I need something new

The polished mahogany desk between us had seen countless contracts, negotiations, and last-minute crises, all solved with precision and efficiency. It had been my battlefield for six years. And now, it would be where I ended it.

Carmen Steele sat in her black leather chair, her dark brows slightly furrowed as she scanned the letter I had placed in front of her.

The envelope had been perfectly aligned with the edge of her desk—a detail I hadn't overlooked. Six years of structuring my life around perfection had made sure of that.

She finished reading, then leaned back, green eyes sharp as ever. "Are you sure?"

I nodded, keeping my posture straight despite the weight of the moment. "Yes." My voice was steady, just like I had rehearsed.

"I need something new, Carmen. It's been… comfortable, but too simple. I don't regret a single day here, but I can't stay."

Her gaze lingered on me, calculating. I knew that look—she was assessing the situation, trying to find the variables, the reasons, the solution.

That was the CEO in her. But after six years, she was also my friend, and when she exhaled, I saw the shift.

"You're one of the best people I've ever worked with," she said, tapping the letter with her fingers.

Her nails were painted a deep, expensive red—elegant, controlled, just like her. "It's going to be impossible to replace you."

A smirk tugged at my lips. "You say that, but I give you two weeks before you hire someone just as terrifyingly efficient as me."

She laughed, shaking her head. "No one is quite as terrifying as you, Lydia."

A warm sense of fondness settled in my chest. Leaving wasn't easy, but it was necessary. I loved structure, I loved control—but I needed a change. What that change was, I wasn't entirely sure yet.

Carmen straightened her suit jacket, the sleek black fabric fitting perfectly against her toned frame. "Well, you're not leaving until your work is finished."

"Obviously," I said, rolling my eyes. "I would never leave a job unfinished."

Her lips twitched, but she didn't argue.

Before I could add anything, the office door swung open, and a whirlwind of beauty and confidence strode in.

Elena Vargas, well now Elena Steele.

Even if she weren't one of my closest friends, I would have had to admit—Elena was breathtaking.

A tall, striking woman with rich brown skin and a cascade of black curls that framed her face like something out of a Vogue photoshoot.

Her brown eyes locked onto Carmen immediately, her expression softening into something so openly affectionate it almost felt intrusive to witness.

"Stealing your boss for a moment," she announced, already making her way toward Carmen's chair.

Carmen sighed dramatically. "My empire is crumbling before my eyes."

I let out a short laugh as Elena leaned over Carmen, pressing a lingering kiss to her lips before turning to me.

"Lydia, please tell me you're still up for tonight," Elena said, giving me that knowing look, the one that told me she had already planned my entire evening.

"As if I'd dare cancel," I said dryly.

Elena grinned. "Good. Chloe would have hunted you down otherwise."

I groaned. "Fantastic."

Carmen smirked. "Ah, yes. Your archnemesis."

I narrowed my eyes. "We are not archnemeses. We just… clash."

"Every single time you meet," Carmen pointed out.

I sighed, deciding not to argue. Chloe and I had known each other for years, and while we had mutual friends, we had nothing in common. She was chaotic, reckless, and the exact opposite of everything I valued in life.

Still, tonight was meant to be about fun. And for once, I was letting go of the schedule and going along with it.

---

By the time I left work, night had settled over New York, casting the skyline in sharp contrasts of gold and deep blue. The city never really slept, but the pulse of the evening was different—more electric, more alive.

I slid into my car, a sleek black Audi that I kept in pristine condition, and adjusted my hands on the steering wheel. My route was already mapped out in my head. First stop: picking up Chloe and Elena.

I pulled up outside the building where Chloe lived, and right on cue, she was already waiting at the curb.

This month, her hair was purple.

Chloe changed her hair color like the seasons, always unpredictable, always something new. The violet hue suited her, matching the mischief in her dark eyes as she slid into the passenger seat.

"You're late," she said immediately.

"I am exactly on time," I shot back.

She grinned, kicking her boots up on my dashboard.

I glared at her. "Feet. Down."

"Relax, Lydia. I promise I won't stain your precious car interior," she teased, but she removed them anyway. "Anyway, are you excited?"

"I don't get 'excited,' Chloe."

She scoffed. "Of course, you don't. But maybe tonight you'll actually loosen up and—" she turned to me with a smirk "—fall in love."

I snorted. "Right. Because a bar is the perfect place to find lasting romance."

"You never know," she sing-songed. "Maybe there's a brooding, devastatingly gorgeous woman out there just waiting for a control freak like you to walk into her life."

I rolled my eyes. "If there is, I'll be sure to direct her to you instead."

Chloe laughed, tossing her head back. "Oh, Lydia, you wound me. I'm already taken, remember?"

"How could I forget?" I muttered.

Chloe and Isabel had been together for month now, much to my surprise. Isabel, patient and sweet, somehow balanced out Chloe's chaotic energy. It was the kind of dynamic that shouldn't work but did.

Minutes later, we pulled up to Elena's place.

She was already outside, looking effortlessly stunning in a form-fitting dress that hugged every curve. Her dark curls framed her face in soft waves, and her brown eyes gleamed under the city lights.

I lowered the window. "You're late."

She smirked. "I am fashionably on time."

I sighed, unlocking the doors. "Get in before I leave both of you behind."

Elena slid into the backseat, immediately leaning forward between our seats. "You two are already fighting? I haven't even had my first drink yet."

Chloe grinned. "It's tradition."

Elena shook her head with amusement as I pulled back onto the road, heading toward the bar they had chosen for the night.

The streets of New York stretched before us, glittering and endless, pulsing with possibility.