The contract was still burning in her mind when Mark leaned back in his chair with his steady gaze.
"What department are you in?" he asked at last, as though the question were nothing more than an afterthought.
Lilly shifted in her seat, still tense, still feeling as though the air in his office was far too thin, "Finance," she said, her voice soft but steady, "Under Maria."
Mark nodded once, curt and controlled, before sliding the contract into his drawer, "Good, you're dismissed."
That was it. No explanation, no acknowledgment of what had just happened between them. Just a dismissal, as though she were nothing more than another signature on another set of papers.
Lilly stood, her legs unsteady, and walked out of his office with her pulse still hammering. Every step back to her desk felt heavier than the last.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of numbers and half-finished reports. She tried to concentrate, tried to keep her head down, but her mind wouldn't let her go. The memory of the document haunted her, every word etched into her brain. Fulfill all your desires personally, including sexuality. The words wouldn't stop replaying themselves.
Her stomach turned. What had I just agreed to?
A part of her screamed to rip the paper back from his drawer, to tear it to shreds, and tell him she wouldn't be part of it. But then, another image surfaced. Her little brother's face. His shy smile the day she told him he'd be able to stay in school, that she'd take care of everything. He trusted her. He relied on her. And the money, ten times her salary… it wasn't just a raise. It was salvation.
She gripped her pen so tightly her knuckles whitened.
"Levine?"
Her head jerked up. Maria was standing at the edge of her desk, one brow arched, a stack of files in her hand.
"You'd better get yourself together," Maria said bluntly, "Your numbers are all over the place today."
Heat flushed Lilly's cheeks, "I'm so sorry. I'll fix them."
Maria gave her a long, not unkind look, but sharp enough to sting before moving on.
By the time the office lights dimmed and the buzz of chatter rose with people preparing to leave, Lilly was exhausted. She packed her bag quietly, ready to slip out, when a shadow fell across her desk.
She looked up.
Luna.
Her smile was polite, but her eyes were cold, assessing.
"You," she said softly, as if she'd been waiting all day.
Lilly straightened in her chair, instinctively on guard, "Can I help you?"
"You can stay away from Mr. Bergen," Luna said flatly, her voice carrying enough bite that a few lingering coworkers glanced their way before quickly pretending not to listen.
Lilly blinked, caught off guard, "Excuse me?"
"You heard me," Luna pressed, folding her arms. Her tone dripped with possession, like she was staking a claim no one else had the right to question, "Whatever you think you're doing, stop it. He doesn't have time for you. He doesn't need you. And you…" Her eyes swept over Lilly, sharp and cutting. "…you won't last here, I promise."
The words hit like a slap. Lilly's instinct was to shrink, but something inside her rebelled. She hated being pushed, hated being looked down on. She had been underestimated before, and she had survived every time.
Slowly, Lilly rose to her feet, her chin lifting. The nervous tremor that had haunted her all day melted into something colder, sharper.
"You think you can tell me what to do?" she asked quietly, but her voice carried. "You think you get to decide who matters to him?"
Luna faltered, just slightly, at the sudden defiance.
Lilly leaned in, her eyes steady, her words clear enough for Luna alone, "Just for your know, you don't scare me. And if you want to play this game…" She let the words hang, savoring the pause. "…oh, just watch me. Watch who Mr. Bergen will choose. Me, or you..."
Before Luna could find a response, Lilly slung her bag over her shoulder and walked away, her heels striking the floor with deliberate finality.
Luna stood frozen, her lips parted, her glare following Lilly's retreating figure, but for once, she had no words. And Lilly didn't look back.