Vale had sent over the final assignment, and Liam's jaw clenched as his eyes fell again on the folder sprawled across his desk. The name scrawled in bold print mocked him.
Lisbeth Ortiz.
Not Mia.
His pulse roared in his ears. He flipped the pages once, twice, as if some mistake might leap out at him—but there was no mistake. Vale had reassigned the case. Mia was gone.
Liam shoved back from his chair so violently it scraped across the floor. The folder snapped shut under his hand with a vicious slap.
"No."
This wasn't how it was going to end.
"Anabel!" His voice cracked through the air, sharp enough to rattle the glass walls.
She appeared almost instantly, wide-eyed. "Sir?"
He thrust the folder toward her, his expression hard, unyielding. "Call Vale. Now."
She blinked. "But sir, I already confirmed with his office. The decision is final. The firm assigned Attorney Ortiz—"
"I don't care what Vale's office says," Liam cut her off, his tone like steel. He turned toward the window, his fists tightening until his knuckles went white. "Ortiz won't do. I want Mia Villaruiz on this account. No substitutions." His gaze snapped back to her, dark and cold enough to freeze her in place. "Tell Vale it's her or no one."
Anabel faltered, startled. She had worked for Liam long enough to see him ruthless, even merciless—but never like this. There was an edge to his voice that unsettled her, something far more personal than business. For the first time, she wondered if this wasn't about the company at all.
"Yes, Mr. Alcaraz," she murmured, forcing her voice steady before slipping out again.
Alone once more, Liam pressed both hands to the edge of his desk, his head dropping forward.
He shouldn't be doing this. There were plenty of lawyers who could handle the case. Ortiz was perfectly capable. No one would question his decision to move forward with her.
But it wasn't Ortiz he wanted across that table.
It wasn't about contracts. It wasn't about strategy. It wasn't even about winning.
It was about Mia.
He would never admit it—not to Anabel, not to Vale, not to anyone. He would bury the truth beneath business terms, cloak it in excuses of leverage and precision. But deep inside, Liam knew the truth he couldn't escape.
If Mia wasn't the one sitting across from him, then he wasn't just losing a lawyer.
He was losing her.
And Liam Alcaraz—who had built empires from nothing, who had bent rivals to their knees—would rather burn every bridge than let that happen.
Mia Villaruiz was going to face him again.
She was going to represent his company.
No matter what it took.
Anabel returned a few minutes later, a folder clutched to her chest, her expression carefully neutral. But there was a tension in her shoulders as she spoke.
"Mr. Alcaraz... Vale's office confirmed it. The reassignment is final. Attorney Lisbeth Ortiz will handle your account moving forward."
For a moment, the silence was deafening.
Then Liam's chair scraped back, the sound harsh against the polished floor. He rose slowly, every muscle tight with barely controlled fury. His eyes burned, dark and dangerous, locking on Anabel in a way that made her forget to breathe.
"That won't do." His voice was low, almost too calm, but the kind of calm that carried storms. "Not now. Not ever."
Anabel had seen him angry before—cutthroat in negotiations, ruthless in boardrooms—but never like this. There was something unhinged simmering beneath his composure, a rawness that unsettled her more than if he had shouted.
"Sir—" she began carefully, "Vale insisted it was non-negotiable. Miss Villaruiz declined, and—"
"Get Richard on the phone," Liam snapped, cutting her off, his tone cracking like a whip. "I'll speak to him myself."
She hesitated, almost out of instinct. "Mr. Alcaraz, I should warn you—"
"Now, Anabel!" His fist slammed onto the desk with such force the glass of water beside him trembled, ripples spreading across its surface.
Anabel flinched, her heart racing as she fumbled for her phone. She had never—never—seen him like this. Liam Alcaraz was a man of control, a master of restraint. Yet here he was, pacing like a caged animal, his breaths uneven, his jaw clenched hard enough to crack.
She dialed Vale's office and placed the receiver in Liam's hand, then quietly stepped back, though she couldn't help but linger, curiosity warring with unease.
Liam's voice cut through the line with sharp precision. "Richard. I'll keep this short. I only want Mia Villaruiz. If she is not the one representing my company, then I'll look for another law firm. I don't care who else you throw at me, or what excuses you make—it's her, or no one."
