For the first time in a long time, Lila Devereaux woke up without an alarm or a calendar reminder buzzing her phone. No board meetings. No strategy calls. No looming deadlines.
Just sunshine.
It filtered through the linen curtains in a soft golden wash, kissing her bare shoulder. She blinked once, then twice, registering the strange sensation in her chest—lightness. The air didn't feel heavy with decisions or expectations. Instead, it felt… good. Pure. Free.
Ethan was still asleep beside her, one arm draped across her waist, his face peaceful and unaware. She studied him for a long moment. The once-clumsy delivery boy was now the man whose name was whispered in investment circles. And he was hers.
She rose carefully, slipping from the sheets and tugging on one of his oversized hoodies. She padded barefoot into the kitchen, her steps unusually light. The marble counters were spotless, the coffee machine humming low. Everything was still. In this hush, she found space to think—not as CEO, not as Devereaux—but simply as Lila.
She leaned against the counter and smiled to herself.
How had they even gotten here?
A smirk tugged at her lips as memories filtered through. Their first meeting—when he'd mistakenly delivered food to her. And his suggestion on a tech issue.
It wasn't love at first sight. Not even second.
It was more like a slow burn. A quiet noticing. A challenge to her perfection.
She remembered when she thought he wasn't going to last a week, but was amazed even though he was new to the job. The quiet intelligence beneath his boyish charm. She had been so buttoned-up back then, always ten steps ahead, terrified of failure. But he'd never asked her to slow down.
He just kept up.
And now… the boy she had once ordered around was helping her build empires.
"Good morning."
His voice was groggy, low, and full of sleep as he entered the kitchen, rubbing his eyes.
"You're up early," he added, walking over to wrap his arms around her from behind.
She leaned into him with ease. "Just thinking."
"Dangerous," he teased, kissing her temple.
She laughed—a sound she barely recognized from herself, it had been so long. "I was thinking about us."
He pulled back to study her face. "Yeah?"
"I'm not who I was back then," she said slowly. "And neither are you."
Ethan nodded, reaching past her for a mug. "That's the whole point, right?"
She turned to face him fully, her expression soft. "Do you ever think about how ridiculous it all was? A delivery boy and a CEO?"
He chuckled. "I thought I was just delivering tofu, not my résumé to your heart."
She rolled her eyes, but the grin didn't leave her face. "You're still so cheesy."
He shrugged. "And yet… you love me."
She said nothing. Just looked at him.
Then, softly: "Yeah. I do."
It wasn't the first time she'd said it. But it was the first time it felt like she meant it without needing to add a clause or a condition. No caveats. No backup plans. Just truth.
Love had crept into her life like Ethan had—uninvited, unexpected, impossible to ignore. It didn't knock. It just moved in. And somehow, it rebuilt her.
She was no longer the woman terrified of failing her legacy or being outshined. She didn't need to control everything anymore. Ethan had taught her that some of the best things grow wild.
She was finally becoming someone new.
Someone lighter.
Someone who smiled for no reason.
"I think I'm going to throw a team dinner," she said suddenly. "Something informal. Backyard barbecue, maybe. No suits. Just people."
Ethan blinked. "Wait… you want to host a party without a three-point agenda?"
She laughed again, this time louder. "Shut up."
"No, seriously," he said, grinning. "Who are you, and what have you done with Lila Devereaux?"
She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. "I'm the woman who fell in love with a delivery boy. And watched him become a business genius. And now… I just want to enjoy it."
He kissed the top of her head and held her close. "Then let's enjoy it. Together."
The city roared outside their windows, but inside, everything was still. Two people, no longer weighed down by the world. Just a quiet morning, a shared memory, and a future filled with laughter.
And for the first time, Lila didn't feel the need to plan it all.
She just wanted to live it.