Chapter 5 5

I checked my watch again, exhaled slowly, irritation flickering beneath my calm exterior. Punctuality is a sign of respect; having power doesn't enable disrespect.

Punctuality mattered to me, respect mattered; ten more minutes passed, and murmurs spread across the table.

Then the doors opened.

I could feel him walk in like the room belonged to him because the energy shifted; it was like the air had been charged.

"Apologies," he said, voice smooth but firm. "Let's begin."

I turned to face him, and the world tilted.

No.

No, no, no.

Those eyes.

That face.

The memory slammed into me so hard I had to grip the table to stay grounded.

It couldn't be.

But it was.

Ethan.

The stranger from five years ago. The man whose name I hadn't known then but whose presence had haunted me in quiet moments, I refused to examine too closely.

My chest tightened as our gazes locked, recognition sparked instantly.

Shock. Heat. Something dangerously familiar.

His expression mirrored mine, disbelief flashing before control snapped back into place.

For a heartbeat, the boardroom disappeared, and it was just Ethan and me, past and present colliding without mercy.

"Oh," he said softly like a murmur, but I heard it.

I swallowed. "It's you."

The air sizzled with unspoken history. Fate, it seemed, had a twisted sense of humor, and it wasn't done with us yet.

"Ethan, meet our new executive strategist for the merger, Miss Amara Daniels. She came highly recommended, so she was hired based on the board's approval," An executive said, introducing me formally.

His expression smoothed into something neutral, professional. If anyone else in the room noticed the way his shoulders stiffened, the sharp flicker in his eyes, they said nothing about it.

"Ms. Daniels," Ethan said, extending his hand. His voice was calm. "Welcome to Cole Corp."

I stared at his hand for half a second longer than necessary.

I took it; the contact sent a jolt of energy straight through me.

His grip was firm, warm, grounding, and entirely inappropriate for the way it made my pulse race. I released him quickly, stepping back, reclaiming the space between us.

"Mr. Cole," I replied evenly. "It's a pleasure."

The rest of the meeting was a blur of introductions and induction into the company. I spent the day with the HR team, and by the close of business, I had lost track of Ethan, and I went straight home as quick as I could escape.

But that encounter did not deter me; I had a goal and work to do. The following day, I arrived early, as always, carrying my laptop bag and a carefully curated confidence I had spent years mastering.

Today was the day I stepped fully into Cole Corp, not as a visitor or an outsider, but as their

executive strategist, tasked with the billion-dollar oil-rig merger that could define my career.

I had fought tooth and nail to get here, and I refused to be derailed by anyone or anything, even the CEO whose name I already knew carried weight across the city. Ethan Cole.

He was late. Typical, but it gave me time to settle down and organize my work notes. I mentally rehearsed every angle of the merger, and I reviewed the numbers, forecasts, and projections one last time. Precision was my shield, and today, I would wield it like a sword.

And then... the door opened.

He walked in, Ethan Cole, all polished charm and commanding presence, as if the world bent around him when he entered.

His dark hair perfectly styled, his sharp suit tailored to perfection, and his eyes immediately found mine.

Time stopped for a second as I froze mid-note, my tablet pen hovering over the spreadsheet. He stopped at the head of the table, glancing briefly at the board, and then, finally, our eyes locked again.

"Oh," I breathed, not able to stop the escape of that small, almost involuntary sound.

He stiffened slightly, his usual confident smirk flickering in surprise. "It's... you," he said, voice low, yet carrying across the room with magnetic authority.

"Yes. It's me," I replied, my own voice steadier than I felt, but not entirely under control.

And yet, here we were meeting on a professional battlefield, so I reminded myself, my one rule: no distractions, no entanglements. Not now, not ever.

"Shall we begin?" I forced the words out, sliding my laptop closed and standing, letting the room know I was ready to command attention.

Ethan's eyes lingered on me, that unmistakable spark of recognition and curiosity burning behind them. He nodded once, imperceptibly, then turned his attention to the board.

The meeting began, discussions flowed, strategies were dissected, and some of the projections were debated. I could feel Ethan's gaze on me the entire time, a subtle pressure that made my pulse accelerate.

I corrected a minor flaw in one of the projections, and the board nodded appreciatively. Ethan's expression darkened slightly, something between intrigue and maybe amusement, as if he was both impressed and challenged by me.

And I felt it too: that undeniable pull. The chemistry was there, simmering just below the surface, the kind that could ignite or destroy in seconds. I couldn't ignore it, but I wouldn't let it distract me.

The meeting stretched on, hours crawling as strategies tangled and counterpoints collided. Every so often, Ethan interjected with his signature smooth confidence, each word measured, every suggestion a test. And every time, I met him head-on, matching him move for move, refusing to yield.

The board noticed. I could see their eyes flick between us, recognizing the tension, the sparks flying beneath the polished veneer of professionalism.

Finally, after the meeting concluded, the board members began filing out. Ethan remained, lingering, as if reluctant to leave.

I packed my laptop slowly, trying to maintain control, "looks like we've got our work cut out for us," I said, keeping my tone neutral, masking the sudden racing of my heart.

He stepped closer, close enough that I could feel the faint warmth radiating off him. "You've grown different," he said, his tone low.

"You haven't changed," I countered, my voice steady.

"You disappeared." He said changing the topic

My breath caught, but only for a moment.

"I had nothing to say," I replied.

"That's not true."

"You don't get to decide that," I replied, not giving an inch.

Silence stretched between us, heavy with everything we weren't saying.

Ethan took a step closer. "I looked for you."

My heart thudded. "You shouldn't have."

"But I did." His gaze searched her face. "And now here you are."

Here I am indeed, I thought.

"With respect," I said, stepping back, "whatever happened five years ago is irrelevant. We're here to work."

I saw his jaw tighten and a half smile creep in.

"Work," he repeated.

"Yes."

Then his smile turned more charming, the CEO façade sliding back into place. "Very well.

Welcome to the team again."

I nodded and turned toward the door.

Just before I reached it, he spoke again.

"Amara."

I turned back to look at him, his eyes didn't leave mine, his voice low and slowly he added, "Just so you know, I've been waiting for this moment longer than you think."