Chapter 2 LUCA HALE
I stared at Claire Benson, her professional smile doing nothing to hide the curiosity in her eyes.
“Four o’clock?” I repeated, keeping my voice steady even though my pulse had spiked again.
Claire nodded once, efficient as ever. “Yes. He didn’t specify the reason, but he mentioned the Kane merger. Bring any notes you have on the regulatory scenarios.”
She turned on her heel and left before I could ask more questions. I sank back into my chair, the modest cubicle suddenly feeling too small, too exposed.
The rest of the afternoon dragged in a haze of forced focus. I rebuilt the Kane analysis with sharper data, adding the two additional scenarios I had mentioned in the earlier meeting, strengthening the divestiture projections, and tightening the behavioral remedies section. My fingers moved on autopilot while my mind kept circling back to the lobby.
Luca Hale.
He had looked at me like I was a stranger. Like my anger was an interesting anomaly rather than a four-year-old scar. Sebastian would have flashed that easy, charming smile and tried to smooth things over with a joke or a compliment. This man hadn’t even blinked.
By 3:45 p.m., I had the revised file ready. I smoothed my pencil skirt, checked my reflection in the small compact mirror I kept in my drawer, and headed toward the executive floor. The elevator ride up felt longer than usual. Each floor dinged like a countdown.
When the doors opened, the executive level hit me with a different energy. Thicker carpet, wider hallways, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Manhattan’s skyline. Power practically hummed in the air.
Claire was waiting outside a set of double doors. She gave me a quick once-over, then nodded. “He’s ready for you.”
I stepped inside.
Luca Hale’s office was everything the lobby had promised and more. Massive windows framed the city, a sleek glass desk dominated one side, and built-in shelves held what looked like rare books and strategic models rather than trophies. He stood near the window, jacket off, sleeves rolled up to reveal muscular forearms. The casual power in his stance made the room feel smaller.
“Miss Lawson,” he said without turning around immediately. His voice was the same controlled depth from the lobby. “Sit.”
I chose the chair across from his desk and kept my posture straight, refusing to fidget. He finally turned, gray eyes locking onto mine again with that same unnerving curiosity.
“You confronted me in the lobby this morning,” he said, cutting straight to the point. No pleasantries. “Care to explain why you called me Sebastian?”
My fingers tightened around the edge of the folder in my lap. “Because that’s the name I knew you by four years ago.”
He leaned against the edge of his desk, arms crossed, studying me. “Interesting. Because my name has always been Luca. And I don’t recall meeting you before today.”
Liar. The word rose again, hot and bitter. But something in his tone, the absolute certainty made a tiny crack of doubt form in my chest. The energy was wrong. Sebastian had been warm, effortless, the type who made you feel like the center of the room. This man felt like a storm contained in a suit, quiet intensity, measured words, no wasted charm.
I lifted my chin. “Then we must have very different memories, Mr. Hale.”
A faint smirk touched his lips, gone almost as quickly as it appeared. “Apparently. Now, about the Kane merger. Your input in the meeting earlier was… good. Really good. Stronger than what Hargrove presented. Why didn’t you speak up sooner?”
The question caught me off guard. Most bosses wanted obedience and credit theft. This one seemed annoyed by it.
“Because my role is support, not spotlight,” I said carefully. “I provide the analysis. Others present.”
His eyes narrowed slightly. “That changes today. You’re being reassigned as Special Liaison for the Kane project. You’ll report directly to me. Your desk will be moved to the executive floor starting tomorrow.”
My stomach dropped. Closer to him. Every day.
“I work better from my current floor,” I replied, voice calm but firm.
“You’ll work where I need you,” he said simply. It wasn’t a threat, it was a fact. “The merger is critical. I need people who see what others miss. You clearly do.”
He pushed off the desk and walked around it, stopping closer than necessary. The faint scent of his cologne, clean, woody, and expensive hit me, stirring unwelcome memories of that hotel night. My body remembered even if my mind fought it.
“Bring the revised file tomorrow morning,” he continued. “And Miss Lawson… if you have any more accusations about my identity, save them for after office hours. I don’t tolerate disruptions in my building.”
The dismissal was clear, but the way his gaze lingered on my face sent a dangerous shiver through me. Not fear. Something worse.
I stood, clutching the folder. “Understood, Mr. Hale.”
As I reached the door, his voice stopped me again.
“One more thing.”
I turned.
He was watching me with that same unreadable intensity. “Your coffee order. Oat milk latte, one shot of vanilla, extra hot. Correct?”
My breath caught. How did he—
“See you tomorrow, Miss Lawson.” he said quietly.
I walked out without another word, heart hammering. The executive floor blurred around me as I headed back to the elevators.
By the time I reached my current desk, the strategy floor was mostly empty. Only a few late workers remained. I sank into my chair, mind spinning.
He had noticed my work. He had singled me out. He had ordered my exact coffee without being asked.
And he still insisted he wasn’t Sebastian.
I pulled out my phone and texted Clara.
Me:Wine tonight is definitely on. Something happened. The CEO… he looks exactly like him. But he says his name is Luca. And now he’s moving me to his floor.
Clara’s reply came fast.
Clara: Wait, what?! Sebastian? Come home. We need to talk.
I stared at the screen, the old wound throbbing again. If this really was Luca… then who the hell had I spent four years hating?
And why did the man upstairs make me feel seen in a way that terrified me?
I packed my things, the revised Kane file tucked safely in my bag. Tomorrow I would start on the executive floor. Closer to him. Forced into his orbit whether I wanted it or not.
As I left the building and stepped into the cool Brooklyn-bound evening air, one dangerous thought refused to leave my mind.
What if falling into Luca Hale’s world was going to destroy the story I had told myself for four years?
