The elevator ride up to her office felt longer than usual. When she stepped off the elevator, Madison stood outside her office door like a ghost conjured by guilt, clutching a stack of folders so tightly her knuckles had gone white. Her wide, startled eyes snapped to Lena's the second she stepped into view, and for a moment, neither of them moved.
The tension hit instantly. Madison looked ready to bolt, but it was too late. Lena stopped mid-step, her face unreadable, her heart pounding dully in her chest.
"Madison," she said with her voice flat.
"Ms. Kim," Madison replied, too quickly, her voice high-pitched and brittle.
Lena's jaw tensed. "Don't. We're not doing that today. Drop the formality."
Madison swallowed hard, shifting nervously on her heels. "I—I didn't expect you came this early."
"Clearly," Lena muttered. "We need to talk."
She didn't wait for a reply. She turned, unlocked the office door with sharp, practiced efficiency, and walked inside without looking back. She heard Madison's hesitant footsteps followed. The door clicked shut behind them, and for a moment, the room was silent. Lena turned around slowly, folding her arms across her chest as she stood in the middle of her office. There was no desk between them. No barrier of professionalism or power. Just two women staring down the wreckage of something broken.
"How long?" Lena asked.
Madison flinched, her shoulders tightening like a blow had just landed. "Lena…"
"I'm not asking to hurt you," Lena cut in, her voice low and precise. "I need the truth. When did it start? You and Anthony."
Madison looked down at the floor like she wanted it to open up and swallow her whole. Her voice came out small, fragile. "Three years ago. After one of the charity events… the one at the Plaza."
Lena's throat clenched. Three years. That meant Anthony had already been living with her and making promises he never intended to keep. The life she'd been building, the sacrifices she'd made, the late nights she'd spent trying to secure their future—it had all been a lie.
Madison continued, her words barely audible. "He recognized me. Said he remembered meeting me once when he visited you at the office. He showed up here the following week, waited until you were buried in meetings. Said he wanted to talk."
"Talk," Lena echoed bitterly.
Madison's voice cracked. "He said he was lonely. That you were never home anymore, that the relationship felt… cold. He told me he just needed someone to listen."
Lena could feel the ice spreading through her veins. "Is that what you did? You listened?"
Madison shook her head slowly, her eyes glassy with tears. "He asked me out for drinks. I should've said no. I knew it was wrong. But I didn't. And one thing led to another and… it just kept happening. We didn't date. We didn't pretend it was anything more than what it was."
Lena's voice was steel. "Fucking buddies."
Madison winced. "Yes," she whispered. "That's exactly what it was."
The words hung in the air like smoke. Heavy. Lena stared at the woman who had once been her trusted assistant, her mentee, someone she had actually defended when the firm's senior partners had dismissed her early work. "You mattered to me," she said quietly, but her voice trembled under the weight of betrayal. "I let you into my world. I taught you everything I knew. And the whole time, you were sleeping with the man I was building a life with."
Madison wiped at her tears, her shoulders shaking. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I know that sounds empty now, but I… I was young. I wanted to be seen. I wanted to matter. He made me feel like I did."
"You did matter," Lena snapped, her voice rising now, fury bleeding into every syllable. "To me. Not to him. Not in the way I did. I was exhausted every night because I was building something—for him. For us. And while I was doing that, he was screwing you in the dark."
Madison's silence was confirmation enough.
Lena inhaled sharply and turned her back for a moment, trying to gather the pieces of herself before they scattered. The office was quiet again, too quiet. Finally, Lena faced her again, expression unreadable. "I don't need an apology, Madison."
Madison blinked, clearly stunned. "You don't?"
"No," Lena said. "I need you to leave."
Madison's face fell. "Lena—please—"
"Not just this office," Lena said, voice cold. Final. "The firm. You'll have your severance by the end of the week. HR will facilitate everything."
For a second, Madison looked like she might fight it. But she didn't. She nodded slowly, lips trembling, eyes red. "Okay."
Lena watched her go, her heart a twisted knot of pain, betrayal, and something hollow. And when the door finally clicked shut behind Madison for the last time, Lena didn't move. She simply walked to her desk, sat down in the leather chair that had once made her feel powerful, and exhaled.
*****
In the late morning, Lena sat in her office when the phone rang. It wasn't the usual call—it bypassed her assistant completely. A direct line from the senior management. No greetings. No small talk. Just a sharp, "Emergency meeting. Conference room. Now."
Her stomach dropped.
But nothing could've prepared her for what was waiting on the table: a thick contract with gold lettering at the top that read Calloway Holdings—Legal Retainer Agreement.
A long-term, high-profile partnership. Signed. Final. No room for negotiation.
And worse—it wasn't just the company they were representing.
It was him.
Ethan. Her new client. Her responsibility.
A knock on the door jolted her from her thoughts. She quickly pushed the papers aside and straightened up, smoothing her blouse.
"Come in," she called, keeping her tone clipped and professional.
Then the door opened—and there he was.
Ethan Calloway.
Of course.
He stepped in with easy confidence, dressed in a sharp charcoal suit that fit him perfectly. His eyes found hers immediately, steady and unreadable. The air in the room shifted.
"Lena," he said, his voice low and smooth.
Her spine straightened instinctively. "Mr. Calloway," she replied coolly.
He smirked faintly as he closed the door behind him, the soft click making the room feel smaller.
"That's new," he said.
She leaned back, arms crossing like a shield. "This is business. And in business, I keep it professional."
Ethan chuckled, a quiet, warm sound that lingered in the air longer than it should have.
