PART 4:

“Having someone who needs you, someone who loves you without conditions or expectations.” She didn’t sound sad, exactly, but there was a loneliness woven into her voice that he hadn’t heard before. It startled him how candid she was being. “I don’t really have that.” she added. “People need me, yes, but not in that way, not in a way that feels personal.

” Liam’s chest tightened at the honesty of it. “People care about you.” he said gently, “even if it’s not obvious.” She shook her head slightly. “Care about the CEO, maybe. Care about what I can offer them, but not me.” She looked out the window, her expression distant. “That photo you saw, I was happy that day.

Not because the place was beautiful, though it was. I was happy because for once, nobody needed anything from me.” Liam let her words settle before responding. “Everyone deserves that.” he said. “A moment that doesn’t belong to work or expectations.” She looked back at him, her eyes searching his. “When was yours?” The question hit him harder than he expected.

He thought about it for a moment, then shrugged lightly. “Probably the last time Mia fell asleep on my chest watching a movie. There was no noise, no responsibilities, no schedule. Just her breathing and me not having to rush anywhere.” Ava’s expression softened with something close to longing. “That sounds grounding.

” she said quietly. “It is.” he replied. “She reminds me of what matters.” Silence fell again, but this time it wasn’t heavy. It was calm, shared. Ava looked at him with the same quiet focus she’d shown all afternoon. “You’re easy to talk to. People don’t usually talk to me like this.” Liam smiled faintly. “Maybe they should.

” She gave a small exhale, something like a laugh mixed with disbelief. “Maybe.” She said. They stayed like that for another moment, just looking at each other across the quiet space, something unspoken humming between them. Finally, she stood, smoothing the fabric of her suit. “Thank you, Liam.

Not just for fixing the computer, for today.” He gathered his bag and stood as well, feeling a warmth in his chest he hadn’t expected walking into this office. As he walked to the door, she called after him, her voice softer than before. “You were right about the photo. I was happier that day.” Liam turned, meeting her eyes. “Maybe you will be again.

” She held his gaze for a breath before he stepped out, leaving both of them with the quiet sense that something had changed, something they weren’t ready to name, but couldn’t ignore. Liam didn’t expect to hear from Ava again so soon, but the next morning he found an email from her assistant waiting in his inbox, asking him to return to the top floor for a follow-up meeting.

No explanation, no details, just the time and a room number. His first instinct was panic. Had he crossed some invisible line? Had their conversation the day before been too personal, too open, too human? The elevator ride felt heavier this time. Every floor passing with a low hum that did nothing to settle his nerves. By the time he reached her hallway, he’d rehearsed five different apologies in his head, none of which made him feel any better.

When he stepped into her office, he found Ava standing near the seating area, not behind her desk. She looked different today, not in appearance, but in energy. Less guarded, more thoughtful. She motioned for him to sit. “I hope I didn’t interrupt your morning,” she said. Her tone wasn’t clipped or formal.

It was almost careful. Liam shook his head. “Not at all.” He tried to read her expression, but she wasn’t giving away much. She sat across from him, resting her hands lightly in her lap. For a moment, she didn’t speak. Then she drew in a breath as if choosing her words mattered. “I’ve been thinking about something,” she said quietly.

“About you.” The sentence caught him so off guard that he forgot how to breathe for a second. She seemed to notice his surprise and offered a faint reassuring smile. “Not in a complicated way,” she clarified. “In a professional sense, though, not entirely limited to that.” Liam had no idea what that meant, but he nodded slowly, waiting.

Ava continued. “You may not realize this, but people rarely tell me the truth. They rarely show me who they really are. Yesterday, you did both without trying.” She paused, her gaze steady on his. “It made me realize something. I need people like that around me.” Liam wasn’t sure where this was going, but the sincerity in her voice kept him from interrupting.

She leaned back slightly, folding her arms in a thoughtful gesture. “I’m building a small internal team,” she said. “A think tank group for a confidential project. People with different strengths, different perspectives. People I can trust to give me unfiltered truth.” Her eyes met his. “I want you on it.” For a moment, all Liam could do was stare.

“Me?” He asked, almost laughing because the idea was so unreal. “Ava, I fix computers. I’m not I don’t think I’m qualified for whatever this is.” She shook her head. “You’re qualified in ways that matter to me. I have people with degrees, people with influence, people who know how to speak in circles.

What I don’t have is someone who looks at me and sees a person instead of a title.” Her words hit with unexpected weight. “And before you try to turn this down,” she added, “understand that I’m offering because I meant what I said yesterday. You’re not invisible here, Liam. Not to me.” His heart thudded in his chest at the quiet intensity of her voice.

👉 [Tap here for the Next Part ] 👈