A Second Chance At Love

Chapter 3: His Partner for the Night

Zara settled into her office space, opening her laptop to find that her digital schedule had already been synced. Taking a deep breath, she picked up her desk phone and called Liam to ask about the CEO's specific morning preferences.

"Ah... Yes, Miss Fredrick," Liam answered. "Mr. Collins takes black coffee with a splash of milk, no sugar. Not too hot, not too cold."

Zara smiled faintly to herself as she hung up. Some things never change. She hadn't forgotten how Xander drank his coffee in high school, even if she had tried to pretend otherwise.

Rising from her desk, she realized she hadn't been given an official tour of the massive building yet. She made her way to the elevator, spotting a group of employees chatting in the hallway.

"Excuse me," Zara said softly.

The group turned around simultaneously, but the moment their eyes fell on her, they seemed to freeze, staring at her as if she had dropped from another planet. Zara was used to people staring at her looks, but it never failed to make her uncomfortable.

"Excuse me..." she tried again, clearing her throat. "Could someone please direct me to the executive cafeteria?"

A petite girl with a blunt purple bob and wide, honey-brown doe eyes was the first to snap out of it. "Oh! Yes... the cafeteria. We were actually just heading down to the lower pavilion, but the executive breakroom is just past the main elevators on this floor. Right this way, I can show you."

The purple-haired girl then turned to her colleagues, lowering her voice but snapping her fingers. "Stop staring, you morons. It's rude."

The employees' faces flushed deep red in embarrassment as they muttered hurried apologies. Zara gave them a reassuring smile, letting it go, and followed her new guide to prepare the coffee.

Ten minutes later, Zara returned to the top floor. She knocked on Xander’s double doors, but hearing no answer, she carefully pushed them open.

Xander wasn't at his desk. He was standing by the massive floor-to-ceiling window, a phone pressed to his ear. The moment the door clicked, he turned his entire body to face her, his eyes tracking her every movement even as he continued speaking into the receiver.

"Alright... No. No... schedule the international meeting for Monday instead," Xander commanded, his voice deep and authoritative.

Zara didn't spare him a single glance, but she could feel the sheer, suffocating intensity of his stare. It took every ounce of her mental strength to keep her composure and not stumble over her own heels.

"Here is your coffee, Sir," she said quietly, placing the steaming mug on the corner of his mahogany desk.

He said nothing, his piercing eyes burning into her.

"If there is nothing else, I'll take my leave." Zara turned toward the exit, her hand brushing the brass handle when his voice halted her in her tracks.

"Miss Fredrick."

Zara paused, her spine stiffening before she turned back around. "Yes, Sir?"

A heavy silence stretched between them before Xander finally spoke. "There is an exclusive charity gala and business dinner next weekend. You will be attending as my partner."

It wasn't a request. It sounded more like a plea than an order.

Zara stared at him, keeping her expression entirely blank, though her heart was hammering against her ribs. She looked like a woman who would rather be anywhere else in the world than standing by his side. "Yes, Sir," she replied formally.

Xander gave a single, tight nod. "You can leave."

Zara didn't wait another second. She slipped out of the office and let out the breath she had been holding. "This is going to be such a pain," she muttered to herself, retreating to the safety of her office.

The week flew by in a blur of exhausting tension. Working inches away from Xander Collins was pure psychological torture. No matter how professional she acted, his eyes followed her every movement. His gaze was a constant, heavy weight on her skin, making it entirely exhausting to pretend she didn't notice him.

By the time Friday evening finally arrived, Zara was completely drained. The clock struck six, and noticing the light was still on under Xander's door, she purposely bypassed it and headed straight for the executive elevators.

Thankfully, Asterion Group provided corporate vehicles for its upper-tier staff. Having secured her driver's license right after college, Zara drove the sleek company car back to the suburban home of her best friend, Sasha.

The moment Zara walked through the front door, Sasha greeted her with a bone-crushing hug, causing Sasha’s parents to let out a warm laugh from the living room couch.

"How was your day, honey?" Sasha’s mother, Mrs. Ford, asked gently.

"It was good, Aunty," Zara lied smoothly, not wanting to worry them with the work drama. "The company logistics are amazing."

"That's wonderful to hear. Go freshen up and come down for dinner," Mr. Ford added with a kind smile.

Sasha followed Zara up the stairs, her eyes narrowed with suspicion. The moment the bedroom door shut, Sasha pounced. "Alright, start spilling everything, Zara. You look like you're carrying the weight of the world."

Zara sighed, knowing there was no hiding anything from her best friend. She turned to face Sasha, who already looked ready to throw hands with whoever had upset her.

Zara chuckled weakly. "It's nothing serious, Sasha. Just... an unwanted ghost from the past."

"Who? Mason?!" Sasha’s expression instantly morphed into that of a protective lioness. "If that bastard dared to show his face near your office, I swear to God—"

"Oh, come on, Mason?" Zara laughed, the genuine amusement breaking through her stress. She took a deep breath. "He isn't someone worth my time. It's not him."

Her laughter died down, the light in her eyes dimming into a somber shadow. "It's Xander. From high school."

Sasha froze, the name hitting the room like a thunderbolt. While Sasha didn't know the full, agonizing details of what had happened to her in high school, she knew Xander Collins was the man who had left a permanent scar on Zara's heart. In fact, Sasha had always suspected that Zara had only dated Mason in a desperate, failed attempt to get over Xander.

"Wow... That is insane," Sasha whispered, stepping forward to wrap Zara in a silent, comforting hug.

"And the craziest part?" Zara let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. "There’s a business dinner tonight and I'm going as his partner. I don't know what he's thinking, and it's frustrating me to no end."

Sasha slowly pulled away from the hug. A familiar smirk began to spread across her face, and Zara’s eyes narrowed.

"What is that look for, Sasha?" Zara asked suspiciously.

"Oh, it's nothing," Sasha waved her hands dismissively, though her eyes glinted with pure mischief. "So, what time is he picking you up?"

"He said his driver would be here by nine," Zara answered, her brow furrowing.

"Perfect," Sasha’s smirk widened into a grin. "Then Xander Collins is in for a very rude awakening."

By eight-thirty, the preparation was in full swing.

While Zara was finishing up in the bathroom, Sasha had completely taken over the bedroom, meticulously laying out an outfit, designer heels, a matching clutch, and elegant jewelry.

At exactly nine o'clock, Zara's phone dinged on the nightstand. It was a text from an unknown number, but she knew exactly who it was.

I'm outside.

Zara knitted her brows. She hadn't given Xander her personal cell number, but she realized a person with his status could easily pull it from her HR file.

"He's outside, Sasha," Zara called out nervously.

"Just a little... bit... more... and... done!" Sasha applied a final touch of gloss to Zara's lips, stepping back with a satisfied, triumphant grin. "Absolute perfection."

Zara turned toward the full-length mirror, and her breath caught. She barely recognized the woman staring back at her. The simple, spectacled executive assistant from this morning was completely gone.

Sasha shook her head, her eyes wide. "Boy, oh boy... Thank goodness I'm straight, Zara. You are going to give that man a stroke."

They both laughed, though Zara's stomach did a nervous flip.

Outside the house, idling in the quiet street, a sleek black Maybach sat with its engine purring. Beside the car, Xander waited patiently. He pulled out his phone, his thumb hovering over the screen to type a message telling her to take her time, when the front door of the house swung open.

Shoving the phone into his pocket, Xander raised his head to take a look.

Xander’s breath caught sharply in his throat, his heart stopped, then picked up into a frantic, deafening sound at the sight of the only woman he had ever lived for walking down the steps.