Ethan stepped into the hallway just in time to see Anthony Grayson exiting Lena's office.
Their eyes locked for a brief, charged moment—Anthony's filled with thinly veiled resentment, Ethan's calm but quietly dangerous.
Anthony broke the stare first, giving a tight, forced smile before walking past Ethan without so much as a nod.
Ethan watched him go, his jaw tightening slightly, before finally turning his attention back to the office door.
Moments later, Alice appeared, knocking lightly before poking her head in.
"Ms. Kim," she said, a little breathless. "Mr. Calloway is here to see you."
Lena, who had been gathering the scattered documents from her earlier meeting, looked up, startled.
"Ethan?" she repeated, blinking. She hadn't expected him. Normally, a company would send a legal or compliance representative to review partnership policies—not the CEO himself.
Quickly composing herself, Lena stood as Ethan stepped into her office, looking composed and utterly unbothered, as if it was perfectly normal for him to show up unannounced.
"Ethan—sorry, Mr. Calloway," Lena corrected, professional instinct kicking in automatically. "I was expecting a representative from Calloway Holdings today. Not... you."
Ethan's mouth curved into a faint smile, but he said nothing until Alice gently closed the door behind him, leaving them alone.
The moment the door clicked shut, Ethan crossed the space between them in a few long strides, his movements sure and deliberate.
Before Lena could fully process it, he reached out and held her arms gently, his touch firm but careful, as if he was grounding both of them.
"Did Anthony hurt you?" he asked, his voice low and rough with barely restrained concern.
The unexpected closeness, the warmth of his hands against her arms, sent a jolt straight through her.
Lena's cheeks flushed instantly, the color rising before she could even think to stop it.
"I'm fine," she said quickly, forcing herself to meet his gaze even though it made her heart stumble. "Really. He's just... finding ways to get in touch."
Ethan's eyes didn't waver, scanning her face as if searching for any sign of a lie or something she wasn't saying.
Lena took a small step back—not pulling away completely, but needing a little space to steady herself.
"I thought meeting here at my office was the safest choice," she added, her voice more controlled now. "Neutral ground. Public enough that he wouldn't pull anything."
Ethan's jaw relaxed slightly, but the protective fire in his gaze didn't dim.
"You shouldn't have to deal with him alone," he said quietly.
Lena shifted slightly, smoothing a hand over her skirt as she tried to push away the lingering heat from Ethan's touch. She cleared her throat, finding her professional voice again.
"There's still... some unsettled business between us," she admitted, glancing briefly toward the stack of folders on her desk, as if the neat rows of paperwork could somehow shield her from the mess her personal life had become.
"The penthouse," she continued. "We bought it together when things were still... good."
Ethan's brow furrowed slightly, but he stayed silent, listening.
Lena exhaled, her shoulders stiffening. "Anthony's been refusing to sign the legal documents to transfer his share. He's using it as an excuse to stall—to drag me into conversations I don't want to have."
She shook her head, frustration flickering across her face.
"It'll probably take a while before the matter is completely settled. Until he finally lets go."
Ethan's expression didn't change much, but Lena caught the tightening of his jaw, the way his hands flexed slightly at his sides.
Lena drew in a small breath, smoothing her hand over the edge of the desk before giving Ethan a faint, composed smile.
"Alright," she said, her tone shifting gently back into professional territory. "Let's get into the work matter."
Ethan gave a slight nod, reading the subtle signal, and moved to take the seat across from her desk—still watching her, but with a new ease, like he understood exactly how much space to give her without stepping away entirely.
Lena sat back down, pulling a neatly organized file from the stack she had prepared.
She opened it smoothly, sliding a few key pages across the desk toward him.
"I've completed the review of the Calloway Group's legal policies and documents," she said, her voice steady and confident.
"There were no major concerns. Everything is well in place."
Ethan reached for the papers but kept his attention mostly on her, listening intently.
