Evening settled softly over Chloe's apartment.
The city lights outside the windows flickered to life one by one, glowing against the darkening sky. Inside, the apartment was warm and comfortable, the faint smell of takeout lingering in the air.
Lillian sat curled into the corner of the couch with a mug of tea between her hands.
Across from her, Chloe sat cross-legged on the other end of the couch, watching her carefully.
Lillian had been quiet for several minutes.
Which, for Chloe, was suspicious.
"So," Chloe said slowly.
Lillian looked up.
"So what?" she asked.
Chloe tilted her head.
"You've been staring at the same spot on that wall for five minutes."
Lillian blinked and looked away from the blank wall she hadn't even realized she'd been staring at.
"I have not."
"You absolutely have."
Lillian sighed softly and leaned back into the couch.
"It was just… a long day."
Chloe raised an eyebrow.
"A long day at Sovereign?" she said knowingly.
Lillian took a sip of her tea.
"Yes."
Chloe studied her for a moment.
Then a slow grin spread across her face.
"Let me guess."
Lillian groaned quietly.
"Chloe—."
"You and the terrifying billionaire were awkward again."
Lillian didn't respond.
Chloe gasped dramatically.
"Oh my god. I'm right."
Lillian rubbed her forehead.
"It's not like that."
"Oh really?" Chloe said. "Because from what you told me last week, you two almost kissed."
Lillian's cheeks immediately warmed.
"That was an accident."
"An accident?"
"Yes."
"How exactly do two people almost kiss by accident?"
Lillian opened her mouth.
Then closed it again.
Chloe burst out laughing.
"That's what I thought."
Lillian threw a small pillow at her.
Chloe caught it easily.
"I'm serious," Lillian muttered.
"Sure you are."
Lillian sighed and leaned back again.
The apartment grew quiet for a moment.
Then Chloe spoke again.
"So what happened today?"
Lillian hesitated.
Then she told her.
About walking into Sebastian's office that morning.
About how surprised he looked to see her.
About the small smile he gave her when she said she wanted her job back.
Chloe's eyes widened.
"He smiled?"
"Yes."
"Like… a real smile?"
"Yes, Chloe."
Chloe leaned forward dramatically.
"This is groundbreaking information."
Lillian rolled her eyes.
"He smiles sometimes."
"Name three times."
Lillian paused.
Chloe pointed at her.
"Exactly."
Lillian sighed.
But a small smile tugged at her lips.
Chloe noticed immediately.
"Oh wow," she said slowly. "You're smiling."
"I am not."
"You totally are."
Lillian looked down at her mug.
"It was just… nice."
Chloe studied her.
"Nice?"
"Yes."
"How nice?"
Lillian hesitated again.
Then she admitted quietly,
"I missed working with him."
Chloe leaned back slowly.
"Uh huh."
"And the it felt strange not being at the office."
Chloe's grin grew wider.
"And?"
"And nothing."
Chloe folded her arms.
"You like him."
Lillian's head snapped up.
"I do not."
"Lillian."
"I don't!"
Chloe stared at her.
Then she said calmly,
"You spent the night in his mansion."
"That was because Ethan kidnapped me."
"He fought your ex."
"That's because Ethan attacked him."
"He assigned security to protect you."
"That was just—."
Lillian stopped.
Chloe smirked.
"That was just what?"
Lillian looked away.
Her voice was quieter now.
"He makes me feel safe."
Chloe blinked.
That answer clearly surprised her.
Lillian stared down into her mug.
"I never felt safe with Ethan," she admitted.
Chloe's teasing expression softened slightly.
"But with Sebastian… I do."
Silence settled between them.
Then Chloe leaned forward again.
A slow smile appeared on her face.
"Oh my god."
"What?"
"You're in love with him."
Lillian's eyes widened.
"I am not!"
Chloe laughed loudly.
"You totally are!"
Lillian grabbed another pillow and threw it at her.
Chloe caught that one too.
"You're impossible," Lillian muttered.
Chloe grinned.
"And you're in love with a billionaire."
Across the city, the lights inside Sovereign Tower were beginning to dim.
Most of the employees had already gone home.
The upper executive floor was nearly silent.
Inside his office, Sebastian Wolfe sat behind his desk.
A laptop glowed faintly in front of him.
But he wasn't reading the screen.
His thoughts kept drifting.
Back to yesterday morning.
Lillian walking into his office.
Her voice when she said she wanted to work for him again.
The way she smiled.
Sebastian leaned back slightly in his chair.
This was unusual.
He almost never lost focus like this.
Work had always been simple.
Clear.
Efficient.
But lately, things had been… different.
And he knew exactly why.
Lillian Parker .
Sebastian exhaled slowly.
Then he closed the laptop.
For once, he decided something unusual.
He was going to leave early.
He stood, grabbed his coat, and walked out of the office.
The hallway outside was quiet.
A few remaining employees looked up in surprise as he passed.
Sebastian Wolfe leaving before midnight was almost unheard of.
But tonight, he didn't feel like staying.
Minutes later, he exited the building.
The cool evening air greeted him immediately.
Streetlights illuminated the sidewalk in soft golden pools of light.
The city buzzed quietly around him.
Sebastian stepped toward the curb, waiting for his car.
Then suddenly—
Footsteps rushed toward him.
Before he could react—
CRACK.
A fist slammed hard into his jaw.
The force knocked Sebastian slightly off balance.
He stumbled one step back before steadying himself.
Pain flared across his jaw.
Slowly, Sebastian lifted his head.
Standing in front of him was Ethan.
Ethan's eyes burned with anger.
His breathing was heavy.
"You think you can take her from me?" Ethan snapped.
Sebastian wiped a small trace of blood from the corner of his mouth.
His voice remained calm.
Cold.
"You shouldn't be anywhere near her."
Ethan lunged forward again.
His fist swung toward Sebastian's face.
But this time Sebastian caught his wrist easily.
Then he drove his other fist into Ethan's stomach.
The blow forced the air from Ethan's lungs.
He staggered backward into a parked car.
Sebastian stepped forward.
"You're done," he said flatly.
Ethan laughed bitterly.
"You think this is over?"
Sebastian grabbed him by the front of his jacket.
"You violated bail coming here," Sebastian said quietly. "That was a mistake."
Ethan's expression twisted.
"You ruined everything!"
Sebastian's grip tightened.
"You did that yourself."
For a moment, Ethan went still.
Then his hand suddenly moved toward his jacket.
Sebastian didn't notice immediately.
Ethan pulled something out.
A blade flashed beneath the streetlight.
A knife.
Sebastian saw it a second too late.
Ethan lunged forward.
The blade drove into Sebastian's side.
Sebastian froze.
For a moment he didn't feel anything.
Then heat spread through his abdomen.
Slowly, Sebastian looked down.
The knife was buried in his side.
Blood began soaking through his shirt.
Ethan stumbled backward, breathing heavily.
Across the street, Sovereign security guards finally noticed the fight.
They began running toward them.
But Sebastian barely heard them.
His hand pressed instinctively against the wound.
Warm blood seeped between his fingers.
His vision blurred slightly.
The world tilted.
And for the first time in years—
Sebastian Wolfe dropped to one knee.