Mia hadn't spoken to Liam in a week.
Not since the headline.
Not since the look in his eyes when she'd asked, Was I just another deal to you?
It was like someone had carved a rift between them overnight. One moment, they were fire and silk, touching dreams in the dark. The next, she was standing in front of her office window, watching the sun rise over the skyline with a heart that beat far too loud in the silence.
She hated how much she missed him.
She hated even more that a part of her wanted to believe him.
Her phone vibrated against the desk again. Liam Bennett, the screen lit up.
She ignored it. Again.
Not because she didn't want to answer. But because she didn't trust herself not to.
Her assistant, Lauren, popped her head in. "Hey, just a heads up… the press is circling again. Another article this morning, more speculation. They're calling it 'The Power Romance of the Year.' Want me to prep a statement?"
Mia's expression didn't change. "No. Let them talk."
Lauren nodded and vanished.
Mia turned back to her floor-to-ceiling windows, arms folded. Beneath the cool exterior was a storm she hadn't let anyone see.
Because the truth was simple.
Liam Bennett made her feel things she'd buried years ago.
And now, he made her question everything.
---
Across the city, Liam stood at the edge of the rooftop garden atop Bennett Tower, hands shoved in his pockets. The skyline blazed gold beneath the setting sun, but his eyes were elsewhere.
On her.
Always her.
He'd tried. God, he'd tried.
But every time he called, texted, or sent something her way, it vanished into a void. The last message he sent was simple—just six words:
"Tell me how to fix it."
No reply.
Liam sighed and rubbed a hand across his jaw. He wasn't used to silence. Women didn't walk away from him. They didn't ignore him. But Mia wasn't like anyone else.
And that's why he couldn't let her go.
"Maybe she's not ready," his sister Brooke said from behind him. She was the only one who'd dared interrupt his brooding lately. "And maybe you're not, either."
Liam looked at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Brooke shrugged. "It means you screwed up. Bad. And maybe the grand gestures won't work this time. Maybe you have to show her the messy parts. The ones you're scared to reveal."
"She hates me right now."
"She's angry. That's not the same."
He didn't reply.
Brooke came closer, her voice soft. "If you love her, Liam… don't just chase her. Earn her."
---
Two days later, fate handed them a cruel
twist of irony.
A charity gala. One they both were sponsoring. Neither could back out without raising eyebrows or damaging PR.
Mia walked into the ballroom in a midnight-blue gown that clung to her curves like sin. Her hair was swept back, makeup sharp, heels impossibly high.
Liam saw her from across the room, and everything else faded.
He wasn't prepared for the way she made his chest ache just by existing.
But tonight, he couldn't approach. Not yet.
Not until she gave a sign.
Mia, meanwhile, kept her smile polite and her laughter smooth. But when their eyes finally met across the dance floor, the air between them turned electric.
He took a step forward.
She turned away.
Cold. Controlled. Killing him with every step.
---
By the time she reached the balcony for air, Mia's fingers trembled around the flute of champagne.
She heard his footsteps before she saw him.
"I wasn't sure if I should come out here," Liam
said softly.
"Then maybe you shouldn't have," she replied without turning.
Silence.
Then, "You look beautiful tonight."
She scoffed, finally facing him. "Don't."
"I mean it."
"You always mean it. That's the problem."
He took a slow breath. "Mia, I didn't come here to argue."
"Then what did you come for?" she asked, eyes gleaming. "Because if it's redemption, I'm not handing that out tonight."
"I came because I miss you."
She blinked. Just once.
He stepped closer. "I miss the sound of your voice. The way you challenge me. The way you see the world like it's yours to conquer."
Mia bit the inside of her cheek. Her voice wavered despite herself. "You betrayed my trust."
"I know."
"And you let me fall."
"I never wanted to hurt you."
"Then why does it feel like you did?"
Silence.
Liam looked down. "Because I was selfish. I thought if I told you the truth, you'd never look at me the same way again. But now… not telling you was worse."
She studied him.
For the first time in days, she saw the man—not the CEO, not the billionaire, not the liar.
Just Liam.
Flawed. Scared. Trying.
"I don't forgive you," she said quietly.
"I don't expect you to."
"But I haven't stopped thinking about you either," she added. Her voice dropped. "And that scares me more than anything."
Liam's heart skipped.
He stepped forward, so close she could smell his cologne—sandalwood and danger.
"Then let's be scared together."
She looked up at him, lips parting.
But before he could kiss her, the ballroom doors opened. Flashbulbs exploded.
Photographers. Reporters. Too many eyes.
The moment shattered.
Mia stepped back, walls rising again.
"Not here," she said.
Not like this.
And she disappeared back inside.
Leaving Liam alone, once more, in the echo of everything unsaid.