Scarlett's POV
Ace pulled me to his office door then both our steps faltered. There was an unspoken knowing between us, I could see it in his eyes. His unsure stare.
We could tell that if we walked into his office together, there would be no going back. We'd taken our feet above the border, the lines between professionalism and aching desire blurred. If his office door were to close behind us, all hell would break loose and it would be too late to turn back around.
I cleared my throat, my gaze fixed on the marble floors instead of his inviting orbs.
"I should finish up with those files." My voice sounded foreign to my own ears. I could still hear the recesses of desire beneath each word and with one stolen glance I could tell that he heard it too but to my surprise he nodded, finally letting go of my hands.
Awkwardly, I turned around and rushed into my office. I spent the rest of the day locked into the small space and he didn't bother looking for me. I was grateful for that at least. It gave me some space to think over what just happened. I was literally conflicted on what I felt for Joshua a few minutes before Mr. Knight walked in. Shortly after, I was pressed against the wall, moaning like a fool.
I facepalmed, groaning as I tried to focus on work. It was nearly impossible with the voices in my head throwing judgement my way.
I had to admit, that was very unlike me, but Mr. Knight had me doing and feeling things I'd only read in romance novels.
"Focus, Scarlett." I muttered to myself, trying to keep myself grounded to the present.
I forced myself to go back to work, finally managing to keep my mind locked in. I stayed glued to my seat till it was 5pm then an email popped up on my laptop. It was from Mr. Knight.
'You can close early.'
I didn't know how he knew I was a complete wreck but who cared? I sighed in relief, quickly gathering my things and rushing out of the office like the building was on fire.
I slept early that night, long before Layla got home.
The next time I opened my eyes my alarm clock read 4:00am and my phone was buzzing.
'Who could be calling at this hour?' I thought to myself before picking the call.
Joshua's early morning voice greeted me. Reminding me of our plans to surprise Layla both this morning and later at night.
Begrudgingly, I dragged myself to the bathroom to freshen up. Joshua and Kenneth, Layla's brothers, arrived in record time.
I let them in as quietly as I could and we quickly got to work. Filling the room with balloons while I worked on arranging the gifts.
By the time we were done it was a few minutes past 9am and Layla was, of course, still asleep.
The three of us decided to ambush her in her bedroom.
"One, two, three!" Kenneth counted down, then at three we all rushed into Layla's room.
"Happy birthday!" We yelled at the top of our voice but Layla barely moved an inch.
"You're kidding me." Kenneth complained, exasperated at his younger sister's incredible sleeping capacity.
"Relax. I got this." I reassured them, then flung myself on Layla and her eyes flew open with a shriek..
"Scarlett! What the hell!" She exclaimed, seeing that I had been the cause of her predicament.
"Happy birthday, sleeping beauty." I screamed into her ear, pulling her away from bed. Finally, she realized I wasn't alone.
"Happy birthday, sleepy head." Joshua pulled her into a side hug while Kenneth, the more playful one of the two picked her up, spinning around while she wailed for help.
We all laughed as he carried her to the living room like a sack of potatoes, dumping her on the sofa.
I could see she wanted to complain but her words died in her mouth when she took in how much decoration we'd done in her living room
"I can barely recognize this place. Thank you so much guys. You're the best." She cooed and we all pulled her into a group hug.
The rest of the morning passed quickly. It was fun-filled with games and lots of food. Layla also got to open our presents and she loved each one. I'd gotten her a watch she'd been talking about for the past few weeks while her brothers showered her with clothes, Jewelries and other girly stuff.
Kenneth and Joshua bid us goodbye at around 4pm, while I decided to set the stage for our future surprise.
"You should go get ready. I told you I'm taking you out." I instructed and she saluted like a soldier, running to get ready.
I also took my time to get ready. We did our makeup and I chose to wear the red gown Joshua had gotten me.
"Oh my gosh. You look stunning." Layla's eyes bulged as I stepped out in my full outfit and I rolled my eyes.
"Oh please. You look like a goddess." Layla was clad in a black goddess-like gown. It hugged her figure, three deep cuts ran through the front, exposing just the right amount of skin.
