The Untouchable Ex

Authority

Leah

The next morning came faster than I expected. I barely slept.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw different things—Samantha’s smile, Lucas’s expression in the boardroom, the black SUV outside the building, and the message on my phone.

“Don’t trust anyone.”

I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my outfit. A fitted cream blouse.

I wore a black skirt that seemed simple,clean and professional.

But today, it wasn’t about how I looked. It was about how I walked into that building. I took a deep breath and placed a hand on my stomach.

“We’re doing this,” I whispered.

A soft knock came from the door. “Miss Hayes, the car is ready,” one of the guards said.

I picked up my bag and walked out. The ride to Miller Industries was quiet. Ethan sat beside me, going through his tablet. “Everything is set,” he said. “The meeting starts in thirty minutes.”

I nodded. “And Samantha?”

“She’s already there.”

Of course she was. “She won’t miss this,” Ethan added.

I looked out the window as the car slowed to a stop.

Miller Industries. The same building I had walked into countless times before.

But today felt different. Very different.

The car door opened. I stepped out.

Immediately, I felt it.

Eyes.

People were watching, whispering.

And they recognized me too.

Not Mrs. Miller. But as something else.

Ethan stepped beside me. “Ready?” he asked quietly.

I lifted my chin. “Yes.”

We walked inside. The lobby was exactly the same. But the way people looked at me had changed.

Some were curious. Some were surprised. We moved toward the elevator. Just as the doors opened—

“Leah.”

I froze slightly and turned slowly. Lucas was walking toward me. Dressed in a sharp dark suit, his expression calm—but his eyes were focused on me.

Ethan stopped beside me but didn’t speak. Lucas came to a stop a few steps away. “You’re here early,” he said.

“I have every right to be,” I replied calmly.

A small pause. Then he nodded.

“Yes,” he said. “You do.” That alone showed how much had changed.

Before… he would have dismissed me. Now… he acknowledged me.

Ethan spoke quietly. “The meeting is about to start.”

Lucas looked at him, then back at me. “Walk with me,” he said.

It wasn’t a command. It sounded more like a request. I hesitated for a second… then nodded.

Ethan didn’t follow. He simply gave me a small look. I’ll be watching.

Lucas and I walked side by side toward the private elevator. The silence between us felt heavy. Finally, he spoke.

“You didn’t answer my question last night.”

I frowned slightly. “What question?”

“About the baby.”

My hand tightened a little around my bag. “That’s not something we need to discuss here.”

Lucas became furious.

“It is as if the child is mine.”

I stopped walking. “So now you care?” I asked quietly.

He turned to face me. “I always would have cared.”

I let out a soft laugh. “You didn’t even hesitate to throw me out yesterday.”

His expression darkened. “That was different.”

“No,” I said firmly. “It wasn’t.”

The elevator doors opened, we stepped inside. The doors closed behind us. Now it was just the two of us.

“I made a mistake,” he said suddenly.

The words caught me off guard. I looked at him.

Lucas Miller… admitting a mistake?

“I should have listened more,” he continued. “I should have paid attention.”

I didn’t respond immediately. Because part of me had wanted to hear those words for years.

But now…They didn’t feel the same. “You didn’t,” I said quietly.

“No,” he admitted.

The elevator moved upward slowly.

“You’ve changed,” he said again.

I met his gaze. “Yes.”

“And I don’t like that I didn’t see it sooner.”

I tilted my head slightly. “That sounds like regret.”

Lucas didn’t deny it. The elevator stopped and the doors opened.

The tension snapped. We stepped out onto the boardroom floor.

People are already seated. And at the center of it—Samantha Carter.

She was already there beside Rebecca. Calm and composed.

Her eyes lifted the moment I stepped in. And when she saw me walking beside Lucas…Her smile slowly faded.

I walked forward without stopping.