The conference room at S&Co glimmered with morning light and quiet expectation. Glass walls, lush orchids, the hum of determined voices, every detail bespoke the empire Sharon had built with calculated precision. If nerves ever lingered beneath her businesslike exterior, almost no one saw them.
Except Jia and Ray, positioned at Sharon's flanks, her closest allies, her chosen family, and the only ones who truly knew about the scars Sid Mehra had left years before.
Jia swept in from her adjoining studio, a splash of color, laughter, and energy. "Don't glare at the schedule so hard, babe, you'll set it on fire." She twirled a fabric swatch, hip against the conference table. "If today goes wrong, we'll blame it on your lack of cupcakes."
Sharon mustered a faint habitual smile, protective. "You're the worst influence here, Jia. And this is not the day for crumbs all over custom couture."
Jia's eyes sparkled as she leaned in. "Relax. Ray and I are on perimeter duty." Her voice lowered, warm and sincere with a gravity only Sharon caught: "We've got you."
Ray, precise and unobtrusively watchful, distributed waters and laid out folders. "All set. We made it through worse in college presentations," he said softly, meeting Sharon's gaze for just a beat longer than anyone else would notice.
Sharon's reply was a steady nod, but her grip on her pen told a truer story. Today felt different, a ripple of intuition invisible to all but her inner circle.
A knock at the glass. Before Sharon could gather herself, a familiar, clean cologne sliced through the air, unmistakable, unwanted. Her heart stalled. She looked up, pen hovering mid-signature, to see Sid Mehra step into the room.
For an instant, every wall dropped: a flash of shock, then hurt, flickered across Sharon's face. Sid paused, nerves masked beneath the demeanor of a confident executive, but his gaze, steady and searching, landed on her hewn stone.
"Miss Sharma," Sid said, voice perfectly modulated and yet too intimate for a boardroom. "It's good to meet again, officially."
Sharon's hand trembled ever so slightly. Jia, watching closely, stiffened at her side. Ray's knuckles whitened against his folder, eyes unreadable but trained on Sid. They'd both spent years watching Sharon piece herself back together; they both recognized the tremor and the danger.
Sharon recovered her calm, barely. "Mr. Mehra," she said, formal, cool. "We weren't expecting you in person."
Sid's mouth twitched, regret almost visible. "Our new initiative is important. I wanted the introduction to be… direct." His gaze lingered, weighted with memories only they understood.
Jia stepped into the silence, words bubbling to fill the void. "Sharon's being modest. She's orchestrated events for three prime ministers, five film awards she even made Ray MC an anniversary gala, and he's afraid of microphones." The banter bought Sharon a breath, and Ray a moment to edge quietly closer, subtle reassurance.
Sharon fixed her posture, masking the unrest with professionalism honed over the years. "Let's get started." She gestured to the presentation while silently gripping her pen so tightly her knuckles blanched a tremor visible only to Jia and Ray.
Sid outlined the project proposal, but Sharon barely heard it. Every word came layered with the memory of old summer laughter, betrayal, and heartbreak. Sid glanced her way each time he paused, as if searching for the girl he'd once known. Sharon did not let him find her.
The meeting closed with promises of follow-up. Sharon rose, still all poise and distance. "We'll send our decision by tomorrow. Thank you for coming, Mr. Mehra."
Sid nodded. If there was an apology in his eyes, Sharon dismissed it.
As the room emptied, Jia swooped in, tone suddenly serious, irrepressible joy gone. She placed a hand gently on Sharon's arm. "Your hands. I haven't seen them shake since well. Since before." Her eyes glistened, fierce with loyalty. "He can't hurt you, not now. Not with us here."
Ray lingered at the door, silent but present, heart in his gaze. "We're with you, Sharon. Whatever he tries."
Sharon exhaled, the tension seeping from her shoulders. In front of most, she was unflappable; here, with Jia and Ray, who'd sat with her through every shattered night, who knew the truth behind the empire, she let the mask almost slip. "Thank you," she whispered. "I'll be okay."
Jia smiled and squeezed her hand. "We know. And if you're not? We'll burn cupcakes together. Or… you can just watch me burn them."
Sharon managed a laugh, small but honest, feeling for the first time that day the strength of the fortress her friends built around her.
Outside, the city never paused for old pain. But in that office, Sharon promised herself Sid's return might shake the ground, but she was not alone, and she would not break.