Page 38

They dived again, Lila leading her along the reef where each new discovery seemed more remarkable than the last. A sea turtle glided past, ancient and dignified, regarding them with what looked like amused tolerance before disappearing into deeper water.

A cluster of clownfish darted in and out of a swaying anemone, their orange bodies bright against the tentacled creature that somehow didn't harm them.

Underwater, time seemed to operate by different rules.

What might have been minutes or hours passed in a dream-like state of pure discovery and presence.

Serena forgot about work, about Vivienne Blackwood, about the board meeting awaiting her return.

She even, for stretches of time, forgot about the woman she was supposed to be—forgot everything except the wonder before her eyes and the woman swimming at her side.

When they finally emerged, skin wrinkled from prolonged immersion, the sun had climbed high overhead. They pulled themselves onto the rocks, breathing hard and grinning like children after an adventure.

"That was..." Serena searched for words, finding her extensive vocabulary suddenly limited. "Thank you for showing me."

"Thank you for being willing to look," Lila replied, peeling off her mask and shaking water from her hair.

They sat side by side on the sun-warmed rock, letting the tropical heat dry their skin. Serena felt oddly euphoric, her body humming with the simple pleasure of a new experience.

"I never do things like this," she admitted, gesturing vaguely toward the water they'd explored. "Even on vacation—which I rarely take—I'm usually checking emails or reviewing reports between obligatory tourist activities."

"And how does it feel?" Lila asked, her gaze direct. "To just experience instead of analyze?"

"Strange," Serena replied honestly. "Good-strange, but like I'm temporarily occupying someone else's life."

"Or maybe just a different version of your own," Lila suggested, her fingers finding Serena's on the rock between them. "All those other parts of yourself that get set aside for the focused CEO."

The idea that she might contain multitudes beyond her professional identity wasn't entirely comfortable.

Serena had spent decades building herself into exactly who she needed to be for success in a cutthroat industry.

The suggestion that she might have sacrificed authentic parts of herself in the process felt like both truth and accusation.

"Rachel used to say something similar," she found herself admitting. "That I was 'all business, even in bed.' That I was missing out on life while I was busy running mine."

Lila's thumb traced gentle patterns on the back of Serena's hand. "Was she right?"

"Probably." The admission cost her less than it would have days ago. "Though I resented her for saying it at the time."

"No one likes having their blind spots pointed out," Lila said, the observation free of judgment. "Especially when they've been carefully cultivated."

Serena turned to look at her directly, struck again by the contradiction Lila represented—seemingly simple in her beach-casual appearance and direct manner, yet capable of insights that cut straight to the heart of matters Serena herself had avoided examining.

"Does everyone get free psychoanalysis with their snorkeling lesson, or am I special?"

Lila laughed, the sound carrying across the water. "Definitely special," she replied, leaning in to press a salt-flavored kiss to Serena's lips. "Though I prefer to think of it as genuine curiosity rather than analysis."

The distinction felt important somehow. Analysis suggested clinical distance, professional assessment. Curiosity implied personal interest, a desire to know rather than categorize.

"I'm curious about you too," Serena admitted, reaching up to brush wet strands of hair from Lila's face. "About what brought you here, what keeps you here. About who you are beyond the wellness coach I met on my first day."

Lila's smile deepened, creating the small crinkles around her eyes that Serena had come to find inexplicably endearing. "That sounds like the beginning of a much longer conversation."

"I hope so," Serena replied, surprising herself with the simple honesty.

The moment stretched between them, full of unspoken possibilities.

Serena was acutely aware of their isolation on this perfect beach, of their bodies still damp from the ocean and of the way Lila's skin seemed to glow in the midday sun.

Desire thrummed beneath her skin, a now-familiar current whenever they were close.

But there was something else too—a hunger for connection beyond the physical.

A desire to know this woman who challenged her assumptions and saw past her carefully constructed facade.

Who listened to her corporate battle stories not with strategic interest but with genuine concern for the person behind her title.

