Chapter 6: Boundaries
1220 Words
By the time I got home, I was exhausted. Not physically. Mentally.
Everything about today had been… too much. Too controlled. Too intentional.
And the worst part? I couldn’t stop thinking about it. About him.
About the way he spoke like everything was already decided. About the way he looked at me—like I was something he hadn’t figured out yet. And intended to.
I dropped my bag on the chair and kicked off my heels, letting out a slow breath as I leaned back against the wall.
“This is just a job,” I told myself quietly. Just a job. Nothing more. It had to stay that way.
“You’re distracted again.”
Lila’s voice came through the phone, sharp and knowing.
I sighed, lying back on my bed. “I’m not distracted.”
“You are. And I’m starting to feel disrespected.”
That made me smile slightly. “You’re being dramatic.”
“I’m being observant,” she shot back. “So… how was your first day?”
I hesitated. Where was I even supposed to start?
“The job is fine,” I said.
“And?”
“And nothing.”
“Ava.”
I closed my eyes. “He’s my boss.”
Silence. Then—
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Ethan Blackwood is your boss?”
“Yes.”
Another pause. Longer this time. Then—
“You’re joking.”
“I wish I was.”
Lila let out a slow breath. “Okay… okay, wait. So the same man you rejected is now the one signing your salary?”
“Yes.”
“That’s not normal.”
“I’m aware.”
“That’s not even coincidence. That’s… something else.”
Her words echoed what I had been trying not to think about.
“He said it wasn’t,” I admitted quietly.
“What?”
“He said this wasn’t random. That it was intentional.”
Silence again.
“Ava,” Lila said slowly, “that’s not a good sign.”
“I know.”
“Then why do you sound so calm?”
Because I didn’t have a choice. Because walking away wasn’t an option. Because I needed this.
“I can handle it,” I said.
“Can you?”
I sat up slightly, my expression tightening. “Yes.”
“Because from where I’m standing, this sounds like the beginning of a problem.”
“It’s not.”
“It is,” she insisted. “Men like him don’t just ‘let things go.’ Especially not rejection.”
“I’m not asking him to.”
“Then what are you doing?”
I paused. That was a good question.
What was I doing?
Working. Surviving. Trying to stay in control.
“I’m doing my job,” I said finally.
Lila didn’t sound convinced. “Just… be careful,” she said.
Adrian had said the same thing. That didn’t feel like a coincidence either.
“I will.”
The next morning, I got to the office earlier than necessary. Not because I had to. Because I wanted to.
If I was going to survive this, I needed control. And the only way to do that was to stay ahead.
The office was quieter this early, the usual rush not yet in full motion. I walked straight to my desk, setting my things down and opening my system.
Focus. Work. Nothing else.
For the first hour, it worked. Emails. Reports. Tasks. Normal. Manageable. Safe.
Then—
“Ava.”
I looked up. Adrian stood at the door. “You’re early.”
“So are you.”
A brief pause.
“Come with me.”
Of course.
I stood immediately, grabbing my tablet. “Where are we going?”
“Meeting.”
“With who?”
He didn’t answer.
Which meant—I already knew.
The conference room was larger than I expected. Glass walls. Long table. Screens already on.
And at the head of the table—Ethan.
He didn’t look surprised to see me. Not even slightly. Like he had expected this. Planned it.
“Sit,” he said.
Again. That tone.
I took a seat a few chairs away from him, placing my tablet down carefully. Adrian remained standing for a moment before taking his position beside Ethan.
The meeting started quickly. Business. Numbers. Strategy.
And for the first time, I saw a different side of Ethan. Focused. Precise. Every word calculated. Every decision clear. No hesitation. No wasted time.
This was his world. And in this space, he was untouchable.
“Your thoughts?”
I blinked, realizing he was looking at me. The room had gone quiet. Everyone else was watching too. Waiting.
“You’re asking me?” I said.
“Yes.”
Of course he was.
I glanced briefly at the data on the screen, then back at him. There was no hesitation in his gaze. No doubt. He expected an answer. A real one. Not something safe. Not something rehearsed.
I straightened slightly.
“The projections are strong,” I said. “But the risk factor is being underestimated.”
A pause. Small, but noticeable.
“Explain.”
I did. Clearly. Directly. Breaking it down the way I saw it. No hesitation. No overthinking. Just truth.
When I finished—silence.
Then a slight nod from Adrian.
And Ethan? He was still watching me. But this time, there was something different in his expression. Not just interest. Recognition.
“You’re right,” he said simply.
The words landed heavier than they should have, because something about them felt earned. Real.
“Adjust it,” he added, turning slightly to Adrian.
And just like that, the meeting moved on.
But something had changed. I could feel it.
After the meeting, people started filing out. One by one. Until it was just me and him. Of course.
I stood, gathering my things. “I’ll send the revised notes,” I said.
“You will.”
I nodded and turned toward the door.
“Ava.”
I stopped. Not surprised anymore. Just… aware.
“Yes?”
“Don’t get comfortable.”
I frowned slightly. “I’m not.”
“Good.”
A pause. Then—
“Because this?” he gestured lightly, “is where most people start making mistakes.”
I held his gaze. “I’m not most people.”
A slight shift in his expression. Almost like he expected that answer.
“I know.”
Something about that—the certainty in his voice—made my chest tighten just slightly. Not fear. Not quite. Something else. Something I didn’t want to name.
“Then we understand each other,” I said.
“Not yet.”
My fingers tightened slightly around my tablet. “And when will we?”
A pause. Then—
“When you stop trying to keep your distance.”
My breath caught. “I’m not—”
“You are,” he said calmly. “And it won’t last.”
That again. That certainty. Like he already knew how this would end.
I forced a steady breath. “Watch me,” I said.
His gaze didn’t waver, and the faintest hint of something—amusement, maybe—touched his expression.
“I am.”
And somehow, that felt like the real problem.
- Writer
