Elena's phone rang at exactly 9:47 PM, just as she was tucking Lily into bed.

"Ms. Carter?" The voice from the other end said.

"This is Jennifer Holm from Blackwood Enterprises. We received your proposal for our annual charity gala."

Elena's heart stopped. Blackwood?

No. It couldn't be. There were thousands of companies with that name. It didn't mean...

"Mr. Blackwood was very impressed," the woman continued.

"He'd like to meet with you tomorrow morning. 9 AM sharp. Will you be available?"

Elena's grip tightened on Lily's pink bedspread as her knuckles going white.

Blackwood? That very one name that had haunted her for years.

"Ms. Carter?" Jennifer's voice sharpened with impatience.

"Are you there?"

"Yes." The word came out from her trangled. Elena cleared her throat, forced professionalism into her tone and said.

"Yes, I'll be there."

"Excellent. I'll send the address and security instructions to your email. Mr. Blackwood looks forward to meeting you." She said before the line went dead.

Elena sat frozen on the edge of Lily's bed, with the phone still pressed to her ear, her heart hammering so hard she thought it might break through her ribs.

Lily's small hand found hers in the dim light. "Mommy? You okay?"

Elena looked down at her daughter's face, those wide hazel eyes that were so much like her own, the soft brown curls spread across the pillow. She forced brightness into her voice, the same fake cheerfulness she'd perfected over five years of doing this alone.

"I'm fine, sweetheart. Just work stuff."

"Good work stuff?"

Elena's smile felt like it might crack her face.

"Very good work stuff. Now close your eyes. It's way past bedtime."

Lily yawned, her eyes already drifting shut.

"Love you, Mommy." She said.

"Love you more, baby girl."

Elena waited until her daughter's breathing evened out before she stood, her legs were unsteady as she pulled the door halfway closed and walked on autopilot to the living room of their tiny apartment.

The space was small but clean, decorated with thrift store finds and the twins' artwork covering every available surface. It was the little space she had built from nothing.

Mia Torres, her best friend was sprawled on their sagging couch, reviewing their company accounts on the battered laptop that had seen better days. She looked up when Elena entered, her expression shifting from concentration to concern in a heartbeat.

"You look like you've seen a ghost. What happened?"

Elena's voice came out barely above a whisper.

"We got the Blackwood contract."

Mia's eyes widened, her mouth forming a perfect O. She snapped the laptop shut and jumped up, her voice pitching high with excitement.

"What? That's amazing! That's..." She stopped mid-celebration, really looking at Elena's face.

"Why do you look like you're about to throw up?" She asked again.

Elena couldn't speak, she couldn't make her mouth form the words. Instead, she crossed to where her own laptop sat on the dining table with a folding piece of furniture that doubled as their meal space and office. She opened it and typed "Blackwood Enterprises New York" into the search bar.

The screen flooded with images, and it turned out to be him.

Ethan Blackwood stared out from a dozen different photos of forbes covers, business conference panels and charity galas.

He was the thirty-three years old CEO and Billionaire, the most Eligible Bachelor in New York, despite being engaged to Olivia Bennett, a socialite whose family owned half of Manhattan's real estate.

He looked different from the man she remembered.

He looked like a stranger, a very rich one. He looked nothing like the man who'd whispered that he loved her in the dark of his office at 2 AM, his walls finally crumbling, his hands gentle as they cupped her face.

"Oh my god," Mia breathed, leaning over Elena's shoulder.

"That's him? Your..."

"Don't." Elena's voice cracked as she help her hands over Mia's lips

"Don't say it."

But the words hung between them anyway. He is her ex and te father of your children. He was the man who destroyed you.

Mia grabbed Elena's shoulders, spinning her around on the chair.

"Okay. Okay, breathe with me. In..." she demonstrated,

"...and out. Come on, Elena."

Elena tried, but her lungs felt too small.

"Maybe he won't even be at the meeting," Mia said quickly, her voice taking on that forced optimism Elena recognized.

It was the same tone she used when the bills were overdue and she was trying to convince them both it would be fine.

"CEOs don't usually handle vendor meetings, right? You'll probably deal with some assistant or event coordinator. Some nobody who'll just sign the papers and..."

"He'll be there."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do." Elena pulled away, standing up so fast the chair scraped against the floor. She paced to the window, looking out at the city lights stretching endlessly.

Somewhere out there, in one of those towers, Ethan was probably still working. He'd always been a workaholic. She had all her life prayed that he'd drop dead or live miserably, but he was doing just fine while she was struggling to survive.

He was the bad one!

