Elina sat in her office, the sun dipping below the skyline outside her floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a burnt orange hue across the pristine glass walls. The day had felt endless. Meetings bled into calls, and calls blurred into deadlines. And yet, the only thing that truly lingered in her mind was Aidan.
She hated how easily he had gotten under her skin. How one encounter in an elevator, and a handful of well-timed visits, could shift her focus from quarterly reports to the way his lips curled when he smiled.
The soft buzz of her intercom broke the silence. "Miss Lane, Mr. Donovan is here to see you."
Elina frowned. "Send him in."
Donovan entered with his usual swagger, but something in his eyes seemed… sharper. There was tension in his jaw, a stiffness in his posture.
"You've been avoiding my messages," he said, closing the door behind him.
"I've been busy running the company," Elina replied coolly, rising from her seat.
Donovan approached her desk, leaning against it casually. "And letting Aidan Knight shadow your every move?"
Elina's spine straightened. "I'm not interested in playing games, Donovan. If you came here to question my choices—"
"It's not your choices I question," he interrupted, voice low. "It's his intentions."
Elina crossed her arms. "What do you know that I don't?"
"Knight Tech just bid on the Langford contract. The same one we were preparing to pitch for months. That can't be a coincidence."
She narrowed her eyes. Her heart gave a flicker of doubt. Aidan had been kind. Honest—or so it seemed. But this? If true, it was more than a breach of trust. It was sabotage.
"Get me the paperwork," she said. "And keep this between us. I'll handle it."
Donovan gave a tight nod and left without another word.
The moment the door clicked shut, Elina sat down, fingers trembling slightly. She refused to believe it, not without proof. But if Aidan was playing her, there would be consequences.
---
That night, Elina returned to her penthouse with a storm cloud brewing in her chest. She poured herself a glass of red wine and stood at the window, watching the city lights blink like scattered stars.
A knock at the door startled her.
She wasn't expecting anyone.
Suspicion bloomed, followed quickly by curiosity. She padded barefoot to the door and opened it slowly.
Aidan stood there, in a black suit, his shirt slightly unbuttoned at the collar. He held a paper bag in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other.
"Peace offering," he said with a crooked grin. "You mentioned you like Thai food."
Elina blinked. "How did you know where I live?"
"I asked your assistant," he said. "With extreme charm."
She should have slammed the door. She should have sent him away. But instead, she stepped aside.
"You have five minutes."
He entered, looking around. "Nice place. Very Elina Lane. Sharp. Elegant. Slightly intimidating."
"Flattery won't earn you seconds."
They settled on the couch, and he laid out the food. For a moment, it felt… normal. Comfortable, even. Until she leaned back and said:
"Why is your company bidding on the Langford contract?"
Aidan's chopsticks paused mid-air. Slowly, he set them down. "I didn't know. My CFO handles competitive bids."
"You didn't know?" Her voice was cold now. "Do you expect me to believe that?"
He met her gaze head-on. "Yes. Because it's the truth. I had no idea you were targeting Langford."
She searched his face, looking for cracks in the performance. But there was only sincerity. Still, her heart wasn't so easily soothed.
"If you're lying to me, I will ruin you."
"If I'm lying, I'll help you do it," he said.
They stared at each other for a beat. Then she exhaled and picked up her food.
"Enjoy your five minutes."
---
Later that night, after he had gone, she couldn't sleep. Her thoughts circled him like a hawk watching prey. She didn't trust easily. She couldn't afford to.
But Aidan Knight wasn't easy to ignore. Not in business. Not in her life. Not in her heart, which—despite everything—was starting to betray her.