She leaned forward, her tone rich and calculated. "A next step. Something that could secure the future of our companies — our legacy." She smiled, "like you know, I've done my part now it your turn."
Samuel didn't open it immediately. He stared curiously looking at the document in his front.
All his thoughts was that he already sign a collaboration with Lexora in the he boardroom, what could this now entail.
Evie took a long sip of her scotch, then set the glass down with a soft clink, "my father believes in synergy— true synergy. Not just contract, but alliances that go beyond ink and handshakes."
She smiled, "you know Lexora's reach. Our assets, our international connections, our market dominance. Combine that with Synertek's momentum, and we wouldn't just be players. We'd be untouchable."
Samuel tapped the folder. "And this would make that happen?"
"Oh, it would seal it," Evie replied with a smirk, "I've already signed my part. All that's left is for you to agree to the term and sign those documents then our collaboration will be a confirmation."
He opened the folder slowly, his expression unreadable as he scanned the first page–his fingers pausing on a line that wasn't quite corporate.
Evie leaned closer, her voice a seductive whisper now, "don't think of it as a merger, Samuel. Think of it as a future."
And then she reclined in her seat, sipping her drink while the candlelight flickered over the edge of her confident smile.
Samuel's finger hovered above the document, lightly grading the smooth paper as his eye moved slowly over the lines. It looked like any other agreement at first glance — legally structured, precise, and business like. But woven between the formal language and partnership clause was a subtle implications. This wasn't just about companies. That was personal.
****
"I'll make you mine. Just after we win that award. I'll make you known to the world," Bella voiced echoed in his mind– soft , hopeful.
He blinked, gripping the pen tighter.
She had stayed up countless nights beside him, her ideas shaping Synertek direction, her sacrifice hidden behind his spotlight. He remembered the fire in her eyes, the unwavering loyalty, the live she gave without hesitation. ****
But the. Evie's voice sliced through his thoughts.
"You've been staring at that page like it's a death sentence."
Samuel glanced up, jaw tight.
Evie leaned back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other with a confidence that filled the room, "let me be blunt. If you're having second thoughts, now's the time. But if you walk away from this…." Her expression sharpened, "Lexora will walk away too."
She folded her arms, her tone cold and precise, "my father doesn't play second to hesitation. Our collaboration is only viable this agreement. No signature, no alliance. We'll pull out. All of it funding. Access. Market leverage. Everything."
The words hung heavy In the air.
Samuel shallowed hard, his mind racing. He imagined Synertek five years from now— global presence, unrivaled power, the name on every screen and device Lexora's backing would catapult them beyond limits.
He closed his eyes for a brief second.
"You promised me forever, Samuel…." Bella's voice whispered again in the recess of his memory.
But when he opened them. It was ambition staring back at him.
Without another word, he took the pen, signed his name at the bottom of the document, and set it down with finality.
Evie smiled victorious.
"God choice," she said, offering him glass for a toast, "to our future."
Samuel hesitated, then raise his glass, clinking it with hers.
"To our union," he replied, thought his voice held a shallows of something else– guilt? Doubt? Perhaps both.
As they sealed the deal, somewhere across the city, Bella was drowning in heartbreak unaware that the man she'd built her dreams around had just rewritten both their destinies.
*****************
The gentle hum of the car engine was the only sound that filled the quiet cabin as Samuel stares blankly out the tinted window, Evies.
"Good choice. To our future."
But his mind wasn't with Evie, or Lexora or the powerful deal he had just sealed.
It was with Bella.
His eyes drifted closed, and memory swept him like a tide — taking him back to a moment that felt like a lifetime ago.
Two years ago — Synertek labs, 11:42pm
The office light were dimmed except for the soft glow from Bella's laptop. She sat cross- legged on the couch in the executive suite, a blanket wrapped around her legs eyes heavy from hours of back and forth debugging.
Samuel stood by the window, sipping his coffee, watching her in a silence.
"You should go home," he said softly.
She looked up, blinking through exhaustion. "You should take your own advice."
He smirked amd walked over, crouching beside her. For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then, quietly, Bella asked the question she'd held in her heart for too long.
"Samuel….are we always going to be…like this?"
He didn't answer immediately.
"Hidden?" She said gently. "Like some secret you can't afford to admit."
Samuel stared at her, conflicted. Her vulnerability made him ache.
"You know how this world works, Bella," he murmured, "the moment personal and professional mix, especially for us — it complicates everything."
She gave a sad, tired smile. "So we build a billion dollar empire in secret?"
He reached for her hand, his thumb brushing the back of it. ,"No. Just until the foundation is strong enough, when we become recognized — when Synertek stands at the top – then I'll tell the world. I'll tell them you're the reason i got here."
Bella's eyes softened, hope dancing behind her fatigue, "promise?"
Samuel cupped her cheeks, "promise."
And then, in the stillness of their private world, he kissed her. It was slow, deep, and aching–like two souls who had waited far too long for something that still wasn't their to keep.
He remembered the way she melted into him, the way her finger tangled in his shirt, like she wanted to hold onto him and never let go.
He remembered thinking, this is home
******************************
Samuel blinked, his heart twisting in his chest.
That kiss … that moment…it had meant everything.
But now, he sat with a signed deal In his briefcase, a powerful woman across the table, and a future that no longer had space for promises whispered in the dark.
He leaned back against the seat, closing his eyes again.
"Forgive me, Bella," he whispered to the silence.
But silence offered no reply.
Samuel held the sleek black pen loosely between his fingers, his signature now etched onto the final page of the agreement. The glint of satisfaction in Evie's eyes didn't go unnoticed. She reached for the document with a confident smile, her red painted nails tapping it lightly before she slid it into her folder.
"We ought to celebrate our collaboration," she said smoothly. "You've just secured the most powerful alliance in tech today."
Samuel forced a smile, though his thoughts were still swirling with doubt. The weight of the decision he'd made didn't sit well with him, especially as flashes of Bella's smile, her support, and their secret moments flickered in his mind.
She turned to Samuel, "for a smooth and proper collaboration, there's one more thing. Another condition?"
"What's more," Samuel replied acidly
Evie's lips curved into a knowing smirk. She leaned back in her seat, crossing her legs elegantly. "Yes. You need to let her go, if you want this agreement to hold– no loop-holes, no sudden reversals of our deal."
Samuel blinked, momentarily confused. "Her? Who? What are you talking about?"
Evie chuckled softly, but her time turned razor-sharp. "Bella. Don't play dumb with me. I know. Everyone else may be blind to your little secret romance, but I'm not. I see everything."
Samuel's heart clenched. His jaw tensed.
Evie leaned forward now, her voice low and firm.
"You can't have both. If you want Lexora's full collaboration – if you want to ride this wave of success – you'll cut ties with her. Completely. No more private dinners. No more..... anything."
Samuel stared at her, trying to read between the lines, to search for any hint of bluff. But Evie's eyes didn't flinch.
"You're asking me to end my relationship for business?" He said slowly still stunned.
"I'm not asking," she replied coolly. "You made the choice when you signed that document. Now I need you to act like it. Or I'll make sure my father withdraws everything – collaboration, funding, patents, even your credibility. Lexora doesn't partner with divided loyalties."
Samuel stared down at the empty space where he'd just written his name, now feeling like he'd signed away more than just a business deal.