Amelia couldn't shake the feeling of being cornered. Everywhere she turned, there was a decision looming over her head, pressing down like a storm cloud ready to break. Between Liam's ambitious whispers in her ear and Julian's quiet but steady presence, she was caught in the middle of a storm she wasn't prepared for.
It had been a week since Julian's words had landed heavily on her chest. He'd made her think, and thinking had never been her strong suit in situations like this. She liked things simple. Clear. But now, everything was tangled, knotted in ways she didn't know how to untangle.
The sound of her phone buzzing brought her back to the present. She glanced at the screen: Liam Blackthorne.
Her heart skipped a beat. She didn't even know why it was still beating so fast when his name appeared. She'd never let anyone have this much of an effect on her. But there it was. Every time, without fail.
With a resigned breath, she answered.
"Amelia," Liam's deep voice sounded through the line. There was something controlled, but beneath it, an edge that she couldn't ignore. "I need to see you."
Her stomach twisted, but she kept her voice steady. "Is it about the project?"
"Among other things." There was a pause on the other end, almost as though he was weighing his words carefully. "Can you meet me at the office in an hour?"
The urgency in his tone was unmistakable. She hesitated for only a moment before replying, "Sure. I'll be there."
An hour later, Amelia entered Blackthorne Enterprises, her steps deliberate. She had no idea what Liam wanted this time, but the tension in his voice had unsettled her. She had learned long ago not to second-guess him, but now, she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep her composure.
Liam's office was as cold and imposing as ever. The glass walls stretched high, providing a view of the sprawling city below. He stood by the window, his broad back to her, looking out as if waiting for her arrival.
"Liam," she said softly.
He turned to face her, his expression unreadable. His usual charisma was absent, replaced by something sharper. More serious.
"Amelia, come in." He gestured for her to sit, but she remained standing, her posture defensive.
"What's going on?" she asked, her voice steady despite the unease settling in her stomach.
Liam motioned to the chair across from him. "Please, sit down. This is something we need to discuss."
She reluctantly complied, feeling the weight of his gaze on her as she settled into the chair. She watched as he walked around to his desk, moving with the same fluid confidence that always made him seem untouchable.
"I've been thinking," he began, his voice smooth, but there was an underlying tension. "About the future of this company. About your future."
Amelia frowned. "My future?"
"Yes. You've proven yourself capable of handling more responsibility than most of the people here." He paused, his eyes locking with hers. "I've been considering making you an offer."
Her heart skipped again. "What kind of offer?"
Liam stepped forward, placing a hand on the back of the chair across from her. "I want you to be my right hand, Amelia. I want you to run this company with me."
She blinked, caught off guard by the gravity of his words. "What?"
"I'm offering you the position of Chief Operating Officer. You'd be in charge of all operations, strategy, and management. It's a powerful role—one that comes with a lot of influence." He let the words hang in the air. "And with that power comes the kind of success you've always dreamed of."
Amelia's breath caught in her throat. The offer was enormous. It was the kind of opportunity most people would kill for. She could practically hear the door to her future opening wide in front of her, welcoming her into a world of unlimited possibilities.
But something gnawed at her insides.
"I don't know what to say," she murmured, her mind racing.
Liam's expression softened, though it was still intense. "You don't have to say anything right now. Take your time. Think about it." He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "But Amelia, there's something else you need to understand. This isn't just about business. This is about us."
She froze.
"We've come a long way, haven't we?" Liam continued, his voice low and intimate. "I know what this is. I know how you feel about me." He took a step closer, his eyes locking onto hers with a piercing intensity. "And I know you can feel it too. That pull between us. That chemistry."
Her breath hitched, and she turned her face away, unwilling to let him see the effect he was having on her. But his words hung in the air, thick and suffocating. The attraction between them had been undeniable from the start, but now it felt like something else — something deeper, darker, more dangerous.
"I can't just think about business," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Not when I'm constantly questioning what you want from me. I don't know if I can trust what's happening between us."
Liam's gaze softened, but only slightly. "You can trust me," he said, his tone earnest. "I want you, Amelia. In every sense. But I also want you to succeed. I want us to build something powerful together."
She closed her eyes, her heart pounding in her chest. She could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on her, suffocating her. On one hand, the offer was everything she'd ever wanted — the success, the power, the chance to prove herself. On the other, she knew there was more to this than just business. There was a personal stake in it. A dangerous one.
"Think about it," Liam said, standing to his full height, his eyes never leaving hers. "You've always had the ambition, the talent. All you need is someone to back you. And I'm offering you that."
Amelia stood slowly, her mind reeling. The offer was everything she'd ever dreamed of professionally. But it was also a web — one that would pull her deeper into Liam's world, and further away from everything she thought she knew.
"I'll think about it," she said quietly.
Liam nodded, his eyes never leaving her. "You have 48 hours. After that, I'll move on to someone else."
With that, he turned back to the window, leaving her standing there, feeling more lost than ever before.
As she stepped out of his office, Amelia couldn't help but wonder: Was she really ready to step into the world Liam was offering her? Or was she walking straight into a trap?