Lydia couldn't stop thinking about that file.
Project Phoenix.
Even the name sounded dangerous — like something that could either rebuild an empire or burn it down.
For hours, she sat at her desk pretending to work, but her mind was consumed by questions. What could Jaden possibly be hiding? And why did he say being around him wasn't safe?
By evening, most of the staff had gone home. The building was silent except for the distant hum of the city outside. Lydia hesitated, then gathered her courage and walked toward Jaden's office.
The door was slightly open.
Inside, Jaden sat alone in the dim light, sleeves rolled up, staring at a screen filled with numbers and encrypted documents.
She knocked softly.
He didn't look up. "I thought I said no interruptions."
"It's me," she said quietly.
His head lifted — that familiar, unreadable expression returning to his face. "Lydia."
"I just wanted to check if you're okay," she lied.
He leaned back, studying her. "You're a terrible liar."
She smiled faintly. "Then maybe I'm just concerned."
For a moment, something flickered in his eyes — guilt, maybe. "You shouldn't be. Not about me."
She hesitated, then asked the question burning inside her.
"What's Project Phoenix?"
The silence that followed was sharp.
Jaden's expression hardened instantly. "Where did you hear that?"
"I saw the file on your desk earlier. I wasn't snooping, I just—"
"Stop." He stood up abruptly, walking toward her. "You have no idea what that name means, Lydia."
"Then tell me," she said firmly, holding her ground. "You keep pushing me away, but I deserve to know what's really going on."
Jaden stopped just a breath away from her. His voice dropped low — cold, but trembling with something deeper.
"Project Phoenix was a covert investment operation. Years ago, my company funded it — unknowingly tied to an illegal syndicate. It destroyed lives, Lydia. I've spent years cleaning the mess, paying debts that weren't even mine."
She stared at him, shocked. "And now?"
"Now they want back what they lost," he said bitterly. "Money. Power. Silence. And anyone too close to me becomes leverage."
Lydia's heart ached. "So that's why you're distant. You think they'll come after me?"
"I know they will," he said, stepping back, breaking the moment. "And I won't let that happen."
For the first time, she saw fear in his eyes. Not for himself — but for her.
"Jaden…" she whispered, reaching out.
He looked at her hand, then met her gaze — torn between desire and duty.
"I can't protect you if you keep breaking down my walls," he said. "Don't make me choose, Lydia."
Then he turned away, leaving her standing there — heart racing, tears threatening.
But one thing was clear now: whatever Project Phoenix truly was, it was far from over
And Lydia wasn't about to walk away. Not this time.