Tangled in You

Chapter Two: Unwelcome Memories

Sophie tried to keep her attention on the blueprints spread across the table, but her mind kept drifting back to the last time she had crossed paths with Julian Devereaux. Milan. Three years ago. It had been a defining moment for her career, one she thought would finally push her into the spotlight. Instead, it had been Julian who stole the show, winning the top design award and, with it, the admiration of every critic and designer in the room.

She had hated him since then—hated the way he effortlessly charmed everyone, the way his projects seemed to always garner the attention she so desperately craved. But as much as she hated to admit it, there was something else beneath the surface, something she never wanted to acknowledge. He made her feel things she wasn’t ready to feel. And now, standing in this pristine, glass-walled office with him so close, those unwelcome memories came rushing back.

Julian tapped a finger on the table, snapping her back to reality. “What do you think?” he asked, his voice breaking through the silence. He was looking at her with a casual curiosity, as if her opinion actually mattered to him.

“What do I think?” she echoed, trying to gather her thoughts. “I think it’s ambitious. Too ambitious for a single design team.”

Julian raised an eyebrow, that smug, infuriating smile curling at the corners of his mouth. “Luckily, we’re not a single team anymore. Or have you forgotten we’re working together now?”

Sophie shot him a glare, her fingers tracing the edges of the blueprint. “I haven’t forgotten. But just because we’re working together doesn’t mean we’re on the same page.”

Julian laughed softly, his voice low and warm. “Come on, Sophie. You’re still holding onto that grudge, aren’t you? Milan was years ago.”

“You don’t get to decide when I let go of a grudge,” she snapped, her temper flaring. “You humiliated me.”

“I won,” he said simply, as if that excused everything.

“You won by luck. You know it, I know it, everyone there knew it.” Sophie’s frustration bubbled to the surface, her pulse quickening as the memories of that night rushed back in vivid detail. “I put my heart and soul into that project, and you swooped in with your flashy designs and smooth talk. You didn’t deserve it.”

Julian’s expression shifted, his smile fading as he took a step closer. For the first time since she’d walked in, there was no humor in his eyes. “You think I didn’t work for that? You think I’ve coasted through my career on charm and a few lucky breaks? You don’t know me as well as you think, Sophie.”

Sophie opened her mouth to fire back, but something in his tone stopped her. She could see the flicker of something real in his eyes, something vulnerable. It was a side of Julian Devereaux she had never seen before. It threw her off balance.

“I know enough,” she said, her voice quieter now, but still laced with defiance. “You’ve always had it easy. People like me have to fight for everything.”

Julian studied her for a long moment, his gaze steady and unwavering. “Maybe I’ve had some advantages,” he admitted, surprising her with his honesty. “But that doesn’t mean I haven’t earned what I’ve got. We all have our battles, Sophie.”

She didn’t respond, unsure of how to process this new side of him. It was easier to hate him when he was just the cocky, privileged rival she had always known him to be. This softer version of Julian was unsettling.

Clearing her throat, Sophie turned back to the plans. “Let’s just focus on the project. This building has to be perfect, and we’re already running short on time.”

Julian let out a soft sigh but nodded, stepping beside her to look at the design again. The proximity made her heart race, though she tried to ignore it. She could smell the faint scent of his cologne—something woodsy, with a hint of spice. Damn him.

As they began to discuss the finer details of the structure, the conversation became more professional, the earlier tension slipping into the background. Julian proposed a few changes to the layout, and to Sophie’s irritation, she found herself agreeing with some of his ideas.

“We’ll need to integrate more natural light here,” he said, pointing to one corner of the building’s façade. “It’ll create a better flow with the surrounding landscape.”

Sophie nodded reluctantly. “Agreed. But we need to soften the design in this section. Right now, it feels too harsh. We want to complement the city, not overshadow it.”

Julian smiled, and this time, it wasn’t the smug grin she was used to. It was a real smile, one that caught her off guard. “I knew you’d see it my way eventually.”

Sophie rolled her eyes, but there was no real bite in it. “Don’t get used to it.”

They worked for the next few hours in relative silence, the only sounds in the room being the rustle of papers and the scratching of pens on sketchpads. Despite their rocky start, there was something undeniably productive about their partnership. They both knew what they were doing, and when they weren’t bickering, they complemented each other’s strengths in a way that surprised Sophie.

By the time they wrapped up, the sun was setting outside, casting a golden glow over the Paris skyline. Sophie gathered her things, ready to leave, but Julian’s voice stopped her just as she reached the door.

“Sophie,” he said, and when she turned to look at him, there was a seriousness in his expression that made her pause. “I know we’ve had our differences. But I’m not your enemy. Not anymore.”

Sophie swallowed, unsure how to respond to that. She wanted to believe him, but years of rivalry and bitterness didn’t just disappear overnight.

“I guess we’ll see,” she said finally, before turning and walking out the door, leaving Julian—and the tangled web of emotions he stirred in her—behind.

But as she stepped into the cool evening air, Sophie couldn’t shake the feeling that she was walking into something far more complicated than she had anticipated.