The rest of the gown flowed freely to her toes with a high slit at the left, exposing her smooth and milky thighs. Her long straight hair looked like pure silk and her makeup was immaculately done, as always.
"Oh please. This old thing." We laughed at our modest replies. The sun had set by now and Joshua had just texted me with the go ahead to start coming.
I drove us to the rented apartment Joshua had chosen. It was at a completely different side of LA and I had to use a GPS to locate it.
Layla whistled as we drove through the gates which were guarded by heavily armed men.
"Talk about luxury." I commented, appraising the complex design of the building.
Bathed in moonlight, the white house gleamed like a pearl against the night sky. Upstairs, the glass-encased pool shimmered with a soft, bluish glow, casting ripples of light onto the walls. The water looked almost still,suspended in air and reflecting stars as if the sky had dipped itself into the house.
"Wow. Just wow." Layla muttered beside me. We stepped out together, awestruck at the beauty of it all. Trees surrounded the house and it all felt so serene and so quiet that I couldn't help but wonder if I was at the wrong address.
All doubts of that cleared the moment I pushed the door open.
"Surprise!"
Over a hundred voices yelled as Layla and I stepped in. We both looked around, equally shocked as we took in the number of people in the room.
"Oh my gosh, Scarlett. Did you do this?" She asked, dumbfounded while everyone stared back.
Joshua and Kenneth stepped out of the crowd. "I'd say it's a joint effort." Kenneth replied, placing a tender kiss on his sister's forehead and Joshua mirrored his actions.
"Thank you so much, Scarlett, she squealed into my ear and I laughed. "Happy birthday, my princess."
Her eyes were glossy as she pulled away, overtaken by emotion.
"Please don't ruin your makeup. I think your crush form college is here." I whispered the last part to her and her shoulders straightened, sucking in a deep breath to hold her tears in.
"You good?"
"She nodded, turning to the mob of people coming to wish her a happy birthday.
The place was packed. Faces from college, colleagues from work, some of her brother's friends, and even a couple of familiar socialites she'd once interned with. Someone handed her a sash and a glittering crown, crowning her queen of the night. The music thrummed low as she floated from guest to guest, glowing with joy.
Soon, a tall guy with shaggy brown hair approached and asked Layla for a dance. She raised her brow playfully, shrugged, and let herself be whisked away to the dance floor.
Joshua and I watched her, both of us smiling like proud parents while Kenneth disappeared into the crowd.
"She looks so happy. You guys are amazing brothers." I said softly.
"Thank you. We can't help but cherish our only sister after all." He replied, genuine love for his sister leaking through his words. Then, leaning in close, he whispered, "You look stunning in that dress. I'm glad you chose it."
His breath grazed my ear and a tingle danced down my spine. I turned toward him, heart beating a little faster.
"You look beautiful, Letty."
His use of my nickname softened the intensity of the moment. I rolled my eyes but couldn't hide my blush. "You're still not allowed to call me that."
"Couldn't help it," he murmured, offering me his hand. "I'd like to cash in on that dance you promised me. Shall we?"
I hesitated but only for a second, before letting him guide me to the floor. The music had softened to a mellow R&B track, and we moved in sync with the beat. His hand on my waist felt secure. Warm. Familiar. It was easy to forget the chaos that constantly followed me these days.
Until it wasn't.
Just as the song shifted to something heavier, a ripple of whispers rolled through the crowd. Heads turned, and phones subtly tilted in the same direction, toward the main entrance.
I followed their gaze.
There he was.
Ace Knight.
Dressed in all black. Collar sharp. Expression unreadable. Eyes trained only on me.
He didn't move. Didn't blink. Just stood in the doorway like he'd walked straight out of a different world and into mine.
The room seemed to contract around him, the music dimming beneath the weight of his presence. My breath caught in my throat.
Joshua's hand tightened slightly on my waist, and I realized how close we still were. How… intimate we must have looked to anyone watching.
Especially him.
Especially Ace.
"Guess he changed his mind about work-only events," Joshua muttered, voice low.
I couldn't speak. My heart was pounding too hard, my thoughts twisting into knots.
Why did he come?
And why… now?
Ace's gaze flicked to Joshua's hand on me, and for a moment, something raw and dangerous flashed behind his eyes.
The storm had arrived.