PART 2:

“I didn’t mean to It was only there for a second.” Her expression didn’t change, but she stepped closer, her attention locked on him in a way that made his shoulders tense. “You saw the picture by the lake.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement from someone who didn’t miss details. Liam nodded once, bracing for some version of an executive reprimand, a warning, maybe even security walking him out.

Instead, Ava paused, folded her arms, and asked something he never would have expected from someone with her polished, controlled image. “What did you think of it?” The question caught him off guard so hard that he blinked twice before he could respond. “Think of it?” he echoed, unsure if this was a trap or a genuine inquiry. She tilted her head slightly measuring his reaction.

“Yes, you had a look on your face when I walked in. You saw it, and it meant something to you. What was it?” His instinct was to retreat behind professionalism, but the way she watched him, steady, calm, almost searching, made it clear she wasn’t interested in a canned answer. Liam exhaled. “It wasn’t anything bad, I just didn’t expect to see you like that.

” Her brow lifted. “Like what?” He hesitated knowing this was already beyond any IT appointment he’d ever handled. “You looked peaceful,” he said quietly. “And a lot softer than the version people talk about around here.” She didn’t react right away. Her eyes lowered slightly and she leaned back against the desk as if the words hit somewhere she didn’t often let things land. For a moment, she didn’t speak.

The silence wasn’t uncomfortable, just unusually honest. Then she asked almost under her breath, “Do you think I’m pretty?” Liam felt his heart skip. The question was so unexpected that he wondered if he misheard her. Ava Carter, billionaire CEO, the woman who intimidated entire conference rooms, was asking her IT technician if he thought she was pretty? He didn’t know how to answer without stepping into dangerous territory, but she wasn’t smirking or teasing.

She wasn’t fishing for flattery. She looked strangely serious, maybe even vulnerable, and that unsettled him more than any stern tone ever could. He spoke carefully. “I think the photo showed a side of you people don’t get to see.” Her eyes lifted to his, he continued, “And yes, you looked pretty, but it was more than that.

You looked human, like someone who wasn’t carrying the weight of this whole building for once.” Ava inhaled slowly, almost like she hadn’t expected honesty. Not real honesty. She turned toward the window staring at the skyline for a few seconds before speaking again. “That picture was taken 2 years ago by my sister.

It was the last time I went anywhere without bringing half a company with me.” Liam wasn’t sure what to say to that. He watched her shoulders rise and fall in a quiet breath. “People see me as a machine, efficient, precise, untouchable.” She glanced at him over her shoulder. “I don’t think they believed that photo was me.” Liam rested his hand on the back of the office chair, grounding himself.

“Maybe that’s the problem. Everyone sees the version of you that fits their expectations, doesn’t mean it’s the whole picture.” Ava turned fully toward him now, her expression unreadable but no longer cold. “She talked differently than most people here. You’re not afraid to say something real.” I shrugged lightly.

“I don’t have the energy to be anything else. Single parenting burns that out of you pretty fast.” Her eyes softened with something close to curiosity. “You have a daughter?” I nodded. “Mia, eight. She’s home sick today.” The corner of her mouth lifted almost imperceptibly. “Must be hard to do it all alone.

” “It can be, but she’s the best part of my life.” Ava watched him with an expression he couldn’t place. Something warm, thoughtful, maybe even envious. It lingered long enough that he felt the shift in the air between them. She straightened slightly, the moment folding back into the quiet of the office. “Thank you for being honest.” she said.

“Most people can’t manage that when they’re standing in front of me.” Liam didn’t know how to respond, so he nodded and returned to the computer, but the atmosphere of the room had changed completely. This wasn’t just a tech fix anymore. Something else had taken root, something he didn’t think either of them meant to open.

Ava didn’t speak for a while after that, and the quiet in her office felt different than before. It wasn’t tense or intimidating. It felt like the moment after someone opens a door they never meant to unlock. When they’re deciding whether to close it again or let someone step closer. Liam stayed focused on the computer, pretending he wasn’t hyper aware of her presence behind him.

The only sound was the faint hum of the building’s air system and the clicking of his keyboard. Finally, she walked toward the window, arms folded loosely across her chest. “That photo you saw,” she said, her voice lower now, almost thoughtful, “was taken during a weekend trip I took with my sister.

It was the first time I’d taken a break in almost a year.” She paused, and he could hear her exhale softly. “I told myself I’d make trips like that more often. I never did.” Liam straightened and turned slightly so he could see her reflection in the glass. She wasn’t looking at him. She was looking past the city where the clouds drifted above distant rooftops.

“Running a company like this, it becomes your entire identity before you even realize it’s happening.” she said. “People expect you to be this unstoppable version of yourself, so you just keep delivering it.” She let out a small, humorless laugh. “Eventually, that becomes the only version anyone believes.” Liam didn’t interrupt.

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