CHAPTER TWO
906 Words
Amelia now going by the name of Isla stepped out of the elevator the second the doors opened, holding her breath like she’d been underwater too long.
She didn’t look back.
If she did, she might crumble.
If she did, she might tell him everything.
And she couldn’t afford that. Not now. Not with Eli waiting for her at home — and not with Roman Creed staring at her like he’d seen a ghost.
She walked fast. Too fast. The kind of walk that screamed run. Her heels echoed down the marble corridor like a ticking bomb.
Breathe,You’re here for Eli.Not for him
Not the man who left you.
Not the man who ruined you.
“Miss Hart!” a voice called out.
Isla halted, barely masking the flinch. A tall, pinched woman in sleek navy heels and an over-controlled bun was approaching, clipboard in hand.
“I’m Julia, executive supervisor for the upper level staff. You’re a few minutes early — impressive.”
She offered a tight smile. “I like to be prepared.”
“Good.” Julia’s eyes skimmed her like she was evaluating a product. “You’ll be reporting directly to Mr. Creed. He specifically asked for someone sharp and discreet. And I trust your background check passed for a reason.”
Isla blinked. “I’m sorry—Mr. Creed?”
Julia didn’t slow. “Yes. Roman Creed. CEO.”
Her stomach dropped.
They turned a corner, and she could see his office door at the end of the hall — tall, black, and dangerous-looking, like the man behind it.
Julia continued walking, completely unaware that Isla had stopped dead in her tracks.
“You okay?” Julia asked.
No.
Not even close.
But Isla straightened her shoulders and nodded. “Just nerves.”
“Well, you’ve got five minutes to breathe before he expects you inside. I’ll let him know you’ve arrived.”
The door closed behind Julia, leaving Isla alone outside the lion’s den.
Her hands clenched.
Secretary to the man who left her pregnant.
The man who doesn’t know he has a son.
Perfect.
Just perfect.
Meanwhile, in his office…
Roman stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, still frowning.
Amelia Hart.
No. Isla Hart.
She’d changed her name. Dyed her hair. Straightened her posture.
But he’d know that face anywhere. He’d memorized it the night she walked out on him — without a word, without an answer.
Why now?
Why here?
" why the hell did her eyes still feel like a punch to the chest?
"Why was he allowing her to have an effect on him after such a long time"
His thoughts were cut short as his phone buzzed.
" Your new secretary is here. Isla Hart."
Roman’s jaw tightened.
So she wasn’t hiding.
She was working for him.
He let out a low laugh — dark, sharp, disbelieving.
She was here. Working for him. Either she was stupid—or she had a reason.
Roman smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
He didn’t believe in coincidence. Not in business, not in life. And certainly not when it came to a woman who’d disappeared without a trace after igniting every inch of him.
He had questions. And she was about to give him answers.
Whether she liked it or not.
“Game on, Amelia,” he muttered. “Let’s see how long you last this time.”
---
Outside the door...
Isla pressed a hand to her stomach, willing herself to calm down. For Eli. For everything she’d built. She reached into her purse and brushed her fingers across the little photo hidden inside—a photo of a little boy with storm-grey eyes and a lopsided smile.
Roman’s eyes.
She took one final breath.
Then she knocked.
And stepped into the lion’s den.
Roman didn’t look up right away. He let the silence stretch, let the tension coil tight around them. Then he raised his eyes—piercing, disbelieving, furious.
“Amelia?”
Isla straightened, her chin tilted at a proud angle. “I think you’re mistaken, Mr. Creed. My name is Isla Hart.”
He stood slowly, walking around the desk like a predator circling its prey. “You can change your name, dye your hair, soften your voice—but those eyes?” His gaze locked on hers. “Those eyes don’t lie.”
Her voice didn’t shake. Not even once. “I’m sorry, sir, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
He narrowed his eyes, stepping closer. “So you’re telling me we’ve never met before?”
"Do you think you can actually lie to me Amelia,I know it's you,you can't really hide yourself that well"
“I’m telling you sir,I don't know this Amelia you're talking about I am just your new secretary,” she replied smoothly. “Nothing more.”
His silence was deafening. It wasn’t belief that crossed his face—it was calculation. Suspicion. Curiosity.
“Fine,” he finally said, voice dangerously low. “We’ll pretend, for now. But understand this, Miss Hart—I always find the truth. Eventually.”
She gave him a tight smile. “Then I’ll be sure to stay honest, Mr. Creed.”
But inside, she was unraveling.
Because every word she uttered was a lie.
And every second she spent in his presence was a step closer to the truth she had vowed to keep hidden at all costs.
- Writer
