chapter 5

Chapter 5 – Boundaries Meant to Be Broken

Serena couldn't sleep.

No matter how many times she tossed and turned, her mind refused to let go of the way Elias's hand had fit so perfectly against her back, the way his breath had ghosted over her skin as they danced.

She should have hated every second of it.

Instead, she had felt something undeniable, consuming, dangerous—something she wasn't ready to admit.

The thought of it alone made her grab her phone and send a message to Maya.

Serena: I did something reckless.

The reply came instantly.

Maya: If this is about Elias Carter, I want details. Immediately.

Serena groaned, staring at the ceiling. What was happening to her?

She had spent months preparing to take Elias down. He was her enemy—the arrogant billionaire who wanted to demolish the heart of the city. He was everything she stood against.

So why couldn't she stop thinking about the way he had looked at her?

Why did she crave more?

A loud buzz interrupted her thoughts.

Her phone lit up with a notification.

Unknown Number: Still running, Serena?

Her breath hitched.

She sat up, heart racing as she stared at the message. Elias.

Before she could think twice, she replied.

Serena: Why do you have my number?

Elias: A man has his ways.

Serena rolled her eyes. Of course he did.

Serena: If you texted to gloat, don't waste your time.

Elias: Not gloating. Just wondering if you've stopped pretending yet.

Serena: Pretending what?

Elias: That you don't feel it too.

A slow shiver ran down her spine.

She gritted her teeth, refusing to let him get under her skin.

Serena: Goodnight, Elias.

She turned her phone on silent and threw it across the bed, pressing a pillow against her face.

This. Was. A. Disaster.

A Visit She Didn't Expect

The next morning, Serena stepped into her office, still battling her thoughts, when her assistant, Liam, practically sprinted toward her desk.

"Serena, I—uh—he's here," Liam stammered.

She frowned. "Who?"

And then she felt it.

A shift in the air. A presence she didn't need to see to recognize.

She turned slowly, and there he was.

Elias Carter.

Standing in her office, looking entirely too comfortable in his black tailored suit.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked, arms crossed.

Elias smirked. "I thought I'd pay a visit. Since you ran off so quickly last night."

Serena shot a glare at Liam, who raised his hands in surrender before slipping out of the room.

"You had no right to show up here," she snapped.

Elias stepped closer, his eyes gleaming with something undeniable. "I don't follow rules, Serena. You should know that by now."

She hated the way her pulse betrayed her.

Hated the way she was too aware of him—of his scent, the way his sleeves were rolled up just slightly, the way he was watching her like she was a puzzle he was dying to figure out.

"You can't just show up uninvited," she said, forcing her voice to stay steady.

Elias tilted his head. "Can't I?"

She clenched her jaw. "What do you want?"

His smirk softened. Just slightly. "Breakfast."

Serena blinked. "Excuse me?"

Elias shrugged. "You skipped dinner after the gala. And something tells me you didn't eat this morning either."

Serena scoffed. "And you think that's your business?"

Elias's eyes darkened. "I think… I make it my business when you keep pretending you're not affected by this."

She inhaled sharply.

She should have denied it. Should have laughed in his face and told him he was wrong.

But she couldn't.

Because in that moment—standing inches apart, the tension between them thick enough to drown in—she knew.

He wasn't wrong.

A Breakfast That Wasn't Just Breakfast

Against her better judgment, she found herself sitting across from Elias in an exclusive rooftop café, the city stretching below them.

The sky was painted in soft shades of morning gold, the scent of fresh coffee filling the air.

Serena took a slow sip of her espresso, trying to ignore the way Elias was watching her.

"You're staring," she muttered.

Elias didn't even pretend to deny it. "I like watching things I don't understand."

Serena arched a brow. "And what exactly don't you understand?"

His smirk softened, and for the first time, there was something else in his eyes. Something real.

"You," he said simply.

Her breath caught.

She wasn't prepared for that answer.

Elias leaned forward slightly, his voice quieter now. More intimate. "You fight like you hate me, but you look at me like you don't know whether to push me away or pull me closer."

Serena's fingers tightened around her cup. "You're imagining things."

Elias's gaze flickered to her lips.

"Am I?"

A warmth spread through her, dangerous, consuming, undeniable.

This was a bad idea.

A really, really bad idea.

And yet…

When Elias reached across the table, fingers brushing against hers, she didn't pull away.

His touch was warm, firm, certain.

"Serena," he murmured.

Her heart pounded.

She should have ended this. Right there.

Instead, she let herself lean in just slightly, her breath mingling with his.

For the first time, she allowed herself to wonder—what if?

What if they weren't enemies?

What if they weren't constantly fighting for control?

What if, just for one moment… they let go?

Elias's fingers curled gently around hers, his thumb tracing slow circles against her palm.

And God help her—she let him.

The Moment That Changed Everything

The waiter arrived, breaking the moment, and Serena jerked her hand away, heart pounding.

Elias sat back, watching her with that maddeningly knowing expression.

"You felt it," he said softly.

Serena swallowed, trying to compose herself. "This doesn't change anything."

Elias smirked. "We'll see about that."

She should have been angry.

Should have been furious.

Instead, she was terrified.

Because for the first time, she wasn't sure if she wanted to fight him anymore.

And that?

That was far more dangerous than any battle she had ever fought before.

To be continued.....