Chapter 2 - Cracks Beneath the Surface
899 Words
Selina woke with a strange heaviness in her chest.
For a moment, she lay still, staring at the ceiling as the memory of last night replayed itself in fragments. Liam’s voice. His closeness. The way her skin had reacted when their hands brushed. The look in his eyes when the chandelier flickered above the dinning table last night at dinner.
She sat up abruptly.
“No,” she muttered to herself. “Get it together. What's wrong with you ugh!"
Swinging her legs off the bed, Selina reached for her phone. A message notification blinked on the screen.
Ethan:
Morning, beautiful.
Relief washed through her, followed quickly by guilt.
Selina:
Good morning. You disappeared last night.
Several seconds passed.
Ethan:
Crazy night. I’ll explain later love.
She frowned but didn’t push. Instead, she got dressed and headed downstairs for breakfast.
The Hale estate was already alive with quiet activity. Maids moved through the halls, the smell of coffee filled the air, and somewhere outside, the city hummed awake.
Liam was already in the kitchen.
He stood at the counter in a fitted black shirt, sleeves rolled up, pouring coffee. Morning light spilled through the windows, catching in his dark hair and casting sharp lines along his shoulders.
Selina hesitated at the doorway.
“Morning,” he said without turning around.
“You didn’t even look at me,” she said.
A faint smile touched his lips. “I didn’t need to.”
She rolled her eyes, but her heart betrayed her by beating faster as she walked in.
“Sleep well?” he asked.
She shrugged. “Not really.”
He turned then, studying her face. “Bad dreams?”
“Just… thoughts.”
Something unreadable passed through his expression. “About him?”
Selina stiffened. “Why does everything have to be about Ethan with you?”
“Because every time he’s involved, you look disappointed,” Liam replied evenly.
“That’s not true.”
“It is.”
She crossed her arms. “You don’t get to decide how I feel, you don't know what's in my heart"
Silence stretched between them.
Liam looked away first. “You’re right. I don’t.”
Her phone buzzed again.
Ethan:
I might be late today. Don’t wait up.
Selina stared at the screen, frustration blooming in her chest.
Liam noticed.
“Canceling again?” he asked.
She didn’t answer.
“Sel,” he said quietly. “You deserve better than someone who treats you like an afterthought.”
She snapped her head up. “And what would you know about relationships? Have you ever been in a relationship?
His jaw tightened. “ Hmm , I do know more than you think.”
Before she could respond, her father’s voice echoed through the hall.
“Liam. Selina. We’re leaving in ten.”
The moment shattered.
The Hale Corporation boardroom was cold, sleek, and unforgiving.
Selina sat at the long glass table, her tablet resting before her, palms damp despite her composed posture. Around her sat men and women who had built empires, their expressions sharp, expectant.
Her father stood at the head of the table.
“Selina will be presenting today,” he announced. “Let’s see what she’s learned.”
The words felt less like encouragement and more like a challenge.
Selina stood.
As she began, her voice was steady, clear. She spoke of market expansion, ethical investments, modern branding. She answered questions without hesitation, countered objections with logic and vision.
One by one, skeptical expressions shifted.
Across the room, Liam leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching her like she was the only person there.
Every time her confidence wavered, she felt his gaze, grounding her. When she looked up, their eyes met. Again. And again.
A silent exchange.
You’ve got this.
I’m here.
By the time she finished, the room was quiet.
Then one board member nodded. “Impressive.”
Another added, “She’s sharper than expected.”
Her father said nothing at first.
Then, slowly, he inclined his head. “Well done, Selina.”
Her breath caught.
As the meeting adjourned, Liam approached her immediately.
“You were incredible,” he said softly.
She exhaled, tension leaving her shoulders. “I thought I was going to mess it up.”
“You didn’t,” he said. “Not even for a second.”
The way he looked at her made her chest feel too tight, too full.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. Lunch meetings. Briefings. Conversations she barely registered. Through it all, Liam stayed close. Offering her water. A quiet smile. A reassuring hand at her back when no one was watching.
By evening, exhaustion settled in.
Selina checked her phone.
No new messages.
Later that evening Selena arrived at the restaurant just before sunset.
It was warm, softly lit, romantic. The kind of place Ethan had chosen once, back when he tried harder.
She took her seat.
Minutes passed.
She checked her phone again.
Nothing.
Around her, couples laughed. Glasses clinked. The waiter refilled her water twice.
She glanced at the door.
Still nothing.
As the sky outside darkened, Selina felt something sink inside her. Not anger. Not surprise.
Disappointment.
" God damn it. Look how late he is . f**k there better be a good enough reason. Let's just wait and see if he'll show up she said to herself, lone
- Writer
