The office was quieter than usual that morning. Lila Hart felt it the moment she stepped into Morgan Industries an almost imperceptible tension in the air, as if the building itself was holding its breath. Today, she knew, it would not be ordinary.
Her heels clicked sharply against the marble floor, each step echoing like a drumbeat of anticipation. Her pulse raced not just from the high-stakes project, but from Ethan Morgan his proximity, his intensity, and the dangerous pull that seemed to follow her everywhere.
Her assistant whispered, barely audibly, “Ethan’s already in the office… and he’s watching.”
Lila swallowed hard. Watching. That single word sent a shiver down her spine. She forced her composure, reminded herself of her plan: control, precision, survival.
The boardroom was b
