Chapter Eight
794 Words
Ava checked her watch as she stepped into the private executive elevator on the 14th floor, balancing a folder of reports in one hand and her nerves in the other. It was her first full week on the job, and though she’d been careful to keep a low profile, she couldn’t shake the constant pressure of staying unnoticed—especially not by him.
The doors slid shut with a quiet chime. She exhaled softly and leaned against the wall.
Then came the sound of polished shoes tapping the floor.
Before the elevator could begin its descent, the doors opened again—and in walked Liam Carter.
Ava’s breath hitched.
There he was: tall, sharp-suited, with his signature air of danger and power. His jaw was set, phone in one hand, his expression unreadable until his eyes lifted—and locked on hers.
He froze.
So did she.
For a heartbeat, silence reigned. Then the doors closed, trapping them in a capsule of thick, electric tension.
Ava straightened, fixing her eyes on the digital numbers above, hoping—*praying*—he wouldn’t say anything. Her palms grew slick against the file in her hands.
Liam’s brows furrowed as he tilted his head, a slow, calculating smirk forming on his lips.
“I know you.”
Ava’s heart stumbled.
“No, sir,” she said quickly, her voice calm but clipped. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”
Liam turned slightly to face her fully, his tone dipped in curiosity. “You sure? I don’t forget faces. Especially not beautiful ones.”
Ava bit her lip, mentally steadying herself. “It must be a coincidence.”
He stepped a fraction closer, not enough to invade—but enough for her to feel it.
“There’s something about you,” he murmured, his eyes narrowing, scanning her face like a puzzle. “Your eyes. That voice.”
Ava’s throat tightened. Her pulse thundered in her ears.
She gave a tight, polite smile. “I just have one of those faces, I guess.”
The elevator creaked slightly as it began to slow.
Liam didn’t move. His gaze hadn’t left her. The smirk had faded, replaced with something sharper—like suspicion.
He didn’t press further. He didn’t need to.
Because as the elevator doors opened, and Ava all but escaped into the hallway, he remained inside—watching.
“Have a good day, Mr. Carter ,” she called over her shoulder, hiding the tremor in her voice.
The doors closed slowly.
Liam stood motionless, eyes still fixed on where she had just been.
That voice…
That look…
The lie.
His jaw clenched slightly.
Ahe was hiding something.
Whatever it was, he was going to uncover it.
And when he did… the game would really begin.
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The moment the elevator doors shut behind her, Ava rushed down the hallway, her heels clicking against the marble floor like a ticking time bomb. She kept her head down, praying no one would stop to speak to her. Her vision blurred as the edges of her calm façade began to crack.
She made it to the restroom just before the tears spilled.
Slamming the door to the nearest stall, she collapsed onto the closed lid of the toilet and buried her face in her hands. The silence of the room only made the sound of her shuddering breaths louder.
Her chest heaved as memories she tried so hard to bury clawed their way back—the night she left, the positive pregnancy test clutched in her hand.
She thought time and distance would help. That a city away, a new job would be enough to keep her invisible.
But fate had other plans. And Liam’s eyes had seen through everything.
She wasn’t ready.
Not for this job.
Not to face him.
Not to carry this secret alone anymore.
But what choice did she have?
Ava wiped her cheeks angrily. “You promised yourself you'd be strong,” she whispered. “You did this to protect your child.”
Still, her voice cracked. “God, why does it still hurt so much?”
Her babies kicked softly—reminding her why she couldn’t fall apart.
She took a deep breath, placed her hand over her belly, and whispered, “It’s just a job. Just a few months. We’re almost there.”
She stood slowly, fixing her blouse and checking her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were swollen, but she straightened her spine.
The woman who walked out of that restroom wasn’t the same girl who had run in sobbing.
She was a mother.
And no matter how close Liam Carter came to unraveling her truth, she wouldn’t let him destroy the one thing she had left,which is her peace
- Writer