"I worked for him, Mia. I know how he operates. He controls everything, every detail, every decision. If he personally requested this meeting, he'll be there."

Mia was quiet for a moment. Then, gently, she said

"What are you going to do?"

"I can't do this." Elena pressed her forehead against the cool glass.

"I can't see him. I can't..." Her breath fogged the window.

"What if he realizes? What if he looks at Liam and..."

"He won't," Mia said firmly.

"Liam has your smile, your nose. Lots of kids have blue eyes."

"Not like his." She said.

"God, Mia, what am I supposed to do? Walk in there and pretend? Shake his hand like we're strangers?" She was still pacing about the room.

"Do we have a choice?" Mia asked and Elena eyes unconsciously went around the house, the crack in the ceiling she kept meaning to report. The secondhand furniture. The stack of bills on the counter she'd been avoiding.

They both knew the answer.

Their business was dying. Slowly, painfully, and inevitably. Three clients had dropped them last month when a competitor with venture capital funding had undercut their prices by forty percent.

Their office lease was up for renewal next month at double the rate. Elena's car was making a grinding noise that probably meant the transmission was going, and she couldn't afford to find out. Liam had grown out of his shoes again. Lily's preschool tuition was due in two weeks and the Blackwood contract was worth $150,000!

It meant six months of breathing room, stability. It was groceries without checking her bank account first. It was survival.

"He won't even remember me," Elena said, but her voice shook, betraying the lie.

"I was just his assistant. Five years ago, one of dozens of employees. I'm nobody to him."

Mia's expression said she didn't believe that for a second. Nobody looked at someone the way Ethan had looked at Elena in those old photos she'd once shown Mia, the ones Elena had burned the night she left New York as if that person was nobody.

But Mia just squeezed Elena's hand.

"Then go in there tomorrow and be professional. Be the badass businesswoman you are. Get the contract, get the money and get out."

Elena couldn't sleep that night as she just lay in her bed.

Her mind wandered back to the memories of the way he'd looked at her across his desk, his voice, saying

"I've never felt this way about anyone. You scare the hell out of me, Elena."

Her own whispered response was

"Then don't let me go."

And he'd always promise "Never."

And then, three months later, that same voice had said.

"This was a mistake."

"You need to leave."

"It's over."

She'd only been twenty-one years old and fesh out of college with a business degree and enough student debt to drown in. She was naive enough to believe that when a man like Ethan Blackwood looked at her like she hung the moon, it meant something.

She was supid enough to fall in love with her boss and he'd ended it in his office on a Wednesday afternoon, with no explanation and no room for discussion. Just a severance check with an NDA attached.

Helen had left New York two weeks later with a broken heart and $3,000 in savings and she'd only discovered she was pregnant on a rainy Tuesday in Philadelphia, staring at two pink lines in a gas station bathroom.

Now Elena was back, and fate was laughing at her.

Elena stood in front of her tiny bathroom mirror at 6 AM, she woke up early to prepare her kids for school and also herself for the meeting.

She chose a simple black dress with a modest neckline and hem that fell just below her knees.

She twisted her hair into a neat bun at the nape of her neck, pulling it tight enough to hurt. She did a minimal makeup: concealer for the dark circles, mascara to make her look awake, and a nude lipstick. There was no jewelry except small pearl studs that had been her mother's.

She looked like a stranger to herself, which was what she wanted

In the kitchen, Liam, her son was already awake, he'd always been an early riser. His dark hair stuck up in every direction, and when his blue eyes met hers, she just smiled

Those eyes.

Every time Elena looked at her son, she saw Ethan staring back at her.

"Morning, bug," she said, kissing the top of his head.

"Morning, Mommy. Look! It's taller than me!" He said happily as he showed her the block he's been working on.

It was, impressively so. Liam had always been good with spatial things, with building and creating. He got that from his father too.

Lily emerged from their shared bedroom rubbing her eyes, her stuffed rabbit dragging behind her. She was quieter than her brother, more observant too. She climbed into Elena's lap at the kitchen table without a word, and Elena held her close, breathing in her little-girl smell.

"Mommy has a big meeting today," Elena said, keeping her voice light.

"Mia's going to take you guys to school."

Liam looked up from his blocks, his expression suddenly serious in that way four-year-olds could be.

"Is it the important one? The one that's gonna make us rich?"

Elena's heart clenched painfully. Four years old and already worried about money because he'd heard her and Mia whispering about bills when they thought he was asleep.

"It's going to help, baby," she said, pulling him into a hug too. She held both her children close.

"It's going to help a lot." She added

They didn't need to know she was terrified or that she was about to walk back into the past that had almost destroyed her.

