Chapter Eight
721 Words
Interesting.
The single word echoed in Amelia’s head.
She quickly lowered her laptop screen.
Too quickly.
Suspiciously quickly.
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
“That reaction alone tells me I should be curious.”
Amelia stood up so abruptly her chair nearly toppled over.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Blackwood.”
“I didn’t realize anyone was awake.”
“I wasn’t doing anything inappropriate.”
He took another sip of coffee.
“I know.”
“You were coding.”
She swallowed.
“You recognized it?”
Ethan smirked.
“Amelia.”
“I own a software company.”
“I’d be concerned if I couldn’t recognize Python.”
Silence.
Wonderful.
She had been caught by the worst possible person.
A billionaire tech CEO.
At two-thirty in the morning.
Inside his own house.
Using company-grade coding standards.
She mentally prepared her resignation speech.
Ethan walked closer.
“What are you building?”
“It’s nothing.”
He stopped.
“People who spend three hours staring at a laptop at midnight don’t build nothing.”
She laughed nervously.
“It’s just a personal project.”
“Personal?”
“Yes.”
“A game?”
“No.”
“A dating app?”
She nearly choked.
“No.”
He tilted his head.
“A social platform?”
“No.”
“A business tool?”
She froze.
That was enough.
Ethan smiled.
“There it is.”
“The face.”
“The tiny panic expression.”
“I was right.”
Amelia sighed.
“You interrogate maids often?”
“No.”
“Only the mysterious ones.”
She crossed her arms.
“I’m not mysterious.”
“You attended Columbia.”
“Dropped out.”
Work as a maid.
Know multiple programming languages.”
Build software at two in the morning.”
He looked at her.
“You’re practically a Netflix documentary.”
She laughed despite herself.
He noticed.
Interesting.
She had a beautiful laugh.
Warm.
Unexpected.
Very different from the quiet woman who spent most days cleaning in silence.
“So?”
He asked.
“What happened?”
Amelia hesitated.
She hated pity.
She hated explaining herself.
But somehow…
He didn’t sound judgmental.
Only curious.
“My parents died.”
He became quiet.
“I have a younger brother.”
“He wanted to attend MIT.”
“I promised I’d make sure he could.”
“So I dropped out.”
“And started working.”
Ethan nodded.
“You sacrificed your education.”
“I postponed it.”
“Temporarily.”
“At least, that’s what I tell myself.”
Silence settled between them.
The city lights danced beyond the windows.
Ethan looked at the laptop again.
“Can I see?”
“No.”
The answer came too quickly.
Too firmly.
His eyebrows lifted.
“Definitely interesting.”
Amelia smiled.
“It isn’t finished.”
“I don’t like showing unfinished work.”
“I don’t like unfinished work either.”
“So we have something in common.”
She laughed softly.
“Maybe.”
Ethan glanced at his watch.
“It’s almost three.”
“You should sleep.”
“So should you.”
“I own insomnia.”
“You own coffee.”
He chuckled.
Barely.
But she caught it.
And for a second—
The intimidating billionaire disappeared.
In his place was simply a tired man.
A lonely man.
Someone carrying burdens she couldn’t yet understand.
Ethan turned to leave.
Then stopped.
“Oh.”
“One more thing.”
Amelia stiffened.
“Yes?”
“If your app ever needs beta testing…”
She blinked.
“What?”
He smirked.
“I know a guy.”
“He owns a tech company.”
She laughed.
“Goodnight, Mr. Blackwood.”
“Goodnight, Amelia.”
He walked away.
She sat back down.
Heart pounding.
Smiling.
Then immediately stopped smiling.
No.
Absolutely not.
She wasn’t here to make friends.
She wasn’t here to flirt.
She wasn’t here to fall in love.
She was here for one reason.
Lucas.
MIT.
TaskFlow.
Freedom.
She reopened her laptop.
But this time—
She couldn’t focus.
Because for the first time in four years—
Someone had looked at her and seen more than an apron.
And she wasn’t sure if that terrified her…
Or gave her hope.
- Writer
