-boss.
A man she had once vowed never to see again.
And yet, here she was, inviting him to dinner like it was normal.
A humorless laugh escaped her lips as memories came rushing back, memories she had buried deep the moment she walked out of Blackwood Enterprises three years ago.
Three Years Ago
Emily had never been the type to overthink things. But Ryan Blackwood had a way of messing with her head.
It had been three years, and yet she still couldn’t forget that business trip.
The one that made her question everything.
The trip was supposed to be straightforward. A conference, a few business meetings, and a couple of networking events. Nothing Emily hadn’t handled before.
But what she hadn’t anticipated was how different Ryan had acted if only for a moment.
She had been working under him for over a year by then. She knew him. She knew his moods, his expectations, the way he never tolerated weakness.
And yet, for one brief moment, she had seen something else.
Something… different.
It had happened on their second night in Paris.
They had attended a formal business dinner, the type where expensive suits and calculated conversations ruled the night. Emily had spent most of it doing what she did best handling everything Ryan threw at her. Managing schedules, smoothing over last-minute hiccups, making sure their company looked flawless.
By the end of the night, she was exhausted.
They had just returned to the hotel, the city lights of Paris shimmering outside, when Ryan had done something unexpected.
"Emily," he had said, stopping her as she reached for her hotel room door.
She turned, surprised by the way his voice had softened. "Yeah?"
For the first time since she had met him, he looked… hesitant. Almost like he wanted to say something but couldn’t quite bring himself to do it.
Then, to her complete shock, he reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
Her breath caught.
Ryan Blackwood the man who was always composed, ruthless, unreadable had just touched her.
Not in a business like handshake. Not in a way that felt calculated.
But in a way that felt almost... gentle.
Her pulse roared in her ears, and for a second, she swore she saw something flicker in his dark eyes.
Something dangerous.
Something he quickly shoved away.
Because in the very next second, his expression turned cold again.
"Get some rest," he said flatly, stepping back. "We have an early morning."
And just like that, the moment was gone.
Emily had stood there, stunned, watching him walk away like nothing had happened.
Like he hadn’t just set her entire world spinning for a fraction of a second.
And that was when she realized
Ryan Blackwood had something on her.
She just couldn’t figure out what.
And maybe, that was the scariest part of all.
Back to the Present
Emily let out a slow breath, shaking her head as if that could erase the memory.
But it was useless.
That moment in Paris that fleeting second where Ryan Blackwood had shown something other than indifference was burned into her mind like a brand she couldn’t scrub away.
It made no sense.
Why? Why had he touched her like that? Why had he looked at her like she was something more only to turn cold the very next second?
And why, even after all this time, did it still make her heart race?
Emily sat up on her couch, hugging her knees to her chest.
This is dangerous.
It was one thing to fake-date Ryan to get their families off their backs. It was another thing entirely to let the past mess with her head.
She needed to stop thinking about it.
She needed to remember who Ryan really was
A man who had pushed her too hard. A boss who had never let her breathe. A man who had toyed with something something almost real only to bury it the next second.
But then…
Why was he being so different now?
Emily groaned, flopping back onto the couch, staring at the ceiling.
Tomorrow, he would come over for dinner.
Tomorrow, she would have to sit beside him, pretend like nothing had happened, and not think about Paris.
Not think about the fact that Ryan Blackwood might still have something on her.
And worst of all
She might not want to fight it anymore.
- Writer
