Lara pushed her door open and stepped in, she froze when she saw a figure sitting on her couch.
"Nina?" she blinked. "What the hell..."
"You didn't pick my calls," Nina said, crossing her legs. "I figured you were busy playing nurse to the man who ruined your life."
Lara scoffed and walked in, locking the door behind her. "Don't start."
"No, I will start," Nina shot back, standing now. "Because I don't like what I'm seeing."
Lara threw her bag down and walked to the fridge. "He's in the hospital. Bleeding. You wanted me to ignore him and what....let him die?I mean you texted me when he had an accident, if you didn't want me near him you wouldn't have informed me."
"No, my job is to keep you updated, so you don't slack behind. I wanted you to remember who the hell you are," Nina snapped. "You came up with this plan, you locked that drive up yourself. Phase one, two, three. What's this now? Bonus level? 'Fall back in love with the man who humiliated you?"
Lara turned around slowly. "That's not what's happening."
"Then explain the soft eyes Lara," Nina said. "Explain the way you're shaking, you're gradually letting your guard down."
"I'm not," Lara said, her voice lower now.
"You're slipping Lara," Nina warned. "I saw how you looked at him when you visited him, you almost cried when he touched your hand."
Lara said nothing.
Nina stepped closer. "Don't forget how they made you feel, Lara. Maya stood beside your man, and you....." her voice cracked, "you stood there like furniture, Alone on your own wedding day."
Lara blinked hard, she hated that Nina was right. Hated even more that her chest still hurt when she remembered it.
"This isn't some fairytale, Lara, you're not here to forgive him. You're here to finish what you started, you said you'd destroy him and his family. That was the plan."
"And it still is," Lara said, jaw tightening.
Nina studied her, quiet for a moment. "Then act like it."
She picked up her purse and headed for the door.
"Oh.....and clean your damn tears before someone else sees you. You've got work tomorrow. Ethan's family won't ruin themselves."
The next morning, The office buzzed like usual, but the energy shifted the second Lara walked in. She wore a black dress and not her usual sleek corporate fit, Her hair was packed in a tight bun. She wasn't wearing makeup either.
Nina stood near the elevators and gave her a small nod as she arrived.
Her heels clicked sharply as she walked through the floor, everyone parted like she was fire while greeting.
She reached her glass office, entered, and shut the door behind her.
Not up to five minutes later, there was a knoc then the door opened without her answering.
Adrian walked in he was looking too relaxed in his button-down and silver chain, his smirk visible enough.
"You didn't reply my good morning text," he said, walking in.
Lara didn't look up from her laptop.
He chuckled. "That's cold, It so earlyto be mad princess, don't you think?"
She typed something, then stopped. Her eyes slowly lifted to meet his.
"Adrian," she said flatly. "Don't mistake proximity for permission. If it's not work related, I don't have time."
He blinked, he was clearly caught off guard.
"Damn. So we're doing that today?"
"We're doing that from now on."
He rubbed the back of his neck, the smile falling. "Alright. Message received."
Lara looked back to her screen.
"You can close the door on your way out."
He stood there a second longer, then walked out.
Her phone lit up with a message from Ethan
"Still can't stop thinking about what you said last night."
"Come see me?"
"Please?"
She didn't open it, she just deleted it.
And then she opened the encrypted folder on her laptop staring at it like she wasn't sure it was what she wanted to do but it was too late to back out.
Ethan sat up in his hospital bed, ignoring the dull ache in his side. His phone was in his hand and the hospital room was too quiet again.
Ethan lay there, staring at the ceiling, the faint hum of machines doing little to drown out the noise in his head, His mind drifted to the memory of Lara's fingers on his cheek, the softness in her voice when she said his name. The way her lips had hovered, trembling, just inches from his.
He stared at his phone again, yet there were no calls, no visits and she didn't reply to the five messages he'd sent.
He unlocked his phone and stared at the last one.
Ethan: I miss you. Please talk to me.
His jaw clenched. Maybe she was just busy or maybe she needed space.
But he couldn't endure this type of silence, it felt deliberate.
He dialed her number once more it rang again but went straight to voicemail.
He cursed under his breath.
The door opened, and his younger sister Jenna peeked in, holding a drink tray.
"Thought you might want coffee," she said cheerfully, walking in. "Everyone's downstairs with the doctor."
He took the drink but didn't sip it.
"Jenna," he said quietly, lowering his voice. "Can you do me a favor?"
She gave him a look. "Depends. Am I sneaking you out of here or hiding a body?"
"Neither," he said with a dry chuckle. Then his voice dropped again, eyes serious. "Can you… call Lara?"
Jenna paused. "You mean Lara Lara?"
"Yes."
"But everyone's still here?"
"I know.... " His tone turned firm. "And I don't want anyone else knowing either. Just… please call her, I'm unable to reach her."
Jenna blinked at him, then sat beside the bed and pulled out her phone. "Fine. But if she hangs up on me, I'm charging you for emotional damage."
He watched her dial her number, it rang twice then went into voicemail. Jenna frowned and tried again but it was the same result.
"Do you want me to text?" she asked.
Ethan nodded, suddenly feeling like a child again... desperate, humiliated, and oddly hopeful.
Jenna typed quickly:
Jenna: Hey. It's me. Ethan just wanted to know if you're okay. He's worried."
They waited.....the three dots appeared then disappeared.
Jenna glanced at him. "I think she saw it."
Ethan's heart dropped. He forced a smile, took the coffee, and sipped it like nothing was wrong.
Jenna leaned closer. "Ethan…"
"I'm fine," he muttered.
But he wasn't, he wasn't even close to.
Because for the first time since she walked back into his life, Ethan realized something.
Lara wasn't healing, shee wasn't softening.
And maybe… she never would.