Liam's POV
I didn't expect to see her again. Not that soon.
It was Friday afternoon, and I was already deep in my usual end of week routine, budget approvals, executive briefings and all that. I walked into the lobby, ready to head straight up.
And then I saw her.
Ayla. The girl from the cafe.
She was standing by the reception desk, holding a folder, she looked nervous but determined.
I nearly walked past without thinking.
But something in me paused.
She hadn't changed, still composed and quietly aware of everything around her. There was that same softness in her eyes I noticed.
Back at the café, I was impressed with the way she worked precise, steady, no unnecessary words. That's why I gave her my card.
And now, here she was.
I didn't approach her. Just told Nathan later to handle it.
And he did.
It was Monday already.
She showed up at my office at exactly 8:00 am.
Nathan was there, going over the morning schedule.
"Good morning sir," Ayla said as she stepped in.
I gave her a short nod. "Morning."
She turned to Nathan. "Good morning, Nathan."
He smiled faintly. "Good morning, Miss Ayla."
Nathan introduced her to the executive team while I reviewed some files. Work began immediately after that.
The first few days passed quietly. She sat outside my office, always focused. She kept the calendar in perfect order, replied to emails quickly, handled incoming calls without fumbling even the difficult ones, no gossip, no small talk, Just work.
Then Nathan got sick.
Normally, he was the one who accompanied me to external events. But the upcoming gala, a corporate function for key industry partners, wasn't something I could miss. I needed someone to go with me. So I told Ayla to step in.
That night, she showed up in a navy-blue dress. Nothing flashy or loud. Her hair was pulled into a neat bun, a small black purse tucked under her arm, which gave her a simple, elegant and professional look.
And somehow, she still stood out.
At the event, she stayed right by my side, quiet, like keeping to herself was her way of staying strong.
She didn't interrupt anyone or try too hard to fit in. She just watched, nodded here and there, and handed me things when I needed them.
There was this one moment an investor wouldn't stop talking, way too pushy. Before I could say anything, she gently stepped in and reminded him I had somewhere else to be. Didn't raise her voice, didn't cause a fuss. Just handled it.
I didn't show it, but I almost smiled.
She didn't know it, but that night, she proved something.
The next morning, after the Gala,
I could tell something was off with her.
Ayla showed up right on time, same as always, but something was different. Her eyes looked tired, like she hadn't slept. She moved slowly and was quiet like she was dragging herself through the motions.
She forgot to hand me a file I'd asked for 'twice' and that wasn't like her.
I noticed.
I just didn't say anything.
I had too much going on to get caught up in someone else's problems, especially not now, with Maddox set to return for a second round of meetings.
Richard Maddox was the kind of man who could flip a company's future with one signature. If he signed with Lumina, we'd have enough capital to triple the scale of our AI lab. But the man was old-school. Thought in emotions and legacies instead of numbers and logic.
"Family men make better leaders," he told me during our first meeting. "They think ahead. They know what it means to protect something bigger than themselves. Men like you? You're always chasing the next thing."
I hated that he said that. Hated that he wasn't completely wrong.
But I needed him on board. Which meant no screwups. No distractions.
So, no I didn't ask Ayla what was wrong. Didn't ask why her hands shook a little when she typed, or why she avoided my eyes.
It wasn't my place.
At least, that's what I told myself.
I was still going over my notes for the Maddox meeting when Nathan walked in without knocking.
"Heads up," he said, holding out his phone. "You're trending."
I looked up, eyebrows drawn. "What now?"
He handed me the phone, screen already loaded. It was a photo,blurry, taken from across the street but unmistakable. Ayla and I, standing outside the gala. She had a folder in her hands. I was leaning slightly toward her and there was a smile on her lips.
But the headline read:
"CEO Liam Cross Spotted with Mysterious Woman, Secret Girlfriend?"
I stared at it for a moment, then gave the phone back.
Nathan scratched the back of his head. "By noon it was on a few blogs. Now it's hit the tech gossip sites."
I didn't say anything. I should've cared more. I didn't.
A few hours later, Maddox's office called.
They asked to move the meeting up. I figured it had something to do with the photo.
When Maddox and I finally got on the line, his voice had that amused, half-teasing edge.
"So… the woman in the picture," he said. "Didn't know you were taken, Cross."
I hesitated but only for a breath.
"She's my fiancée," I said simply.
There was a pause on the other end. Then a chuckle.
"Well, well. Guess I was wrong about you, family man, after all. That's good to hear."
We talked business after that, like usual, but the tone had changed.
Once the call ended, I set the phone down and looked out through the glass wall.
Ayla was at her desk, quietly flipping through files, completely unaware of the conversation that just took place or the part she unknowingly played in it.
She wasn't part of the plan. None of this was.
But for some reason… I didn't regret saying it.
Still, as I sat there watching her quietly work completely unaware of what I'd just done I couldn't help but ask myself
Why did I lie?
And more importantly
How was I supposed to back it up?.