Chapter 5 Fifth Chapter

The numbers on the clock ticked mercilessly closer to the time four o'clock. By the time the minute hand aligned, Liana's heart was already a drumbeat in her ears. She stood, gathering her notebook, ignoring the eyes that followed her every move.

She refused to let Vanessa or the whispers see her falter.

Her heels clicked softly against the marble tiles as she walked toward the office, a part of Titan Media she had glimpsed from. The corridor itself felt different-quieter, heavier, as though success and secrets were carved into the walls.

Just as she approached Mr. Pierce's office door, a voice stopped her.

"Miss Torres?"

Liana froze, blinking at the man who stood a few steps away. He was tall, polished, with features so striking he could have stepped out of a magazine. His suit was tailored to perfection, his dark hair slicked back, his eyes sharp but oddly warm. Almost as handsome as the man she'd collided with the other day... almost. But there was something missing, something that paled in comparison to that other face she hadn't been able to shake it off her mind.

"Yes?" she asked cautiously as lines appeared on her forehead.

The man gave her a smooth smile. "Mr. Pierce requested you. His office is this way."

Her brows furrowed. "But... his office is right-here" She gestured to the familiar oak door she'd been to earlier that day.

The man shook his head politely. "For matters of importance, meetings are sometimes held elsewhere. Please, follow me."

Her stomach flipped. Something about his tone-gentle but unyielding-left no room for debate. Clutching her notebook tighter, she followed.

THE VIP WING

They walked down a corridor she hadn't noticed before, where the air smelled faintly of expensive cologne and leather. The further they went, the more the atmosphere changed.

The walls gleamed with dark paneling, lined with abstract art worth more than her entire year's salary. Soft recessed lighting illuminated the path, golden against the black marble beneath their feet.

And then-

The doors as unexpected.

They weren't ordinary office doors, not even the polished oak of Pierce's. These were something else entirely: tall, double-panel doors crafted from rich mahogany, with intricate carvings that whispered of power and exclusivity. The handles gleamed gold, heavy and ornate, cool elegance wrapped in authority.

It wasn't just an office entrance. It was a declaration.

A boundary.

A warning.

Liana's steps slowed. Her pulse hammered in her throat. "Are you sure this is-?"

"Yes," the man interrupted smoothly. "Inside."

He opened the door for her with a slight bow.

She stepped in-and froze with her eyes bulging out it's socket and mouth agape.

The space was unlike anything she had expected. Floor-to-ceiling windows stretched behind a grand ebony desk, offering a sweeping view of the city skyline bathed in afternoon sun. The air carried the faint, intoxicating scent of leather, aged whiskey, and something sharper-like dominance itself had a fragrance.

And seated behind the desk, one hand lazily holding a pen, was him.

Adrian Blackwood.

The man she had collided with.

The man whose eyes had lingered on her with disarming sharpness.

The man whose presence alone seemed to command gravity.

Her breath caught. Surely, she had walked into the wrong room.

"I-" she stammered, taking a step back. "I... I'm sorry, I must have the wrong office. I was told to see Mr. Pierce."

Adrian's gaze lifted, pinning her in place. His eyes were darker than she remembered, sharp as glass yet smoldering with something she couldn't name. A slow curve tugged at the corner of his lips, not quite a smile-something far more dangerous.

"You're not in the wrong place," he said, his voice smooth, low, threaded with authority.

Her pulse stuttered. "But... I was told-that..."

"That Pierce wanted to see you?" Adrian finished for her, leaning back in his chair. "He did. But what he failed to mention is that the discussion would happen here."

She blinked, stunned. "Here? With... you?"

Adrian's smirk deepened. He set his pen down with deliberate precision and laced his fingers together atop the desk. "Yes. With me."

The room seemed to shrink, air thickening with unspoken tension. Liana's mind raced, but her body wouldn't obey. Her feet remained rooted, her throat dry.

Finally, she found her voice. "I... I don't understand."

Adrian tilted his head, studying her with an intensity that made her skin prickle. "Don't worry. You will."

He gestured to the chair opposite his desk.

"Sit, Miss Torres. We have much to discuss. Which I guarantee won't waste your time."