Chapter 3 3

Emily's heels clicked against the pavement as she walked away, her heart pounding far harder than she wanted to admit. The encounter replayed in her mind-his gaze, the quiet intensity in his voice. She shook her head, frustrated at herself.

Lucas Sterling was exactly the kind of man she'd spent her whole life avoiding. Rich, charming, and entirely too self-assured. Men like him lived in a world where people were just pawns in their game, and Emily had no interest in being anyone's pawn.

She turned the corner toward the car waiting for her, but the feeling lingered-the sense that Lucas wasn't just a passing encounter. It annoyed her that a man she barely knew could leave such an impression.

Lucas stood at the entrance of the hotel long after Emily disappeared down the street, his thoughts spinning in ways they hadn't in years. Something about her refusal to be impressed by him-it was maddening, but also magnetic.

"Still brooding?" Nathan's voice jolted him from his thoughts.

Lucas glanced over his shoulder as Nathan strolled up, his hands in his pockets.

"Shouldn't you be inside charming the masses?" Lucas asked.

"I was," Nathan said with a grin. "But it was getting predictable. So, what's your excuse for staring after her like a lovesick teenager?"

Lucas frowned. "I'm not."

Nathan smirked. "Sure you're not."

"Drop it," Lucas muttered, running a hand through his hair.

Nathan let out a low whistle. "I've seen you shrug off supermodels without blinking, but this one? She's gotten under your skin already."

Lucas didn't respond. Nathan wasn't wrong, and that unsettled him more than he cared to admit.

The next morning, Emily sat at her desk in her small, sunlit classroom, going over lesson plans. The children's artwork adorned the walls, adding bursts of color to the otherwise modest space. It was her sanctuary-a world far removed from glittering ballrooms and billionaire tycoons.

She was halfway through organizing a stack of worksheets when her phone buzzed. Glancing at the screen, she frowned. The number wasn't one she recognized.

"Hello?" she answered cautiously.

"Ms. Harper?" The voice on the other end was crisp and professional. "This is Ava, Mr. Lucas Sterling's assistant. He's requested a meeting with you at your earliest convenience."

Emily froze, the words sinking in like a stone. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Mr. Sterling," Ava repeated patiently, "would like to meet with you to discuss potential support for your community programs."

Her pulse quickened. She hadn't mentioned the specifics of her work to Lucas, had she? How did he even know how to reach her?

"I... appreciate the offer," Emily said carefully, "but I don't think that's necessary. Please thank him for his interest."

There was a brief pause. "Ms. Harper," Ava said, her tone polite but firm, "Mr. Sterling is quite persistent. He doesn't often extend offers like this. Perhaps you could reconsider?"

Emily gripped the phone tighter. Persistent, indeed. "I'll think about it," she said, her voice clipped.

"Very well," Ava replied. "I'll let him know. Have a good day."

The line went dead, leaving Emily staring at her phone, equal parts irritated and intrigued.

In his office on the top floor of Sterling Enterprises, Lucas leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips.

"She said no, didn't she?" Nathan asked from the couch, flipping lazily through a magazine.

"She said she'd think about it," Lucas corrected, swirling the glass of whiskey in his hand.

Nathan chuckled. "And you're just going to wait for her to come around?"

"Of course not," Lucas said. "I don't wait. I strategize."

Nathan shook his head in mock disbelief. "You've got it bad, my friend."

Lucas ignored him, his mind already working on the next move. Emily Harper might think she could keep him at arm's length, but he wasn't the kind of man who walked away from a challenge.

Two days later, Emily was in the middle of a math lesson when a knock on the door interrupted her. She glanced up to see the school secretary standing in the doorway, looking slightly flustered.

"Emily," the woman said, "there's someone here to see you."

Emily frowned. "Can it wait? I'm in the middle of-"

"He insisted it was urgent," the secretary said, stepping aside.

And then he was there.

Lucas Sterling, standing in the hallway of her modest school, looking completely out of place in his tailored suit and polished shoes. The children stared wide-eyed at the man who seemed to radiate authority.

Emily felt her cheeks heat. "Mr. Sterling," she said, walking to the door and keeping her voice low. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd take your advice," he said smoothly.

"My advice?"

"To stop trying to figure you out," he said with a faint smile. "I decided to get to know you instead."

Her jaw tightened. "This is my workplace. You can't just show up unannounced."

"I can, and I did," he said, unbothered by her sharp tone. "And I'd like to talk to you. Preferably somewhere that isn't a classroom full of eight-year-olds."

Emily glanced back at her students, who were now whispering excitedly amongst themselves. She turned back to Lucas with a sigh. "Fine. Wait outside. I'll be out in ten minutes."

Lucas nodded, his expression triumphant, and stepped back into the hallway.

As Emily closed the door, she couldn't help but wonder what, exactly, she'd just agreed to.