Chapter 3 Liana sat in silence

Liana sat in silence, staring at the open files in front of her, but the words on the pages blurred together. Her thoughts were tangled in memories she had spent years trying to suppress. She reached for her glass of water, but her hand trembled slightly as she brought it to her lips.

It had only been one day-one confrontation with Darren-and already, her carefully constructed world was beginning to crack.

She pushed back from the table, rubbing her temples. She couldn't let herself spiral. Not now. She had worked too hard to build this life, to create a version of herself that could stand on her own without the shadow of the past looming over her.

But then why did it feel like that shadow had finally caught up with her?

Her phone buzzed, jolting her from her thoughts. She glanced at the screen. A message from her best friend, Serena.

Serena: How did it go? Do you still have a job, or do I need to help you flee the country?

A small, humorless smile tugged at Liana's lips.

Liana: I survived. Barely.

The reply came almost instantly.

Serena: Details. Now.

Liana hesitated, then sighed, typing quickly.

Liana: He's... different. Colder. And he's making sure I know that I have to answer to him directly.

Serena: Of course he is. You broke his heart, Li. What did you expect?

Liana closed her eyes for a moment, guilt settling heavily in her chest.

Liana: I know. But I had no choice.

Serena: Are you sure about that?

Liana's fingers hovered over the keyboard. She knew what Serena was asking. She had never fully explained why she had left, not even to her best friend.

Some things were too painful to say out loud.

Instead, she changed the subject.

Liana: I just need to focus on my work. I can handle this.

Serena: You sure? Because handling Darren Vaughn doesn't seem like an easy task.

Liana didn't respond. Instead, she set her phone aside and exhaled slowly.

She had to stay focused. She wasn't here to rekindle old feelings or dredge up the past. She was here to do a job. That was it.

Even if being near Darren again made her feel like she was standing on the edge of a cliff, one wrong step away from falling.

The next morning, Liana arrived at the office early, hoping to get ahead on the mountain of work Darren had given her. The sleek, glass-walled corridors of Vaughn Enterprises were quiet at this hour, the usual buzz of employees not yet filling the space.

She had barely sat down at her desk when her phone rang.

Darren.

Her breath hitched. He hadn't called her in years, but the sight of his name on the screen still sent an uneasy shiver through her.

She steadied herself before answering. "Yes?"

"Conference room. Now," he said, his tone clipped. Then the line went dead.

Liana exhaled sharply. So, this was how it was going to be.

She grabbed her tablet and the files she had spent half the night reviewing before making her way to the conference room. When she entered, she found Darren standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, his back to her.

"Sit," he ordered without turning around.

She clenched her jaw but obeyed, settling into one of the sleek leather chairs.

After a long pause, he finally turned to face her. His sharp, dark eyes locked onto hers, assessing her in that cool, calculating way of his.

"You went through the reports?"

"Yes," she said, keeping her voice even. "There are some discrepancies in the financial projections for the next quarter. I flagged them for review."

He raised an eyebrow, as if mildly impressed, but said nothing about it. Instead, he leaned forward, bracing his hands against the polished table.

"You're going to be accompanying me to a gala tomorrow night," he said abruptly.

Liana blinked. "What?"

"You heard me."

She frowned. "That's not in my job description."

His lips curved slightly, but there was no humor in his expression. "It is now."

She inhaled slowly, forcing herself to remain composed. "And why exactly am I going to this gala with you?"

"Because Vaughn Enterprises has a reputation to maintain. And I need someone I can keep an eye on."

There it was. The real reason.

Liana knew this had nothing to do with professionalism and everything to do with control. Darren was setting the rules, making sure she understood that she was under his authority, that she was still at his mercy.

But she wouldn't let him see how much that bothered her.

"Fine," she said, meeting his gaze with quiet defiance. "I'll be there."

Darren studied her for a long moment, as if searching for something in her expression. Then, without another word, he straightened and strode toward the door.

"Be ready at seven," he said before disappearing down the hall.

Liana exhaled, gripping the arms of her chair.

Tomorrow night was going to be a test.

And she had no choice but to pass.

That evening, Liana stood in front of her full-length mirror, adjusting the silky black gown Serena had practically forced her to buy. The fabric hugged her figure in all the right places, the slit high enough to be daring but still elegant.

"You look like you're about to walk into a battlefield," Serena teased from the couch.

Liana shot her a look through the mirror. "That's because I am."

Serena sighed, standing up and placing her hands on Liana's shoulders. "You've faced worse, Li. Just keep your head up, and don't let him intimidate you."

Liana nodded, though she wasn't sure it would be that easy.

A knock at the door made her stomach twist.

She opened it to find Darren standing there, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, his expression unreadable. His gaze flickered over her, but if he had any reaction to how she looked, he didn't show it.

"We're leaving," he said simply.

Liana grabbed her clutch and stepped outside, closing the door behind her.

The night had just begun.

And she had a feeling that whatever happened next would change everything.