There was a pause as Vale's muffled voice argued on the other end, but Liam didn't budge. His tone only hardened. "Then find a way to handle your own employee. That's your problem. Mine is simple. I want Villaruiz. Don't waste my time with anyone else."
He ended the call with a decisive click, tossing the receiver back onto the desk. His chest rose and fell sharply, his knuckles whitening as he braced his hands against the polished surface.
Anabel stood frozen near the door, her clipboard pressed tightly to her chest. Her boss's outburst replayed in her mind, sharper than any of his legendary negotiations. She had worked under Liam Alcaraz for years, had seen him bend competitors to their knees without raising his voice. Yet this... this was different.
This wasn't about strategy. This wasn't about contracts.
It was about her.
As Anabel slipped silently out of the office, her thoughts swirled. For the first time, she found herself wondering if her famously untouchable boss—the man immune to charm, distraction, or weakness—had finally cracked.
Had Liam Alcaraz fallen for Attorney Villaruiz?
Because no matter how much he tried to bury it beneath business, Anabel had seen it plain as day. The fury, the desperation, the edge in his voice.
This wasn't about winning the case.
This was about Mia.
And from the look in Liam's eyes, Anabel knew he wouldn't stop until Mia Villaruiz was sitting across from him again—whether she wanted to be there or not.
Richard Vale prided himself on being unshakable. In courtrooms, in boardrooms, even in private deals behind closed doors, he never let anyone rattle him.
Until today.
Liam Alcaraz had called him directly. Not just called—demanded. His voice had been clipped, furious, leaving no room for negotiation.
"I only want Mia Villaruiz. If she doesn't represent my company, I'll find another firm. Don't waste my time with Ortiz, Vale. It's her, or no one."
The line had gone dead before Richard could even form a proper rebuttal.
For the first time in years, Richard Vale found himself backed into a corner. Losing Alcaraz as a client wasn't an option. The account was worth millions in fees, not to mention the prestige of representing one of the youngest, most powerful CEOs in the country. But more than that, Richard's instincts screamed that this was personal. He'd seen many clients in his lifetime, but Liam's insistence on one particular lawyer—an associate, no less—wasn't about business. It was something else.
And that left Richard with only one option.
Mia was at her desk the next morning, buried in files, when her office line rang. She picked it up without thinking, her voice steady.
"Attorney Villaruiz."
"Mia," came the familiar, commanding voice of her boss. "My office. Now."
Her stomach dropped. Richard Vale didn't summon people lightly. With a quiet breath, she set her pen down, straightened her blazer, and made her way to his corner office.
The moment she stepped inside, she felt the weight of his gaze. He didn't waste time with pleasantries.
"Close the door."
She obeyed, her palms suddenly damp.
Vale leaned back in his leather chair, steepling his fingers. "Do you know why you're here?"
Mia shook her head cautiously. "No, sir."
He slid a folder across the desk toward her. She recognized it instantly—Liam's account. Her chest tightened.
Vale's voice was calm, but there was an edge beneath it. "Alcaraz wants you. Specifically you. He's refused Ortiz, refused anyone else. He says if you don't take the lead, he'll walk away from the firm."
Mia's breath stalled. The room seemed to shrink around her. "Sir, with respect... I don't think I'm the right fit—"
"Stop." Vale's tone cut her off like a blade. He leaned forward, eyes sharp. "Do you understand what this means? Alcaraz is not just any client. This account could define the next decade of this firm's reputation."
"I know," she whispered, struggling to steady her voice. "But I—"
He didn't let her finish. Instead, his tone shifted, lower, almost coaxing. "Mia... you've been with me long enough to know I don't hand out titles easily. But if you agree to lead Alcaraz's account, I'll do more than put you in charge of this case."
She blinked, stunned.
"I'll make you partner," he said evenly.
Her heart thundered in her chest. For a moment, she couldn't speak. Partnership was something she'd dreamed of since law school—something years away, if not longer. Associates clawed at each other for the chance, and now, here it was, dropped in front of her like an impossible gift.
All she had to do was say yes.
But saying yes meant Liam.
It meant sitting across from him, hearing his voice, feeling the sharp pull of the past every single day.