na's

ion could be heard as I exited the elevator. The reception area had few people around.

nervous and jittery because today- a Monday- was my meeting with

cked would be an understatement. Eros' willingness to listen and think of helping me was suspicious because of our previous unfortunate encounte

th a high-waisted, tailored grey wide-leg trousers with a front slit at the hem and my Pointed-toe yellow

, ever-joyful middle-aged receptionist at my building, called me with

aid with a twinkle in her eye

know so. You're going to crush whateve

I needed that. I waved at Khalid, the security guard, on my

ers tapped against my Dior bag as anxiety crept back in. "You okay?" the driver asked, glancing at me through the rearview mirror. "Yeah..

d clean lines. It towered over me, almost mocking. It was beautiful. Intimidating. I wal

up from her perfectly manicured nail

ter a second, she hung up and gave me a curt nod. "You can go up. Thirtieth f

ep breath, fixing the folds of my top and checking my lipstick in th

looked surprisingly young and sharp, definitely not the stereotypical

he massive matte black double doors at the end of the hallway. They

, "Sir, your 11 am has arrived." There was a brief pause before I heard the words, "Let her in." I cleared my thro

behind him, overlooking the city in all its glory. I spotted the Burj Khalifa instantly. Th

nd skin. Calm, powerful, unreadable. His eyes lifted from the screen he was scanning, and they lande

hing his tone, "on better terms, I hope." He stood slowly, walking around the desk and leaning casually agai

ks. I had a meeting to prepare for," I replied, clutching my Dior bag a little tighter. He gest

into the pitch I'd rehearsed a hundred times. I told him about my vision for Alpha-a fashion house that merged high-end minimalism with Nubian heritage an

ting against his knuckles, saying nothing until I finally pause

expression shifted. It wasn't a smile, but it was close. "Fair enough," he said. The meeting continued-questions, projections, an

n't let go immediately. His eyes held mine just a little longer than necessary. "You're different," he said

d it just a beat too long. You're different. The words, low and deliberate, vibrated in my ears, competing with the frantic thud

ly beside me. "Ms. Lanconi, I'll

y sound in the hushed corridor. My mind replayed the meeting – his sharp questions, my impassioned answers, th

d inside and turned to thank him, I saw Eros standing at the end of the hallway, framed by the open doorway of his office. He wasn't moving towards us; he was sim

red a polite, "Have a good day,

I couldn't. My eyes locked with his across the narrowing gap. The air crackled, thick with unspoken words and the memory of his touch. H

, I saw the faintest curve lift the corner of his mouth. Not a

ic

fidence I'd projected moments ago felt like a flimsy shield now. My skin felt hypersensitive, and the memory of his handshake was a brand. "I'll th

his his way of getting revenge for what happened at the event? I'm n

ling undercurrent I hadn't anticipated. The meeting was over, yes. But the game, it seemed, had just taken a much more intriguing, and infinitely mor

tapping against the marble floor, I

asn't

ust the