The silence in the room was heavy enough to weigh down the air.
Every eye was on Elara—her pale face, her frozen stance, the laser pointer rolling to a stop against the leg of the conference table.
Then, as quickly as it had come, the moment passed.
Elara forced herself to move. She bent down, picked up the laser pointer, and rose with a tight, professional smile.
"My apologies," she said, her voice steadier than she felt. "Slipped."
She placed the pointer on the table and clasped her hands in front of her to hide their trembling.
Jonas did not blink. He did not smile. He did not acknowledge her in any way beyond the polite, impersonal glance one gives a stranger.
"Please, continue," he said, taking a seat at the head of the table. His gaze swept past her to the screen. "I believe I missed the beginning. But I'll review the files."
Phoebe Ma was the first to recover. She gestured at Elara to sit, then stood herself.
"Mr. Stoddard, welcome. I'm Phoebe Ma, CEO of Phoenix Architects. We've just concluded the presentation of our proposed design for the hotel."
Jonas nodded, opening the portfolio in front of him. "I've read the summary. Impressive work."
His eyes flickered to Elara for a fraction of a second—no recognition, no warmth. Just the neutral assessment of a CEO evaluating a potential partner.
Elara took her seat. Her heart was pounding so loudly she was certain someone would hear.
Act normal, she told herself. He's acting. You act too.
She smoothed her skirt under the table and forced her breathing to slow.
Thomas leaned over slightly. "Are you alright, ma'am?" he whispered.
"Fine," she whispered back. "Just... nerves."
He nodded and turned back to his notes.
---
Jonas flipped through the pages of the proposal, his expression unreadable.
"The cultural integration is interesting," he said. "Tell me more about the sourcing of local materials."
Phoebe glanced at Elara.
Elara rose again, this time with more control. She walked to the screen and clicked to the relevant slide.
"We've identified three local suppliers for indigenous stone and wood," she said, her voice clear. "The design incorporates traditional weaving patterns into the facade. The rooftop garden will feature plants native to Fordland City, some of which are endangered. It's a way to preserve and celebrate the region's heritage."
Jonas listened, nodding occasionally. He asked two more questions—about budget, about timeline—and Elara answered each one without faltering.
Not once did his tone shift. Not once did he call her by her name, or acknowledge that they had once shared a last name, a bed, a child, a life.
They were strangers.
And somehow, that hurt more than if he had yelled.
---
The meeting wrapped up twenty minutes later.
Phoebe shook Jonas's hand. "We'll send over the full proposal by end of week."
"I look forward to reviewing it," Jonas said. Then he turned to Elara. "Miss May."
He said it like he'd never said her name before.
"Mr. Stoddard," she replied, matching his coolness.
He held her gaze for one beat longer than necessary. Then he turned and walked out of the room, his chief secretary close behind.
The Blizzard team filed out after him.
Elara stood rooted to the spot, staring at the door he had disappeared through.
Phoebe touched her arm. "You did well," she said. "Let's go."
Elara nodded, gathered her things, and followed her team to the elevator.
She didn't say a word the entire ride down.
---
The drive back to the office was quiet.
Thomas sat in the front passenger seat, scrolling through his phone. The two female colleagues exchanged whispered comments about the meeting—about the hotel design, about Blizzard, about the surprisingly handsome CEO who had arrived late.
But Elara heard none of it.
She stared out the window, watching the city blur past, but her mind was trapped in that conference room.
Jonas Stoddard.
CEO of Blizzard.
Her ex-husband.
He had looked at her like she was a stranger. Like they had never whispered promises in the dark. Like they had never held each other through the loss of their baby. Like they had never signed papers that ended everything.
Miss May.
She flinched at the memory of his voice saying those two words.
Act normal, she had told herself. He's acting. You act too.
And she had. She had answered his questions. She had presented her vision. She had been professional, composed, flawless.
But inside, she was crumbling.
---
The car pulled into the parking garage of Phoenix Architects.
"We're here, ma'am," Thomas said.
Elara blinked, realizing she hadn't noticed the last ten minutes of the drive.
"Thank you, Thomas."
She stepped out of the car, smoothed her blazer, and walked to the elevator. The ride up to her floor felt both too fast and too slow.
When the doors opened, she walked to her office, closed the door behind her, and leaned against it for a moment.
Breathe.
She pushed off the door, walked to her desk, and sat down. Her laptop glowed to life. Emails waited. Tasks waited. The world moved on.
She opened the project folder for Blizzard and stared at the name.
Client: Blizzard Engineering. CEO: Jonas Stoddard.
She closed the folder, then opened it again.
Hours passed.
Phoebe Ma called a team meeting in the late afternoon.
"The deal is signed," Phoebe announced, standing at the head of the conference table. "Blizzard has officially chosen Phoenix Architects for the hotel project. Congratulations, everyone."
Polite applause rippled around the room.
Phoebe's eyes found Elara. "And Elara will be leading the project. Full creative and operational control. The vision is hers to build."
More applause. Thomas patted her shoulder. Linda smiled at her from across the table.
Elara nodded, forcing a smile. "Thank you. I won't let the team down."
---
Back at her desk, she pulled out the master plan.
Timelines. Budgets. Supplier lists. Staff assignments. There was so much to do. So much to organize.
She opened a blank document and began typing.
Phase One: Site assessment and soil testing.
Phase Two: Foundation laying.
Phase Three: Structural framing—
She stopped.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard.
Jonas.
His face. His voice. The way he had said Miss May like she was nothing.
She shook her head and kept typing.
Phase Three: Structural framing and exterior glass installation.
But the thoughts wouldn't leave.
Why didn't he say anything? Why didn't he acknowledge me? Does he hate me that much?
She pushed her chair back and stood up, walking to the window. The city sprawled below her—the same city where Jonas now had a hotel project. Where Jonas now had a reason to be in her life again.
I have to work with him, she realized. I have to see him again.
She pressed her palm against the cool glass.
Get it together, Elara. This is business. He made his choice seven years ago. You made yours.
She turned back to her desk, sat down, and forced herself to focus.
But deep down, she knew the truth.
This was far from over.