"Your father," Lena continued, tapping lightly on the summary sheet, "managed things very well before his passing. Contracts, compliance structures, partnership agreements—they were all handled thoroughly and with foresight."
A small, almost invisible flicker of emotion crossed Ethan's face at the mention of his father, but he covered it quickly with a short nod.
"You don't have much to worry about on that front," Lena added. "There are minor updates I've recommended—standard procedural revisions to match new regulations—but nothing urgent or alarming."
For a few moments, the only sound between them was the soft shuffle of paper as Ethan glanced over the documents she had highlighted.
"You're good at this," Ethan said finally, lifting his gaze to meet hers. His voice was calm, sure, but there was something else beneath it—a quiet, genuine respect.
Lena offered a small, almost shy smile, caught slightly off guard by the warmth in his words.
"I'm just doing my job," she said modestly.
"No," Ethan said, his voice a little lower now, a little more certain. "You do more than that."
The sincerity in his tone made something flutter in Lena's chest before she quickly looked back down at her paperwork, trying to refocus.
She cleared her throat lightly. "Anyway," she said, "once I finalize the minor revisions, the legal team can start updating the internal policies. Should be a smooth process."
Ethan leaned back slightly in his chair, still studying her, as if he wasn't quite ready to let her hide behind her professionalism again.
But he let it go for now.
"Thanks for handling it yourself," he said. "I know you probably didn't expect the CEO to show up personally."
Lena gave a tiny huff of laughter. "Not exactly. But... it's not unwelcome."
Their eyes met briefly—something soft and dangerous passing between them before Lena quickly broke the moment by shuffling her notes.
"You got plans after work?" he asked casually, though the softness in his voice gave away that it wasn't just a casual question.
Lena glanced up from her notes, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"Not really," she said, her voice light but guarded. "Why?"
Ethan smiled, slow and sure. "Come have dinner with me."
For a moment, Lena froze, her pen hovering above the page. She hesitated for a heartbeat longer, then gave him a small, careful smile.
"Alright," she said quietly. "Just... give me some time to wrap up a few things here."
Ethan nodded, a glint of something almost boyish lighting his eyes. "No problem. Take your time."
Without waiting for further invitation, he moved across the room and made himself comfortable on the small leather couch near the window. He pulled out his phone, pretending to scroll through emails or messages, his long legs stretched out casually in front of him.
But he wasn't fooling anyone. Every few minutes, his eyes would lift from the screen, sneaking glances at her as she worked. Lena sat at her desk, methodically sorting through contracts, signing off on pending files, closing folders one by one.
The warm afternoon light framed her in a soft glow, casting delicate shadows across the determined line of her brow, the slight curve of her mouth as she focused.
Ethan found himself smiling without meaning to.
There was something deeply mesmerizing about watching her like this—no pretense, no walls, just Lena being exactly who she was: strong, steady, breathtakingly real.
After another twenty minutes of focused work, Lena finally set her pen down with a quiet sigh of relief. She double-checked the last few papers, closed the folder neatly, and placed it into her out-tray. Everything's done.
She glanced over at the couch where Ethan still sat, one arm draped casually along the backrest, his phone forgotten in his hand. He looked completely at ease, but the moment their eyes met, a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth—as if he'd been waiting for just that moment.
As she slung her bag over her shoulder, Ethan closed the small distance between them, his voice low and casual, but carrying an unmistakable tenderness.
"What do you feel like eating?" he asked.
"No pressure—anything you want." Lena blinked, slightly caught off guard by the question. It was such a small thing, but it felt... different.
Anthony had always dictated where they went, always choosing places that suited him and he never asked, never offering her the simple courtesy of picking for herself.
And here Ethan was, standing there, offering her the choice without hesitation. Lena felt a small, almost shy smile tug at her lips.
"Something simple," she said after a moment. "Nothing too fancy."
Ethan's mouth curved into a slow, knowing grin, and he nodded.
"Simple it is," he said.
"Let's go."