Chapter 9 - The Mask SlipsThe penthouse office was quiet that evening. The rain outside lashed against the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, casting dancing shadows across the room.
I was packing my tablet into my bag, preparing to head home after one of the most intense weeks of my life, when the door to Lorenzo's private office opened. He walked out, his suit jacket removed, his tie slightly loosened at the collar.
"You don't need to leave just yet, Elena," Lorenzo said, his voice softer than usual.
I paused, looking up. "Is there another file you need me to cross-reference?"
"No," Lorenzo smiled faintly, walking over and stopping just a few feet away from my desk. "No spreadsheets. No board meetings. Just us."
He reached out, his fingers gently brushing against my cheek, sending a sudden, electric shiver down my spine. I froze, my breath catching in my throat. The cold, untouchable billionaire who commanded the city was looking at me with a vulnerability he hid from the rest of the world.
"From the moment you stood up to Victoria Sterling in that ballroom," Lorenzo murmured, his gaze locked onto mine, "you turned my entire world upside down. I brought you here because I admired your courage. But day after day, working alongside you... I realized I can't imagine my life without you in it."
My heart pounded furiously against my ribs. "Lorenzo... I'm just..."
"Don't say you're 'just' anything," he interrupted gently, his thumb tracing my jawline. "You are brilliant, fierce, and entirely irreplaceable. Elena... stay with me. Not just as my assistant. Stay with me, period."
May you like
I looked into his dark, intense eyes, seeing all the walls he had built around his heart completely dismantled. I didn't need to think about my answer.
I reached up, placing my hand over his, and smiled. "I think I'd like that very much."