When Mia arrived at seven-thirty to take over breakfast duty, she took one look at Elena and whistled low.

"Look at you. All ice queen professional." Mia said.

"Is it too much?" Elena asked, whispering low.

"It's perfect. You look like you eat CEOs for breakfast." Mia paused.

"You've got this, right?" She asked carefully.

Elena picked up her portfolio worn leather that she'd bought secondhand but polished until it gleamed. Inside were her proposals, her designs, and her dreams printed on paper.

"I've got this," she lied.

Mia hugged her, quickly and said

"Text me the second you're out. And Elena? He's just a man. You've survived worse."

Elena stood on the sidewalk outside, tilting her head back to see the top. It was huge

Her phone buzzed. Mia: You've got this. Be the badass I know you are. Love you.

She smiled, Mia was all the encouragement she needed.

Elena typed back a heart emoji,the most she could manage and slipped the phone into her purse.

She took a breath, lifted her chin and walked through the doors.

When she got to the lobby, she looked around at everyone passing by, trying to figure out where to head to.

Elena's eyes went straight to the top: BLACKWOOD ENTERPRISES on the floors 45-52.

She approached the security desk, and when she got to the receptionist, she greeted her

"Elena Carter," she said, proud that her voice didn't shake.

"I have a 9 AM with Mr. Blackwood."

The guard with his name tag read MARTINEZ checked his computer, then studied her face and he handed her a visitor badge with her name already printed on it.

"Forty-fifth floor. Someone will meet you at the elevator."

The elevator was glass-walled, offering a great view of the city as it climbed. Elena watched the numbers tick up, her stomach dropping with each floor. Or maybe that was the nausea, she couldn't tell anymore.

42... 43... 44...

The elevator chimed softly, and the doors slid open, Elena stepped out into a reception area that looked like it belonged in an art gallery. There are white walls, minimalist furniture, a reception desk that appeared to float.

And there, standing near those windows with his back to her, was Ethan Blackwood.

Even from behind, she knew him. The set of his shoulders. The way he stood with his hands in his pockets, his posture and just everything. He was on his phone, as he talked to someone about quarterly projections and market shares.

Elena's feet rooted to the floor and every instinct screamed at her to turn around, get back in the elevator, run.

But then he ended his call and turned, their eyes met.

And Elena watched five years of carefully constructed distance shatter in an instant.

His expression shifted through a dozen emotions in the span of a heartbeat, of shock and disbelief, something that might have been pain before his face shuttered completely, going cold and unreadable.

But his eyes. God, his eyes were exactly as she remembered. That piercing blue that seemed to see straight through every defense she'd built.

They stared at each other and for a moment the receptionist had disappeared, leaving them alone.

He looked older no, but more manly now. He was the man who'd held her as she fell asleep in his office, too exhausted to go home.

He was both, and neither, and Elena couldn't breathe.

"Elena." He finally said her name, but she really wishes he hadn't

"It's been a long time." He added.

It was not long enough though. It's been forever. A five years that felt like yesterday and a lifetime ago.

She found her voice somewhere beneath the panic.

"Mr. Blackwood." She said professionally and distant. Like he was just another client.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me."

Something flickered in his eyes, like anger, maybe, or hurt... before his expression hardened further.

He moved then, crossing the space between them slowly and Elena forced herself not to back away, to hold her ground even as every cell in her body screamed danger.

He stopped close enough that she could smell his cologne, different from what he used to wear, it was something expensive.

Now he was close enough that she had to tilt her head back to maintain eye contact.

His gaze traveled down slowly over her and when his eyes finally met her eyes back.

"My office." His words with his voice soft, but it wasn't a request..

"Now." He emphasized on that last word.

He turned and walked toward a hallway, clearly expecting her to follow.

Elena's hands clenched around her portfolio so hard the leather creaked. She wanted to run, wanted to tell him to go to hell, wanted to protect herself and her children. But she couldn't.

She needed this contract, needed the money and needed to survive.

So she followed Ethan Blackwood into his office, and prayed she'd make it out with her heart intact this time.

Ethan's office was massive, my mouth widened in surprise just as we got in.

The door clicked shut behind Elena and she felt trapped.

"Sit," Ethan said, gesturing to the chair across from his desk.

Elena sat down and opened her portfolio, determined to keep this professional. Her hands were shaking but she hid them in her lap.

"Mr. Blackwood, as outlined in my proposal, the charity gala will need..." She was saying but he interrupted her.

"How long have you been back in New York?" he said.

Elena's jaw tightened.

"Three months. Now, about the venue..."