He walked toward the desk slowly, deliberately, and instead of sitting across from her, he placed both hands on the polished surface and leaned in—just enough for her to catch the faint trace of his cologne. Her jaw tightened, heat creeping up behind her composed expression.
"So," Ethan said, his tone light but purposeful, eyes flicking to the contract in front of her. "I assume you've read the terms."
"I have," Lena answered smoothly, folding her hands on the desk, every movement calm and professional—though her shoulders stayed tense, her body telling her this was far from just another client meeting.
"And?" he asked, voice even, gaze steady and unblinking.
She held her expression, keeping her tone flat. "It's a standard agreement. Your company needs ongoing legal support. My firm is providing that. Everything looks in order."
"Good," Ethan said, finally leaning back, the motion relaxed—controlled. "Because I told your company I want you to handle all legal matters for Calloway Industries."
Lena's fingers twitched slightly before curling into her palms, her nails pressing into her skin. Of course. She should've known. This wasn't a coincidence or a firm-wide assignment. This was him—making the call, pulling the strings, arranging it all with the same quiet precision he used to command a mission.
But why?
Why go through the trouble of requesting her, specifically?
A thought crept in, unwelcome but persistent—Was this about Sophie?
The way he and Sophie had clicked during the car ride, the ease of their conversation, the way he actually opened up to her. Maybe this was Ethan's way of getting closer. Maybe he wasn't here for work. Maybe he wasn't here for her at all.
Lena's jaw tensed. She forced the thought aside, pushing it down where it couldn't be seen. Where it wouldn't show.
Whatever Ethan Calloway's reasons were, she would treat him like any other client—professionally, politely, and at a distance.
She exhaled slowly, steadying the heat rising in her chest, and kept her tone cool. "I have other clients, Ethan. I can't just drop everything for you."
"I'm not asking you to," he replied, calm and unwavering. "I just trust you more than anyone else to handle this."
Her lips pressed into a thin line. "We haven't spoken in a decade. We barely knew each other even then. And now, you trust me?"
His jaw tightened slightly—the only crack in his composed exterior—but his gaze didn't falter. "I always have."
Lena's breath caught.
But maybe that wasn't the point.
He's probably here because of Sophie, she thought suddenly. Maybe working with me is just an excuse to get closer to her. They did click easily. It would make sense. Maybe that's what he really wanted.
If that was the case… then maybe Lena could help. Maybe she'd find the chance to bring them together. It would be better that way.
She pushed the thought aside, picked up the contract, tapped the pages together with a soft snap, and said flatly, "Fine. I'll take the case."
Ethan sensed something was off—something she wasn't saying. His brow lifted slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing his face, like he'd expected her to push back, question him, or even refuse outright.
*****
The lunch crowd hummed around Lena as she sat in a quiet corner booth of a downtown café, her untouched salad pushed to the side. Her phone lay in the center of the table, screen lit with Sophie's name. With one last breath, Lena tapped Call.
Sophie picked up on the second ring, voice bright as always. "Hey, stranger. Survived the morning meetings?"
"Barely," Lena said, managing a soft laugh. "But that's not why I called."
"Oh?" Sophie's tone shifted, curious. "What's up?"
Lena glanced around, lowering her voice. "Ethan came to my office today."
A beat of silence passed before Sophie answered, "And?"
"He asked me to take on the legal consulting for Calloway Holdings," Lena said, watching a waiter refill a nearby table's water glasses. "It's official. The contract's signed."
Another pause. Then Sophie gave a small hum—unshocked. "Honestly? I figured it was coming."
"You knew?"
"I had a feeling," Sophie replied, the amusement evident in her voice. "The way he looked at you at the gala… I'd have been more surprised if he didn't find a reason to keep you close."
Lena blinked, startled by the casual way Sophie said it. "You really think that's why?"
Sophie laughed. "Come on, Lena. You're smart, successful, and stunning. If he had even half a brain, of course he'd want to be around you again."
Lena fell silent for a moment, chewing on the edge of her straw. Then she added, casually—maybe too casually—"What do you think of him?"
Sophie didn't answer right away. "Why do you ask?"
"I don't know," Lena said, voice carefully neutral. "You two seemed to get along really well in the car that night. He talked to you more than he talked to me."
Sophie chuckled. "He talked to me because you were being quiet and distant."
"I wasn't distant," Lena muttered.
"You were silent enough that I started wondering if I was third-wheeling in reverse," Sophie teased.
Lena rolled her eyes but pushed forward, her tone softening. "But seriously. What's your impression of him?"
Sophie exhaled slowly on the other end. "He seems... different now. Calmer. Focused. But not in a bad way. He listens. He thinks before he speaks. And honestly? There's something kind of... steady about him."
Lena smiled faintly, her heart giving a tiny skip.
"I think so too," she said, trying to keep her tone light. "He's dependable, smart, grounded. He doesn't show off like some guys we know. And there's this quiet confidence about him—like he doesn't need to prove anything."
"Oh?" Sophie said, clearly catching the shift in Lena's tone. "Are you trying to sell me on Ethan Calloway?"
Lena laughed—too quickly. "No! I just mean… if you ever thought about dating again, he's the kind of guy worth considering."
Sophie paused, then let out a soft laugh. "That's not funny, Lena."
Lena felt something tighten in her chest. She couldn't tell if it was relief or regret.
"Anyway," she said, brushing it off, "just thought I'd update you. I should get back soon."
"Sure. Talk later?"
"Yeah."
Lena ended the call and stared at her phone for a moment longer. She told herself she was doing the right thing—opening the door for Sophie.