Chapter 32: Ella’s Past Returns

The week following the business retreat had been strangely quiet.

Not peaceful—just quiet.

Ella had expected Adrian to lash out again, to corner her, to say something about what happened that night on the beach.

But he hadn't.

Instead, he'd shut down.

The man who always had a retort, who thrived on control and conflict, had simply walked away.

And now, a week later, she found herself standing in front of Blackwood Enterprises—Adrian's empire, the heart of his ruthless business world—about to step into enemy territory.

Not because she wanted to.

But because she had to.

She needed the money.

Her mother's hospital bills were piling up, and no matter how much pride she had left, she wasn't going to let her mother suffer.

Adrian didn't know.

He couldn't know.

Because if he did, she had no doubt that he'd pay the bills without hesitation.

And that was exactly why she wouldn't let him.

This was her battle.

Her problem.

And she would fix it on her own.

Walking Into the Lion's Den

The office was exactly what she expected—cold, clinical, intimidating.

Employees moved in stiff, synchronized motions, their faces neutral but their eyes filled with silent terror.

No one wanted to be the reason Adrian Blackwood's day got worse.

Ella smirked. Sounds about right.

Nathaniel—Adrian's best friend and business partner—was the only familiar face she could count on. He had been the first to actually greet her, grinning like he was enjoying whatever storm was about to come.

"You're really working here now?" Nathaniel leaned against the reception desk, arms crossed. "Willingly?"

Ella sighed. "If you must know, I need the paycheck."

Nathaniel's grin widened. "Adrian is going to lose his mind."

"Oh, I'm counting on it."

Nathaniel chuckled, shaking his head. "This should be fun."

She was about to respond when a new voice cut through the air.

A voice she hadn't heard in years.

"Well, well… I didn't think I'd be seeing you here, Ella."

The world seemed to tilt.

Ella froze.

That voice—low, smooth, dangerous.

It couldn't be.

She turned, and there he was.

Standing in the middle of Blackwood Enterprises, dressed in a tailored suit, his dark eyes watching her with undisguised amusement.

Liam Carter.

Her ex.

And Adrian's newest business partner.

Shadows of the Past

Ella's breath caught. For a split second, she wasn't in Adrian's office.

She was back in the past.

Back when Liam had been her world—until he wasn't.

Until he had walked away without a second thought.

No. Not now. Not here.

She forced a smile, tilting her chin up. "Liam. I didn't know you were in business with Adrian."

Liam smirked. "It was a recent decision. Didn't think you'd be working here, though." His eyes scanned her, slow, deliberate. "You always did surprise me."

Nathaniel, sensing the shift in tension, cleared his throat. "You two know each other?"

Liam didn't take his eyes off Ella. "You could say that."

Ella swallowed the irritation rising in her throat. "We used to date."

Nathaniel's brows shot up. "Oh, this is getting interesting."

Ella shot him a glare, but before she could say anything, the temperature in the room dropped.

Because standing a few feet away—watching them like a predator ready to strike—was Adrian.

And he did not look pleased.

Adrian Blackwood's Fury

Adrian's eyes locked onto Liam.

His expression was unreadable—but the tension rolling off him was lethal.

Liam, ever the opportunist, smirked. "Adrian. You didn't tell me you had such… familiar employees."

Ella could practically feel the electricity crackling between them.

Two alphas. Two men who never backed down from a fight.

She had one job—to not make things worse.

So, of course, she made it worse.

"I was just catching up with Liam," she said casually, offering Adrian an innocent smile. "Did you know we used to date?"

Silence.

Nathaniel coughed to hide a laugh.

Adrian's jaw tightened. "No. I didn't."

Liam, enjoying every second, stepped closer to Ella. "We go way back. Don't we, Ella?"

Adrian moved before he even realized it.

One second Liam was standing comfortably, the next—Adrian's grip was on his shoulder, firm but just on the edge of violence.

"Walk away, Carter," Adrian said smoothly, his voice dangerously low.

Liam held his gaze, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Relax, Blackwood. I'm just saying hello."

Adrian didn't move.

Didn't blink.

Didn't breathe.

Ella, recognizing the storm about to hit, placed a hand on Adrian's arm.

"Let it go," she murmured.

Adrian's muscles were taut, but after a long, suffocating pause, he released Liam with a slow, deliberate motion.

Liam straightened his suit, smirking. "Well. This is going to be fun."

With one last glance at Ella, he walked away—and Adrian was left standing there, seething.

Ella sighed. "Really, Adrian? You're going to kill a business partner because I used to date him?"

Adrian turned to her, his eyes unreadable.

But she saw it.

The tension.

The possessiveness.

The jealousy.

"Stay away from him," Adrian ordered.

Ella raised a brow. "Excuse me?"

Adrian leaned in, his voice like a warning and a promise.

"I don't trust him."

Ella crossed her arms. "You don't trust anyone."

Adrian's lips curled into something that wasn't quite a smile.

"Exactly."

And just like that, he walked away, leaving Ella standing in the middle of the warzone he had just created.

Because this wasn't just about business anymore.

This was personal.

And she had no idea how dangerous the game had just become.