Lines Crossed
979 Words
Next morning—-Lancaster Industries.
The morning air inside Lancaster Industries felt colder than usual. Eva stepped out of the elevator, her heels tapping softly across the polished marble, nerves buzzing in her chest.
She hadn’t seen Andre since the night of her almost-confession. The kiss that didn’t happen. The silence that followed.
And now, here she was — back at work, pretending like she hadn’t felt something shift between them.
She was halfway to her desk when Leah from PR approached her with raised brows.
“Hey, Eva... There’s a guy asking for you at the front desk.”
Eva frowned. “Who?”
“Said his name’s Nathan.” Leah lowered her voice. “He said he’s your ex.”
Eva’s breath caught. For a moment, her world tilted.
“I’ll handle it,” she murmured, already turning toward the elevator again.
---
The moment she stepped into the reception area, her heart sank.
Nathan was there — leaning casually against the front desk like he had every right to be. Same cocky smile. Same overconfident eyes. Except now, all she felt was a tight knot of discomfort.
“Nathan,” she said, voice clipped.
His grin widened. “Eva. Looking good.”
She didn’t smile back. “Why are you here?”
“I just wanted to see you. You’ve been ignoring my calls.”
“I blocked your number for a reason.”
Nathan moved closer, lowering his voice. “Look, I know I screwed up, okay? But this marriage thing? It’s fake, right? You don’t love this guy.”
Eva’s hands clenched at her sides. “That’s none of your business.”
“I still care about you—”
“She asked you to leave.”
The voice came from behind her.
Cold. Lethal.
Andre.
He stood a few steps away, his eyes like ice, his presence instantly swallowing the room. Eva turned slightly, her heart thudding.
Andre didn’t look at her. He only stared at Nathan.
“I don’t remember hiring you,” he said. “And you don’t have clearance to be in this building.”
Nathan straightened. “I was just leaving.”
“You’re damn right you were.”
Nathan offered Eva one last glance — half regret, half challenge — and walked out.
Andre waited until the elevator doors closed before speaking again.
“You attract the most interesting people,” he said dryly.
Eva’s temper flared. “Don’t talk like I invited him.”
Andre’s eyes snapped to her. “I didn’t say you did.”
“Then don’t treat me like some distraction you have to manage.”
His jaw tightened. “I’m treating you like someone who deserves better than a pathetic excuse for an ex.”
That stunned her into silence.
Andre exhaled through his nose, muttered something under his breath, and turned away.
---
Later, in his office, the tension between them still clung to the air like a storm that hadn’t yet broken.
Eva stood across from him, arms crossed, trying to keep herself from exploding.
“Why are you so angry?” she asked.
Andre glanced up from the tablet in his hand. “I’m not angry.”
“You’re doing that thing again — acting cold, shutting me out.”
“You kissed me.”
The words slipped from his mouth before he could stop them.
Her lips parted, breath catching. “You kissed me back.”
He stood slowly, walking around the desk until he was close enough that she had to tilt her chin to meet his gaze.
“I don’t like being vulnerable,” he said simply. “It makes things... messy.”
“So your solution is to pretend it never happened?”
He didn’t answer.
“Fine,” she said, her voice quiet. “Then let’s go back to pretending.”
She turned to leave, but his voice stopped her.
“There’s a charity gala tonight. Wear red.”
It was a command, not a request.
Eva didn’t respond. She just walked out, heels sharp against the floor.
---
The gala was every bit as glamorous as Eva had expected. Chandeliers sparkled above their heads. Cameras flashed like stars around them. Laughter and champagne bubbled through the air.
But nothing compared to the man waiting for her at the top of the stairs.
Andre Lancaster in all black — tailored suit, sharp eyes, brooding like a man who owned the world and didn’t care to share it.
His gaze swept over her as she stepped out of the car, lips parting slightly at the sight of her in the red dress.
He didn’t say anything. But the way he extended his arm was louder than any compliment.
They entered the venue like royalty.
Eva smiled at the right people, nodded at strangers, and stayed close to Andre’s side — partly because of the role she was playing, but mostly because she wanted to.
He leaned in at one point, whispering in her ear, “Keep smiling. They’re watching.”
She nodded, eyes scanning the room.
“And you?” she whispered back. “Are you watching?”
His lips brushed the shell of her ear. “Always.”
---
Later that night, in the quiet of the car, Eva finally broke the silence.
“You never really answered me.”
Andre kept his gaze out the window. “About what?”
“Why you needed a wife.”
He hesitated. The truth was on the tip of his tongue, but instead, he offered her a version of it.
“Because I didn’t want to lose something that was already mine.”
She turned to look at him, heart pounding, but he didn’t explain further.
When the car pulled into the garage, he was out of the car first, leaving her with more questions than answers.
- Writer
