Chapter 4 POWER DIP

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur as I forced myself to concentrate. I buried myself in the Kane files, tweaking projections and running scenario models until the numbers blurred on the screen. But no matter how hard I tried, Luca’s words kept echoing in my head.

“You seem angry with me… And I don’t know why.”

That quiet, controlled voice. The way his gaze had dropped to my lips for that split second. The heavy air between us in his empty office. It all felt too intimate. Too dangerous.

By six-thirty, the executive floor had quieted down. Most people had gone home, leaving only the low hum of air conditioning and the distant click of a keyboard somewhere down the hall. I gathered my laptop and the revised deck, smoothed my skirt, and headed toward Luca’s office.

The door was slightly ajar. I knocked once and stepped inside.

He was already there, jacket off again, sleeves rolled up, standing behind his glass desk reviewing documents. The city lights sparkled through the massive windows behind him, turning the office into a sleek, modern throne room. He looked up when I entered, gray eyes locking onto mine with that same intense focus.

“Miss Lawson. Close the door.”

I did, the soft click sounding louder than it should. The room suddenly felt smaller. More private.

“Sit,” he said, gesturing to the chair across from him. But when I moved toward it, he shook his head. “Actually, come here. I want you to walk me through the updated regulatory scenarios.”

I hesitated for half a second, then stepped around the desk to stand beside him. He was close. Too close. The clean, woody scent of his cologne wrapped around me again, stirring memories I didn’t want. His arm brushed mine as he leaned over the laptop, pointing at the screen.

“Explain this part,” he murmured, voice low.

I forced my voice to stay steady and launched into the analysis. He listened intently, asking sharp, intelligent questions that showed he actually understood the material. For the first time in weeks, someone was engaging with my work on my level.

It felt… good. Satisfying in a way that made my guard slip just a little.

Until he straightened and turned toward me fully.

“You’re brilliant at this,” he said quietly. “Why do you hide it?”

The question hit too close to the old wound. I took a small step back, but the desk blocked me. “Because brilliance doesn’t protect you when you’re invisible. It just makes you a target.”

His eyes darkened. “You’re not invisible to me.”

The air crackled. My pulse thundered in my ears. This close, I could see the faint stubble along his jaw, the way his broad shoulders filled the space, the controlled intensity that made him feel like a storm barely contained.

He wasn’t Sebastian. Or he was. I didn’t know anymore. All I knew was that the man in front of me made me feel seen — really seen — and that terrified me more than being dismissed ever had.

“Mr. Hale—” I started, voice tighter than I wanted.

“Luca,” he corrected, stepping closer. “When we’re alone, call me Luca.”

I swallowed hard. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why?” His voice dropped even lower.

The challenge hung between us. My back pressed against the edge of the desk. His body was inches away, heat radiating off him. For one dangerous moment, I imagined what it would feel like if he closed the gap, if those strong hands touched me the way they had in that hotel room.

The thought sent a rush of unwanted heat through me.

I pushed it down hard.

“Money can’t buy everything, Luca,” I said, the old wound sharpening my words. “Some of us knew our worth long before you ever noticed us. And some gestures… they tell a woman exactly how little she meant.”

Confusion flickered across his face.  Genuine, raw confusion. Not defensiveness. Not guilt. Just… bewilderment.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said slowly. “I’m not going to let you paint me as the villain when I’ve done nothing but notice how sharp you are.”

The sincerity in his voice cracked something inside me. I wanted to believe him. I wanted to hate him. Both feelings warred so violently that my hands trembled at my sides.

Before I could respond, the lights flickered once. Then twice.

The elevator in the private executive wing dinged softly in the distance, but the power didn’t fully cut. Instead, the main lights dimmed, leaving only the soft glow of the city skyline and his desk lamp.

“Power dip,” he muttered, glancing toward the window. “Happens sometimes with these old grid connections during peak hours.”

We were alone. In the semi-dark. With the charged silence stretching between us.

I moved toward the door, needing space. “I should go finish the deck—”

The elevator doors nearby slid open with a mechanical groan, then jolted to a stop halfway. The emergency lights flickered inside the car.

We both turned.

“Damn it,” Luca said under his breath. He crossed the room in two strides and pressed the call button. Nothing. He tried his phone — no signal.

“Looks like we’re stuck for a bit,” he said, turning back to me. “The maintenance team will handle it, but it could take twenty or thirty minutes.”

Thirty minutes. Alone with him in this dim office.

I stayed near the desk, arms crossed tightly over my chest. “This doesn’t change anything.”

He leaned against the doorframe, watching me with that quiet intensity. “No. But it gives me time to ask the real question. Why do you look at me like I owe you something?”

My throat tightened. The wound burned fresh.

“Don’t you?”

The words spilled out sharper than I intended. Vulnerable. Raw.

Luca’s expression shifted. The controlled mask slipped, revealing something darker, frustration, concern, and a flicker of heat he couldn’t quite hide.

He took one step closer. Then another.

The air between us grew thick, electric. My back hit the desk again. His gaze dropped to my mouth once more, lingering this time.

For one breathless moment, I thought he might close the distance. I thought I might let him.

Then the elevator jolted back to life with a loud mechanical hum. The doors opened fully on our floor, lights flooding the hallway.

Luca straightened, jaw tight, as if pulling himself back under control.

“Maintenance must have fixed the glitch,” he said, voice steadier than it should have been.

I grabbed my laptop, heart still racing. “I’ll finish the deck from my desk.”

As I walked past him toward the door, his hand brushed my arm lightly, almost accidental, but it sent sparks across my skin.

“Tomorrow morning,” he said quietly. “Coffee will be on your desk. Same order. And Miss Lawson… we’re not done talking about this.”

I didn’t answer. I just kept walking, the ghost of his touch burning on my arm and the dangerous pull in my chest growing stronger.

By the time I reached the main elevators, my mind was spinning.

He wasn’t Sebastian. Or he was. The lines were blurring too fast.

And the worst part?

I was starting to want the man who looked like my nightmare to prove he was different.