Sophia knew something was wrong the moment she entered the office.
The whispers stopped too quickly.
Employees avoided her eyes. The atmosphere felt tight—controlled, rehearsed.
She walked into her cabin and froze.
Someone was already sitting there.
Ethan.
Relaxed. Composed. As if the room belonged to him.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded.
He didn't look up immediately. He was reading a file—her file.
"I had a meeting," he said calmly. "In your office."
"That's not how this works."
"It is now."
She closed the door behind her, her pulse racing. "You're crossing a line."
Ethan finally looked at her. His gaze was unreadable.
"You drew the line years ago," he replied. "I'm just standing on the other side."
She noticed the document in his hand.
"What is that?" she asked.
"Your proposal for the East Asia expansion," he said. "Risky. Emotional. Poorly timed."
Her jaw tightened. "That project is my vision."
"And that's the problem," Ethan said coolly. "You confuse vision with attachment."
She stepped closer. "You don't get to rewrite my decisions."
"I don't rewrite," he said. "I approve—or reject."
Silence.
"You're doing this to hurt me," she said.
Ethan stood up slowly. "No. I'm doing this because feelings cost money. And money hates uncertainty."
Her voice trembled. "You weren't always like this."
"No," he agreed. "I was weaker."
A knock interrupted them.
"Come in," Ethan said.
The door opened.
A woman stepped inside.
Confident. Elegant. Professional.
"Ms. Blackwood," the woman said with a polite smile. "I'm Ava Morgan. Reed Holdings. Strategy Head."
Sophia's chest tightened.
She had seen that look before.
Not love.
But interest.
"Ava will be overseeing this project now," Ethan said. "She reports directly to me."
Sophia looked at him. "You replaced me."
"No," he corrected. "I reassigned authority."
Ava sensed the tension. "I hope we can work well together," she said kindly.
Sophia forced a smile. "Of course."
But her hands were shaking.
After Ava left, Sophia turned back to Ethan.
"Is she…?" Her voice faltered.
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Is she what?"
"Someone you trust," she finished.
"Yes."
The word hit harder than she expected.
"You trust her more than me?"
Ethan stepped closer. "Trust is built. Not assumed."
Her eyes burned. "You're punishing me."
"I'm protecting myself," he said quietly.
"You still care," she whispered. "That's why this hurts."
For a split second—just one—his mask cracked.
Then it was gone.
"Care is expensive," he said. "And I've paid enough."
He moved past her, stopping at the door.
"One more thing," he added. "There's a company dinner tonight. Mandatory."
She looked at him. "Why?"
His gaze met hers, sharp and deliberate.
"Because I want the board to see," he said, "that emotions no longer influence my decisions."
"And what about mine?" she asked.
He paused.
"That," he said softly, "is no longer my responsibility."
The door closed behind him.
Sophia stood alone in her office, realizing something painful.
This wasn't just business anymore.
This was war.
And for the first time—
She wasn't sure who would win.
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