The office was dark except for the city lights bleeding through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Lia could still feel the echo of Leo's presence, even though he had stepped away to take the call that had turned his expression unreadable.
Her heart was racing—for reasons she refused to name.
She stood near his desk, arms crossed tightly over her chest, trying to steady her breathing. The air felt heavy. Intimate. Dangerous. Everything about being alone in Leo Grant's private office after hours felt like crossing an invisible line.
Leo ended the call and turned slowly.
His gaze locked onto her.
"You weren't supposed to hear that," he said quietly.
Lia swallowed. "But I did."
The revelation hung between them—sharp and cutting. The betrayal ran deeper than she had imagined. The enemy wasn't just inside the company… It was tied to Leo's past. To his family. To the scars he never spoke about.
"You should walk away," Leo said, his voice low. Controlled. "Now."
Her feet didn't move.
Instead, Lia took a step closer.
"You don't get to decide that for me anymore."
Something shifted in his eyes—surprise, then heat. Raw. Unfiltered.
"You have no idea what you're stepping into," he murmured.
"I do," she whispered. "And I'm still here."
The distance between them vanished in a heartbeat. Leo's hand slammed against the desk beside her, trapping her between his body and the polished wood. He didn't touch her—not quite—but she felt him everywhere. His warmth. His breath. The tension was rolling off him like a storm.
"You make this difficult," he said, jaw tight.
Lia tilted her chin up, meeting his gaze. "Funny. I was thinking the same."
His eyes dropped—just for a second—to her lips.
Her pulse spiked.
The moment stretched, fragile and electric. One wrong move and everything would shatter. She could feel the truth now, clear and undeniable—not just about the betrayal, but about them.
"You knew," she said softly. "That this would happen."
Leo's voice was rough when he answered. "I didn't expect it to feel like this."
His fingers brushed her wrist—barely a touch, yet it sent a shock through her body. Lia inhaled sharply, her resolve wavering as desire tangled with fear.
"That revelation," she said, breathless, "changes everything."
"Yes," he agreed. "It means you're no longer safe."
She didn't pull away.
"Neither are you," she replied.
For a moment, Leo looked like a man on the edge—of losing control, of surrendering to something he had denied for far too long. His thumb traced a slow line along her wrist, a silent promise and a warning all at once.
Then, abruptly, he stepped back.
"This ends tonight," he said firmly. "Or it destroys us both."
Lia's heart pounded as she watched him turn away—but not before she caught the conflict blazing in his eyes.
The truth was out.
The danger was real.
And whatever lay between them had become impossible to ignore.
And Lia knew—this revelation was only the beginning.