Observation
858 Words
The next two days passed in a rare calm.
With Derek Zhou’s intervention, Fallon Group had stabilized. The stock surge had slowed, the board had regained confidence, and Celine finally allowed herself a single deep breath.
Her first battles in this second life had ended in victories.
But the warning in Liams’ voice still echoed in her mind.
This isn’t just business.
Celine shook the memory away as she walked into the private dining hall of an upscale restaurant.
Tonight, she had agreed to dinner with Derek. He had insisted—“to celebrate the alliance,” he’d said with that infuriatingly charming smile.
The chandeliers glowed warm above them, soft music filling the air. Derek leaned back in his chair, eyes gleaming with mischief as he studied her over his glass of wine.
“You know, Miss Fallon,” he drawled, “you’re far more dangerous than I expected. Most people crumble under Liams Chen’s pressure. You, on the other hand…” He smirked. “You shine.”
Celine’s lips curved faintly. “I simply refuse to lose.”
“That,” Derek said, lifting his glass, “is why I like you.”
But before she could respond, a ripple passed through the restaurant. The staff stiffened, the diners fell into hushed whispers.
Celine’s heartbeat stumbled when she turned toward the entrance.
Liams Chen.
Tall, commanding, radiating cold power, he strode inside as though the world itself bent to his presence. His gaze swept the room, landed on her—and didn’t waver.
The air seemed to freeze.
Derek raised a brow, clearly amused. “Speak of the devil.”
Liams approached, each step precise, deliberate, unstoppable. When he reached their table, he didn’t acknowledge Derek at all. His eyes were fixed solely on her.
“Celine,” he said smoothly, “dinner without me? I’m hurt.”
Her fingers curled around her glass, but her face remained calm. “Last I checked, we weren’t in the habit of dining together.”
A faint smile touched his lips. “Habits can change.”
The tension snapped like a taut string. Derek chuckled, leaning back lazily. “Well, this is interesting. The great Liams Chen, jealous?”
Liams’ gaze flicked to him briefly—sharp, dangerous, dismissive—before returning to her. “Leave us.”
Derek laughed outright. “I don’t take orders from you, Chen. And last I checked, Celine is my company tonight.”
For a moment, the air between the two men crackled with unspoken challenge. Two predators, circling.
Celine set down her glass with a sharp clink. “Enough.” Her voice was cold, cutting through the tension. “This is a restaurant, not a battlefield. If you want to posture, take it outside.”
Derek smirked but raised his hands in mock surrender. “As the lady wishes.” He turned to her, his tone suddenly softer. “Another time, then.”
With a final glance at Liams—half mocking, half warning—Derek rose and strolled away, leaving her alone with the man she least wanted to see.
Liams slid smoothly into Derek’s empty chair, as if it had always belonged to him.
“You shouldn’t be seen with him,” he said, his tone calm but laced with steel.
Celine arched a brow. “And why not? He’s my business partner. Or do you intend to dictate my alliances now, too?”
His jaw tightened. “He’s dangerous.”
She laughed softly, though her eyes were cold. “Dangerous? And what are you, Liams? My savior?”
His gaze darkened. “I was your husband once.”
“Was,” she echoed, her voice like a blade. “And in that life, you destroyed me.”
The words hung heavy between them.
For the first time, something flickered in his eyes—regret? Guilt? It vanished quickly, replaced by something more possessive.
“I won’t let it happen again,” he said lowly.
Her breath caught, but she forced herself to meet his gaze steadily. “You don’t have that right anymore.”
He leaned closer, his presence overwhelming, his voice a whisper only she could hear.
“You think I care about rights? Celine, you’re mine. Whether in business, in this city, or anywhere else—you belong to me.”
Her pulse hammered, but fury surged through her veins. She shoved her chair back and stood, her voice cold enough to cut glass.
“I don’t belong to anyone.”
For a moment, silence. Then Liams rose too, towering over her, his eyes burning with an intensity that made the air itself tremble.
“Then I’ll remind you,” he murmured, each word deliberate, dangerous. “Piece by piece. Until you remember who you are to me.”
Celine turned sharply and walked away, refusing to let him see the storm raging inside her.
But as she exited the restaurant, her hands trembled at her sides.
Because she knew.
This was no longer just a battle of power or business.
This was a battle of obsession.
And Liams Chen had just declared war on her heart.
- Writer