"Three months." He leaned back in his chair, studying her for a while before he finally said

"And you didn't think to reach out?"

"Why would I?" The words came out sharper than she intended.

"You made it very clear five years ago that you wanted nothing to do with me." Elena hadn't intended to respond that harshly but she did anyways.

"I tried to find you," he said quietly.

"After you left. I looked everywhere."

Elena's heart stuttered but she forced herself to stay calm.

"Well, I didn't want to be found." She replied, looking away.

"Why did you leave?" He asked with his gaze still fixed on her and she could feel it.

"You fired me. Or did you forget?" She replied.

"I didn't forget anything." His voice was hard now. "I remember every single moment of that day. Every word I said to you and every look on your face."

Elena stood up abruptly.

"I'm not doing this. If you want to hire my company, fine. If not, I have other meetings."

"You're lying." Ethan stood too.

"I had you investigated. Your company is struggling and you need this contract."

Heat flooded Elena's face. It was anger and humiliation mixed together.

"You had me investigated?" She asked trying very much to sound normal.

"I investigate everyone I do business with."

"This isn't business!" Her voice rose despite herself.

"This is you trying to control everything like you always did!"

"Control?" Ethan moved around the desk toward her.

"You think I controlled you?" He asked.

"You fired me without explanation! You ended everything and threw me out like I was nothing!"

"My father gave me an ultimatum!" The words burst out of him.

"You or the company. He threatened to destroy your career, your reputation, everything. I thought I was protecting you."

Elena froze as the room now seemed to tilt.

"What?"

"I ended it to protect you," Ethan said, his voice raw now.

"I thought if I was cruel enough, you'd leave and never look back. You'd move on and be safe from him."

Elena couldn't breathe. It was five years of pain and anger were crashing over her, but she couldn't let him see it. She really couldn't let him know how much he'd destroyed her.

"It doesn't matter," she said, forcing her voice steady.

"That was five years ago. This is business. Do you want to hire me or not?"

Ethan stared at her for a long moment, then nodded slowly.

"Yes. I want to hire you."

"Fine." Elena sat back down, opening her portfolio with shaking hands.

"The gala is in eight weeks. Here's what I'll need."

They spent the next twenty minutes going over details, the venue, the catering, the guest list. Elena kept her voice professional and her eyes on the papers in front of her. Ethan asked questions and made notes.

It almost felt normal until his phone rang.

He glanced at the screen and his expression hardened.

"I need to take this."

"Of course."

Ethan answered, his voice immediately cold and business-like.

"Olivia."

Elena's stomach dropped at the name. Olivia Bennett, his fiancée. The woman he was supposed to marry.

"I'm in a meeting," Ethan said into the phone.

"Can this wait?" He paused, listening.

"No, I told you, the venue is already booked." Another pause, then his jaw clenched.

"Because I'm handling the charity gala personally this year."

Elena tried not to listen but it was impossible in the quiet office.

"That's not your concern," Ethan said, his voice getting colder.

"I'll see you tonight at dinner." He ended the call and tossed his phone on the desk.

"Sorry about that," he said, but he didn't sound sorry. He sounded irritated.

"Your fiancée?" Elena asked, hating herself for asking.

"Yes."

"Congratulations."

Ethan's eyes snapped to hers. "It's a business arrangement."

Elena felt something twist in her chest but she ignored it.

"None of my business." She replied casually.

"Elena..."

The office door suddenly opened and a woman walked in without knocking. She was tall and blonde and stunning in a way that made Elena feel small. She has on designer clothes, a perfect makeup, and one could immediately know she was luxury. It was Olivia Bennett.

"Darling, I know you said you were busy but..."

Olivia stopped when she saw Elena. Her smile didn't falter but her eyes went cold.

"Oh. I didn't realize you had company."

"I'm in a meeting," Ethan said flatly.

Olivia's gaze swept over Elena, assessing and dismissing her in seconds.

"This is the event planner?" She asked

"Yes. Elena Carter, this is Olivia Bennett." He replied not giving her a glance.

"Charmed," Olivia said, though her tone suggested otherwise. She turned back to Ethan.

"We need to discuss the seating arrangements for the gala. Mother insists on being at the main table."

"I'll handle it." He replied casually.

"And we need to coordinate our outfits. The press will be there and..."

"Olivia." Ethan's voice had an edge to it now.

"I'm in the middle of a business meeting. We'll discuss this later."

Olivia's smile tightened but she didn't leave. Instead, she walked over to Ethan's desk and perched on the edge, effectively positioning herself between him and Elena.

"I'm sure Ms. Carter won't mind," Olivia said sweetly.

