Then I exhale, as if I’m making an exception.
“Unfortunately, my schedule is full.” I keep my tone smooth,impassive. “But… well. I do have an opening next Wednesday.”
Another pause. I imagine her grinding her teeth, hating that I’ve dictated the terms.
“Fine,” she says lightly, but there’s an edge beneath it. She doesn’t like being backed into a corner.
Good.
“We’ll see you Wednesday at one. Bloom and Brew.”
The cafe. Her turf.
I hum in acknowledgment. “I’m looking forward to hearing your spirited opinions.”
“I’m sure you are.”
The line clicks off.
I set the phone down, my fingers tapping idly against the receiver. That was… unexpected. She didn’t flinch, didn’t scramble to appease me like most people do. She pushed back. Matched me.
Curious.
I lean back, considering for a moment before pulling my laptop closer. Let’s see what I’m dealing with. I type Bloom and Brew into the search bar. The first image that pops up is of the shop front covered in flowers, charming but otherwise unremarkable.
Then I see her picture.
Lila.
My breath catches, my pulse steady but heavy. I click on the image, leaning closer.
Sharp cheekbones, full lips, same fire in her eyes. My stomach drops. It’s her. Lila. The last person I ever expected to see again. The girl I walked away from. She’s standing outside the cafe, one hand resting on her mum’s shoulder, a small smilesoftening her face.
Confident. Effortless. Unmistakably her.
She’s laughing. Carefree, like the years between us never existed. My chest tightens.
I sit back in my chair, staring at the screen. For a moment, everything else disappears. The reports on my desk, the endless calls and meeting. None of it matters.
Memories hit me like a sucker punch. Her laugh, the way her eyes lit up when she argued with me, the way she tilted her head just before she said something she knew would piss me off.
The way I walked away without a word.
I close my laptop slowly, my heart thudding in my chest.
What the hell are you doing here, Lila?
Of all the people who could’ve stood in my way, it had to be her.
I stand and walk to the window, the London skyline stretching out beneath me. Glass towers glinting in the afternoon light, the pulse of power in every direction. My city. My empire.
It’s been years since I left Nottingham. I’ve built a life here in London, clean, controlled, and miles away from the mess I left behind. Far away from her. There’s nothing there for me anymore. At least, that’s what I thought.
But fate clearly has other plans.
Fifteen years of building my empire, climbing higher with every move. Power, wealth, control, everything carefully crafted. Unshakable. Untouchable.
Does she know who I am? Does she remember?
