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Lena

“T hree weeks,” I say. “That’s how long my business lasted.”

Ellis doesn’t speak. He doesn’t need to.

“I’d just opened my first physical location. Finally had a storefront. A sign on the window. I thought I was starting over.”

I laugh once, but it’s hollow.

“Then COVID hit,” I say, with a sigh. “Three weeks after I opened the doors. Just like that, there was no business. Figuratively and literally. I lost everything. My savings. My dignity.”

I bite the inside of my cheek. “Now I’m just trying to find something that doesn’t fall apart.”

“I see.” His voice is soft, almost clinical, but there’s an edge to it. “And your husband? How did he handle all this?”

I hesitate. The silence stretches, taut and unforgiving. “He didn’t,” I say finally. “He finished vet school.”

Ellis leans in. “That must’ve been hard. Watching him succeed while you struggled.”

I nod, even though I don’t want to. “It’s not his fault,” I say quickly. “But yeah. It was hard.”

“So he found someone else. Something easier.”

“That’s one way to put it. We grew apart. It wasn’t dramatic.”

“Interesting.” He drums his fingers on the edge of his glass. “Not many people lose everything in a freak accident and claw their way back.”

His eyes pin me. “But you did.”

His words hit harder than I expect.

“Although,” he adds, “that’s not why you’re here, is it?”

“I’m here because you asked. I’m here because you’re my boss.”

Ellis shakes his head. “You’re here because you want more than to be someone’s secretary.”

“Wow.” I drain my glass. “You’ve really got me pegged.”

“I know how tempting better can look,” he says. His tone is mild, but the undertone isn’t. “You’re still young. There’s so much you could do. So much you could become.” He leans forward. “And I could show you how.”

It’s both a promise and a trap. I open my mouth to answer, but he’s already moving the goalposts.

“I’m offering you mentorship,” he says. “I see potential. I know what it takes to rise. You could work directly with me. Head up the veterinary division. Push boundaries. Do something no one’s done before.”

The words hang in the air—heavy, impossible, almost believable.

“You don’t have to settle. If you succeed, you’ll have everything.”

His brows rise. “ Everything ,” he repeats, softer now. Like it’s a seduction. Like it’s a secret he’s letting me in on.

I know I shouldn’t but I can’t help but laugh. “And the catch?”

His smile widens. “No catch. Just an opportunity. You’ve worked hard to get here. A little more effort, a little more loyalty, and you could take back what you lost.”

And I feel it—that old part of me leaning in. The part that wants to believe in something bigger, something more than just scraping by. But it feels too easy.

It’s a lifeline. But his voice? It’s too smooth. Too knowing. He’s pulling me in like he’s done this before.

“Do you know why most people fail?” he quips, his tone cooling. “Because they don’t take the chances right in front of them. They hesitate. They doubt themselves. They play it safe.”

“I’m not afraid,” I say. But the words feel borrowed.

“Sure you are.”

“Okay,” I admit. “Maybe a little.”

The server appears beside me, silent and sudden, refilling our wine glasses. Like we’re just two people having dinner. Not like I’m being propositioned in code.

I wait until he leaves.

“And if I say no?”

He doesn’t blink. “Then you say no. That’s the choice I’m offering, Lena.”

I don’t know what I expected from this dinner—but it wasn’t this. Still, I feel the weight of his offer pressing against me, inching closer to yes.

“Here’s an idea,” he says, settling back. “Let’s continue this conversation at my place. No distractions. Just... us. You’ll see what I’m offering.”

He waits.

I don’t answer.

I look down at the shoes on my feet. And I feel the pull toward something I can’t quite stop.