It was you.
His voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the hum of the office like a blade.
Lian froze. Her heart stalled in her chest. She had prayed he'd never figure it out. That maybe the fog of his memory, the chaos of that night, would bury it forever.
But now, here he was looking at her like she'd just unraveled a thread he couldn't stop pulling
He stepped closer, eyes narrowing, like he was fitting puzzle pieces together.
"It was you," he repeated, more certain now. "The hospital. That night."
His voice dropped. "I remember your touch."
Lian opened her mouth but nothing came out.
"Me?" she asked, playing dumb, but it sounded weak. Her voice shook.
He didn't blink. Instead, he reached for her hand again, catching it like it held the truth he needed. And for a second, time froze like it had back in that sterile, white hospital room, where machines beeped and she thought he might never open his eyes again.
She snatched her hand back
"No," she said quickly. "You were sick. You were confused."
Salim didn't speak. He didn't have to. The look in his eyes told her he wasn't convinced and worse, that he might be hurt she didn't want to admit it
She dropped her gaze. Her chest ached.
He's okay now. That's all that matters, she reminded herself.
She stepped back and forced her voice to stay even. "I'm really sorry for testing your patience earlier. I've seen your empire now… and I take my words back."
It was all she could give. And without waiting for his reply, she turned and walked away.
But it wasn't fast enough to drown out his voice, soft and unreadable:
"Lian…"
She didn't stop.
Not even when she felt his eyes on her back. Not even when she returned back to vance tech. she reached her desk with shaky hands.
She sat down and tried to look busy typing, scrolling, anything.
The air felt different now. Like it was holding its breath.
He followed her back.
Salim Vance walked over to her desk.
And sat.
Right in front of her.
Her breath caught.
People around her whispered, curious and wide-eyed. Salim never stepped into the intern zone. Never sat down in a shared workspace like this. But now he sat across from her like they were equals. Like he belonged here. Or maybe like she did.
His eyes were calm, but there was something intense underneath.
"You should've told me," he said finally
She stared at him. "Told you what?
"You know what." His voice was lower now. "I would've wanted to thank you."
Lian exhaled slowly. "I didn't do it for thanks."
He tilted his head. "Then why did you?"
She glanced around. Too many eyes. Too much heat in her chest.
"This isn't the place," she murmured.
A slow smile tugged at his lips. "Then let's go somewhere that is."
She blinked. "Now?"
He stood. "Yes."
And with that, he walked off again, not looking back this time.
Lian hesitated her pride, her nerves, her past all pulling in different directions.
But in the end, she stood too.
Because deep down, she wasn't sure if this was a conversation she could run from forever.Great! Here's the next chapter, picking up from where Lian follows Salim for a private conversation. This chapter will deepen their dynamic, build emotional tension, and again end with a strong hook. Let's go
She followed him.
Past desks and stares. Past whispers and blinking cursors and held breath.
Chloe gave her a look that she could not understand
Down the hall, into the elevator neither of them spoke. Salim's presence alone filled the space like static. Not cold, not cruel… but unreadable. Lian folded her arms, pretending not to care that she could feel her pulse in her throat.
When the elevator doors opened, he didn't lead her back to the executive wing or some grand office.
Instead, he took a narrow hallway she'd never noticed before. A quiet part of the building with blank walls and no foot traffic. He pushed open a door, and she stepped into a room with no windows.
Just a long table. Two chairs. A small bookshelf. A forgotten coffee mug on a dusty tray.
The door clicked shut behind her.
For a moment, neither of them sat.
Then he pulled out a chair and gestured for her to sit first. She hesitated… and obeyed
He sat across from her.
And still, silence.
She hated it. She hated the way it made her remember things she was trying to forget the trembling in her hands the night he stopped breathing. The panic when the machines screamed. The relief when he blinked awake for the first time.
Finally, Salim broke the silence.
"Why did you lie?"
She swallowed. "I didn't lie."
"You denied it."
"That's different."
He leaned back. "Why?"
Why did she still care?
Her fingers gripped the edge of the chair.
"I don't know, why does it even matter to you "she said quietly.
He blinked.
She turned. "Why?"
" You didn't know me but you stayed "
" my question is why did you stay, you say it doesn't matter but you left your bracelet to let me know that someone was by my side"
"Who wouldn't, every and any other person would've done same "
Lian avoided his questions again.
She couldn't give him an answer not because she didn't want to but because she hadn't figured them out herself.
Why had she stayed?
Why had she prayed?
Why did she care?
She didn't know. All she knew was that back then, when he was unconscious and barely breathing, watching him brought her a strange sense of calm. The world around her had been chaos her aunt, the shouting, the noise, the blame but in that room, watching his chest rise and fall, she felt... peace.
It was crazy but that was how she felt
That was what she had been searching for. Peace.
She didn't know him, but somehow he gave her that without even trying.
And then she saw his family. Their second encounter. The way they looked at him. The way they waited for him. She could see it in their eyes the pain, the fear, the love. It reminded her too much of herself. Of how she used to wait for someone who never came back. Of how she always hoped someone would wait for her like that.
That was when she realized Such a person didn't deserve to die. He didn't deserve that silence. He was deeply loved. And maybe he didn't even know it
So she did what she always did when her world spiraled: she prayed.
For the first time in weeks, she allowed herself to rest, thoughts of him swirling like ink in water. Quiet, calm, soft.
-----
The next morning, her phone vibrated.
Project Approved.
Her eyes widened.
She was going on the trip.
Excitement shot through her like a jolt but it quickly dissolved into panic.
She had nothing to wear
Nothing that even came close to fitting the vibe of a fancy out-of-town university trip sponsored by a multi-billion company.
Chloe came over
"Calm down, you dramatic fish," Chloe said, pulling Lian up by the wrist. "We have allowance money. And it's a free day."
"I don't want to spend, I have other plans "
"I said. We're going shopping."
-----
The mall was buzzing with life. Music played overhead, and mannequins stood proud in displays way too fancy for their budget. Chloe, however, marched in like she owned the place.
And as expected, she wouldn't stop talking about Salim.
"Wait, so he held your hand? Like actually gripped it?" Chloe whispered as they passed a mirror-lined shop.
"It wasn't like that."
"Oh my God, it so was. Lian, this is giving full-blown billionaire romance. Do you like him?"
"What?" Lian choked. "He's my boss. And nothing more."
Chloe gave her a smirk that could melt steel. "Liar."
"I'm serious."
"Come on. All the girls love Salim. I mean have you seen him? He looks like a Greek god. He moves like one too.
Lian rolled her eyes, she was way too serious to be carried away by him.
She grabbed a navy-blue sundress off the rack and turned away quickly. "Let's just focus on clothes."
Chloe snorted. "Fine. But just know, when this turns into a slow-burn forbidden office romance where he starts buying you earrings and threatening other guys for looking at you, I'll be here. Laughing."
-----
Later that afternoon, they ran into the boys.
Ariel waved them over first. Jace was leaning against a railing, sunglasses on indoors like he thought he was in a movie.
"Shopping, huh?" Jace asked, eyeing the bags in Chloe's hands.
"No," she replied. "We're smuggling gold bricks."
Ariel laughed. "Didn't know Lian had style in her. Respect."
Lian gave him a look, but before she could respond, Jace stepped closer just enough to make her step back. "Salim's been quiet lately. You know anything about that?"
Her stomach tightened.
Chloe answered for her. "He's your boss, not her boyfriend. Stop being nosy.
But Jace didn't look convinced.
And as Lian clutched the bag of clothes in her hand, she realized something: the questions were only just beginning.