a's

pain of Ethan and Debbie's betrayal had faded into a distant memory-I ha

em. They helped take care of my daughter, Sara, while I went to work. Being a single m

prestigious companies in the country. It wasn't glamorous, but the pay was better than anything

r long. Even on the rare days I was assigned to clean the executive suite, his office was always empty. Still, I admired th

ld one day echo through those hal

ecutive floor. It wasn't a big deal-I'd done it plenty of times before. In

my personal stage. With my eyes closed and zero awareness of the world around me, I twirled and

spinning dramatically and striking silly poses as I cleaned.

opened

fr

man in a sharp black suit, eyes fixed on me

opped. My j

I genuinely forg

s the room, my heart hammering in my chest. I bowed my

, my palms clammy with panic.

speak ri

me, heavy and unreadable. Then, to my su

d the soft click of his shoes as he stood and walked toward me. "

floor, I swallowed hard an

ghtened. I could feel him-his presence, his height

ed his hand to my jaw

eyes

sto

nt, my breath cau

i

storm-gray eyes. That

't just

was

that night fo

'd never been

my own breathing-shallow and shaky. My fingers tightened around the mop handl

e Ni

idn't know you

of amusement. But I could sense it-something behind his

I didn'

oul

was trapped in my throat, t

se years... after everything

otel suite, thought about it in the quiet hours of dawn while nursing my newborn. Wondered i

Real. Solid. And stan

stions raced t

remember me? Does he know he has a d

girl, who had no idea who her father was. I hadn't told anyone except my parents

lai. CEO.

a memory, then slowly smiled. It wasn't warm. It wasn't cold either. It was

he simply wa

ccusations. No hint of

behind him echoed through t

d to the spot,

cogni

Feel it in the way his gaz

hy pr

ke we were

buried that night like I tried to

ng beneath me. My body trembled as I l

dering about... just walked

e'd for

e-he had his reasons