Later that week, just before the weekend finally arrived, there was still one last thing they needed to finish.
The contract signing with the Phillips Group.
The drive to the company headquarters had been mostly quiet. Not uncomfortable exactly—but quieter than usual. The kind of silence that lingered after too many thoughts had been left unsaid.
Denisse sat beside Lesley with the contract folders resting neatly on her lap, her fingers lightly gripping the edges while the city moved past the windows in blurred streaks of glass, traffic, and afternoon sunlight.
Beside her, Lesley remained focused on the road, one hand resting loosely on the steering wheel.
Calm.
Composed.
Like always.
Which somehow only made Gigi's words echo louder inside Denisse's head.
She doesn't exactly do serious relationships.
Denisse quietly pushed the thought away before it could settle too deeply.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the towering headquarters of the Phillips Group.
The lobby gleamed with polished marble and floor-to-ceiling glass, elegant and expensive in the same understated way wealthy corporations always seemed to be. Employees moved briskly across the space while soft instrumental music drifted faintly overhead.
Lesley stepped out first.
Denisse followed closely behind, carrying the finalized documents against her chest as they crossed the lobby together.
The elevator ride upstairs passed in silence.
When the doors opened, a woman in a fitted office dress immediately approached them with a professional smile.
"Good afternoon, Ms. Ashford," the secretary greeted politely. "Ms. Phillips is already waiting in the meeting room."
Lesley gave a small nod. "Thank you."
"This way, please."
The secretary guided them through a quiet hallway lined with glass offices before stopping near the large conference room at the end.
She opened the door smoothly.
Inside, Daphne stood near the windows overlooking the skyline, a document resting loosely in her hand.
At the sound of the door opening, she turned.
Her face lit up almost immediately.
"Oh," she said warmly, lips curving into a smile, "hi, baby."
Denisse nearly stumbled over absolutely nothing.
But beside her, Lesley didn't even blink.
"Ms. Phillips," she greeted evenly instead.
The faintest smirk touched Daphne's lips, like she found the response amusing.
"Please," she said lightly, motioning toward the table, "sit."
The meeting began professionally enough after that.
Daphne sat across from Lesley while her secretary settled beside her with another stack of files. Denisse took the seat beside Lesley, tablet resting on the table as she quietly organized the necessary documents.
For the next several minutes, the room filled with calm but detailed discussions about system integrations, surveillance coverage, cybersecurity protocols, and the final revisions within the contract for Daphne's upcoming hotel project.
Denisse quietly followed along as they reviewed the documents, occasionally sliding additional files toward Lesley whenever needed.
"The facial recognition system will be limited to restricted areas only," Lesley explained evenly, flipping through one of the pages. "Guest privacy still takes priority."
Daphne rested her chin lightly against her hand as she listened. "And the emergency response integration?"
"It'll be connected directly to the hotel's internal security network," Lesley replied. "Real-time alerts, automated lockdown options, and centralized monitoring. My team will oversee the installation personally."
Daphne smiled faintly. "Efficient as always."
Lesley barely reacted to the compliment.
Meanwhile, Denisse found herself watching quietly from beside her.
Focused.
Sharp.
Completely in her element.
There was something strangely attractive about seeing Lesley like this—calmly commanding the room without ever needing to demand attention.
It was unfair, honestly.
Eventually, the final pages were pushed forward.
Pens uncapped.
Signatures exchanged.
Just like that, the partnership was official.
"Thank you for doing business with us," Lesley said smoothly as she extended her hand across the table.
Daphne's gaze dropped briefly toward Lesley's hand before she reached forward and took it.
Slowly.
Her manicured fingers curled around Lesley's hand with almost deliberate ease.
"Still as soft as I remember," Daphne murmured.
Denisse's grip tightened slightly around the folder resting on her lap.
The touch lasted barely longer than appropriate.
But somehow, it still felt too intimate to witness comfortably.
Then Lesley smoothly pulled her hand back.
Completely unaffected.
Or at least she looked unaffected.
"Anyway," Daphne continued casually, leaning back into her chair, "looks like we'll be seeing each other again tomorrow."
Lesley glanced up faintly. "Tomorrow?"
"Your sister invited me to the spa."
For the first time since arriving, Lesley actually looked mildly surprised.
Then she simply nodded once and stood from her chair.
"We'll be leaving now."
Denisse quickly gathered the documents and followed after her.
—
The drive back felt different.
Quieter.
Heavier.
Outside, the city slowly shifted beneath the glow of approaching evening while soft music played faintly through the speakers.
Denisse kept her gaze fixed outside the window.
Lesley drove with one hand resting against the wheel, the other tapping lightly once against her thigh before finally speaking.
"You should come tomorrow."
Denisse looked at her. "To the spa?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Lesley glanced at her briefly before looking back at the road ahead.
"Because I want you there."
The answer came too easily.
Too naturally.
And somehow that only made things harder.
Denisse looked away again, fingers tightening subtly against her bag.
"Or," she said quietly after a moment, "because your ex is going to be there and you don't want to deal with her alone?"
Silence settled instantly inside the car.
Lesley turned her head slightly toward her, brows lifting.
"Wait," she said slowly, almost amused. "Are you jealous?"
Denisse let out a soft breath through her nose.
Then she looked at her properly for the first time since leaving the building.
"Do I even have the right to be?"
The question landed quietly between them.
But the weight behind it filled the entire car.
Lesley's expression shifted almost immediately.
The teasing disappeared first.
Then something softer replaced it.
But before she could answer, the car was already pulling into the front of Denisse's apartment building.
The engine fell silent.
Neither of them moved right away.
Denisse unbuckled her seatbelt slowly and reached for the door handle
"I was already planning to invite you," Lesley said suddenly.
Denisse paused.
Lesley's voice softened slightly.
"I want my sister to get to know you better."
Denisse turned toward her then, genuinely caught off guard by the sincerity in her eyes.
For a second, neither of them spoke.
Then Lesley added quietly,
"I'll pick you up tomorrow at ten.
Denisse's fingers tightened slightly around the handle.
Part of her wanted to ask what that meant.
Why it sounded so personal.
Why it felt personal.
But Gigi's words still lingered heavily inside her chest.
So instead, she simply opened the door and stepped out of the car.
And this time—
she didn't look back.