AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Your project threatens to tear down everything I hold dear,” I said with a quiet intensity. “How can they possibly coexist?”
He leaned forward, elbows on the table, his expression contemplative. “You’re assuming my vision is inflexible.”
“Isn’t it?” The words came out sharper than I intended.
For a long moment, he just looked at me, and in that silence, I saw him—not just the billionaire or the man from the ball—but someone caught in a web of his own making, considering threads he’d never noticed before.
***
He slid the glove across the table, a silent acknowledgment of our shared secret. The silky fabric seemed out of place against the worn wood, like a piece of a dream that had no business in the waking world.
“You left in quite a hurry,” Cassius said, his voice smooth, hinting at a touch of amusement. He leaned back in the booth, his presence commanding even in this humble setting. “I wanted to return this.”
I hesitated before taking it, my fingers brushing against his. A current of unspoken words passed between us.
“Why did you really ask me here, Cassius? It can’t just be about a glove.”
He paused, and for a moment, I saw something flicker behind those steel-blue eyes—a depth I hadn’t expected.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said at the meeting,” he admitted. “About the community center… about its importance to your neighborhood.”
My skepticism must have shown because he quickly added, “I’m not here to patronize you or offer empty promises.”
I crossed my arms, trying to keep my heart from racing. “So what are you proposing?”
“Let me see it through your eyes,” he said earnestly. “Show me why this place matters so much to you. Maybe there’s more to this than I realized.”
The suggestion caught me off guard. I searched his face for any hint of duplicity but found none. Could it be possible that beneath that polished exterior lay genuine concern?
“Why would you do that?” I asked. “You have your plans, your vision for the future. Why bother with my side of things?”
“Because maybe I’ve been looking at it all wrong,” he said quietly. “Maybe there’s value in these walls that I’ve overlooked.”
His words left a crack in my resolve, a tiny beam of hope that maybe, just maybe, we could find common ground.
I drummed my fingers on the table, watching Cassius with an intensity I usually reserved for more dire situations. “Two days,” I began, setting the terms as firmly as I could manage. “I need two days to prepare.”
He nodded. “Two days, then. You set the time, Mila.”
The corner of my mouth quirked up despite myself. “Nine in the morning. We start early around here.” His world might have been one of late nights and leisurely mornings, but he’d agreed to step into mine.
A smile flickered across his lips. “Early it is.”
As we rose from the booth, a jolt of something unexpected coursed through me—an exhilarating sense of challenge. I was about to show Cassius Portman, a man whose life was measured in skyscrapers and stock options, the heart of my world.
“I should warn you,” I said as we walked toward the door, “it’s not going to be some sanitized tour. You’re going to see the real deal—no holding back.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you,” he replied, and there was a respect in his tone that I hadn’t anticipated.
We paused outside Breadcetera, the city’s sounds enveloping us—a reminder that two worlds were colliding. I met his gaze squarely. “So we have an agreement?”
“We do,” he confirmed. And just like that, our strange alliance was sealed.
I watched him stride away, his steps sure and purposeful. A tangled mix of emotions wrestled inside me—hope against skepticism, anticipation against fear. The promise of what lay ahead left me breathless and resolute.
I turned on my heel and walked in the opposite direction. There was much to do and little time to waste on doubts or daydreams. But deep down, beneath layers of resolve and responsibility, something undeniable simmered—a spark ignited by the man who was both my adversary and my…what? I couldn’t quite say.
In two days’ time, perhaps I’d find out.