"After all, I am the hostess for this event. I should be involved in the planning."

Elena felt a headache building behind her eyes. This was exactly what she didn't need, drama and complications.

"Actually," Elena said, gathering her papers, "I think we've covered everything for today. I'll send over the contract and we can schedule another meeting next week."

"Perfect," Olivia said before Ethan could respond.

"I'll make sure to attend that one as well."

Elena stood, holding her portfolio up and trying to stare into neither of their eyes.

"Mr. Blackwood, thank you for your time." She said, making to go.

"Elena, wait..."

But she was already moving toward the door. She needed to get out before she said something she'd regret. Before Olivia saw too much, before Ethan asked more questions she couldn't answer.

She made it to the elevator and pressed the button repeatedly, willing it to come faster.

"Ms. Carter!"

Elena turned to see Ethan's assistant, Jennifer, hurrying toward her with a folder.

"Mr. Blackwood wanted me to give you this," Jennifer said, slightly out of breath.

"It's the guest list and venue specs. He also authorized the fifty percent upfront payment. It should hit your account by end of day."

Elena took the folder.

"Thank you."

The elevator finally arrived and Elena stepped inside, grateful to be alone. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.

What had she just agreed to? Eight weeks of working with Ethan, of seeing him regularly, of pretending the past didn't exist. And now Olivia would be involved too.

This was a mistake. A huge mistake.

But she needed the money and she'd already signed off on it verbally. She couldn't back out now.

Elena's phone buzzed and it was a text from an unknown number.

"Don't think this is over. We need to talk. - E" was what it read.

She stared at the message, her heart pounding. Before she could respond, another text came through.

"And Elena? Stay away from Olivia. She's more dangerous than you think." It read again.

The elevator doors opened to the lobby and Elena stepped out, her mind racing. What did that mean? Why would Olivia be dangerous?

She was halfway across the marble floor when she heard her name being called. Elena turned to see a man in an expensive suit approaching her. He was older, maybe sixty, with silver hair and cold eyes that reminded her of a snake.

"Ms. Carter?" he said, his voice smooth.

"I am Richard Blackwood. Ethan's father."

Elena's blood turned to ice. This was the man who'd threatened to destroy her five years ago, the very man who'd forced Ethan to choose.

"Mr. Blackwood," she said carefully.

"I understand you're planning our charity gala," Richard said, smiling but it didn't reach his eyes.

"I wanted to introduce myself personally." He added

"That's very kind of you." She managed to say.

"I also wanted to give you some advice." He stepped closer and his voice dropped.

"My son has a tendency to confuse business with personal matters. I trust you'll keep things professional."

It wasn't a suggestion. It was a warning.

"Of course," Elena said, keeping her voice steady even though her heart was racing.

"I'm only here to do a job."

"Good." Richard's smile widened.

"Then we'll get along just fine. Welcome to Blackwood Enterprises, Ms. Carter."

He walked away toward the elevators, leaving Elena standing in the middle of the lobby.

Her phone buzzed again. This time it was Mia saying how did it go?????

Elena looked back at the building, at the gleaming tower where Ethan worked, where his father controlled everything, where she'd just agreed to spend the next eight weeks of her life.

She typed back quickly.

Got the contract. But we have a problem.

Another buzz, this time an email notification. Elena opened it and saw a bank transfer confirmation.

$75,000 deposited into Carter Events business account.

Fifty percent of the fee. Just like Ethan promised.

The money was real, the contract was real. There was no backing out now.

Elena walked out of the building into the bright New York sunshine. People rushed past her on the sidewalk, everyone busy with their own lives, their own problems.

She had eight weeks to plan a perfect gala. Eight weeks to keep her secrets hidden and eight weeks to survive being near Ethan without falling apart.

She could do this, she had to.

Her phone rang and it was an unknown number. Elena almost didn't answer but something made her pick up.

"Hello?"

"Elena Carter?" A woman's voice, professional but urgent.

"This is Karen Mills from Little Steps Preschool. I'm calling about your son Liam."

Elena's entire world stopped.

"What's wrong? Is he hurt?"

"No, no, nothing like that," Karen said quickly.

"But there's been an incident. A man came to the school today asking questions about him. About you. We didn't give him any information but I thought you should know."

"What man? What did he look like?"

"Older gentleman. He has silver hair and an expensive suit on. He said he was a family friend but we have protocols..."

"I'll be right there," Elena interrupted, already running toward the subway.

"Don't let anyone near my children. I'm coming now."

She ended the call, her hands shaking so badly she almost dropped her phone.

Richard Blackwood had found her children.