Amara's heels clicked against the pavement as she stepped out of the Cole & Partners building. The midday sun lit up the glass towers around her, but all she could feel was a haze of disbelief. She had just signed a six-figure branding contract with one of the most respected firms in the city.
And she had done it alone.
Not that it was about proving anything to anyone—but still, her fingers trembled as she typed a quick message to her best friend:
I got it. I actually got it.
The response was instant:
Girl WHAT?! Details. Now.
Amara smiled, slipping her phone into her bag. The butterflies were still there, but now they fluttered with excitement instead of nerves.
That evening, she sat in her small but tidy apartment, laptop open, headphones in. Her living room doubled as her office, the walls lined with sample boards, color swatches, and inspiration clippings. She had already received the preliminary project brief from Jaden's team.
She scanned the email again:
"Looking forward to what we can build together. Let's set up a strategy meeting this week."
—J.C.
He had signed off with his initials. Confident. Efficient. A little too charming.
Amara shook her head. "Don't even start, Bennett."
She had worked too hard to get here. The last thing she needed was to blur the lines between personal and professional—especially with a client like Jaden Cole.
Still, she couldn't deny the way he had looked at her in that meeting. Not inappropriately—just… attentively. As if he actually saw her. Not just the confident version she projected in meetings, but something else beneath it.
She didn't know whether to feel flattered or alarmed.
The next morning, their first strategy session was scheduled for 9 a.m. sharp. Amara arrived five minutes early—she always did—and found the meeting room empty but prepped. Coffee. Water. Neat folders labeled "Brand Integration Plan."
Jaden walked in at exactly 9:00, tie slightly loosened, holding two coffees.
"I wasn't sure how you take it," he said, handing her one. "So I guessed. No sugar, almond milk?"
Amara raised an eyebrow. "You guessed right."
He grinned. "I'm observant."
"Or lucky."
"Both."
They sat. She opened her laptop, projecting the screen onto the monitor.
"Before we get into design concepts," she said, "I'd like to understand what this brand means to you. Beyond the portfolio, beyond the mission statement—why did you start this firm?"
He hesitated for a second. Then said, "My father builds empires. I wanted to build homes."
Amara tilted her head. "Homes?"
"Not just physical homes," he said. "Spaces where people feel safe. Seen. I didn't get much of that growing up."
She nodded slowly, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. She didn't type a word. "Got it. That's the story we tell, then."
Jaden looked at her, and for a moment, the room went quiet.
"You're different," he said softly.
"And you're not used to that?"
"Not in this industry."
She smiled without answering, redirecting her attention to the presentation.
But inside, something shifted.
She wasn't falling—not yet. But the ground was starting to tilt.