Serena wasn't accustomed to being known. Being respected, being feared, being obeyed—these were familiar territories. But being seen, really seen, was terrifyingly new. And somehow, despite all her hard-earned caution, she found herself wanting more of it.

"We should probably head back soon," Lila said, glancing at the sun's position. "Unless you want to explain to the resort staff why we're half-naked on the beach in the middle of the day."

Serena laughed, the sound still unfamiliar but increasingly natural. "A valid point. Though I'm not looking forward to the feeling of yoga clothes on wet skin."

"The price of spontaneity," Lila replied with a grin, standing and offering her hand. "Worth it?"

Serena took the offered hand, letting herself be pulled to her feet. "Absolutely."

As they waded back to shore, gathered their belongings, and prepared to return to the main resort, Serena found herself wondering at the woman she was becoming on this island.

Not an entirely new person; her core remained unchanged, her drive and intelligence and determination still fundamental parts of who she was.

But perhaps a more complete version of herself. Like the reef they'd explored—complex, colorful, and containing far more life than was visible from the surface.

They parted at the main resort path, Lila heading to her afternoon appointments, Serena to her villa to shower and change. The walk back had been comfortable, damp clothes and all, filled with easy conversation and lingering glances.

"Dinner tonight?" Serena asked as they prepared to go their separate ways. "My villa this time. I can have something brought in."

Lila's smile lit up her still-sun-flushed face. "I'd like that. Seven?"

"Perfect."

Watching Lila walk away, Serena felt an unfamiliar lightness in her chest. Not the absence of weight, but the presence of something new—something that expanded rather than constricted.

Back at her villa, she found several notifications waiting on her phone, including two from Ashley marked "Urgent." The familiar rush of adrenaline hit her system, but instead of immediately responding, Serena set the phone aside and stepped into the shower.

For once, work could wait. Just for a few minutes.

The hot water sluiced over her body, washing away salt and sand but leaving the memories of the morning intact: Lila's hand in hers during meditation, the underwater world they'd explored together, conversations that ventured into territory Serena rarely shared with anyone.

Only after she'd dried off and dressed in fresh clothes did she retrieve her phone, settling on the terrace with her laptop to address whatever crises had developed in her absence.

Ashley's first message contained minutes from the emergency board meeting she'd missed. Walter had apparently been pushing for a complete overhaul of the security protocols developed under Serena's leadership—a thinly veiled vote of no confidence disguised as strategic repositioning.

The second message was Ashley's personal assessment: Walter was making moves. Consolidating allies. Positioning himself as the steady hand in turbulent times.

"Predictable," Serena muttered, typing a response. She outlined a counter-strategy, highlighting the flaws in Walter's proposed approach and suggesting alternatives that would maintain the core architecture her team had developed.

The familiar dance of corporate maneuvering should have consumed her completely. Days ago, it would have. She'd have spent hours crafting the perfect response, anticipating objections, and shoring up allies.

Today, she handled it with efficient precision, but her mind kept drifting back to turquoise waters and Lila's laughter. To the feeling of discovering something new without needing to master it instantly. To conversations that had nothing to do with strategic advantage.

When she finished the necessary communications, Serena set her devices aside and called the resort's dining service to arrange dinner.

Normally, she'd have dictated exactly what she wanted, controlling every detail.

Instead, she found herself asking for recommendations, accepting suggestions for local specialties she'd never tried.

The sun began its descent toward the horizon as she moved around the villa, making small adjustments to create the right atmosphere. She arranged cushions on the terrace where they would have the best view of the sunset, set out candles that would provide gentle illumination as darkness fell.

At precisely seven, a soft knock announced Lila's arrival.

Serena opened the door to find her standing on the threshold, her simple sundress catching the golden light of early evening.

She'd left her honey-blonde hair loose around her shoulders, and the sight sent a rush of warmth through Serena's body.

"Hi," Lila said, the simple greeting somehow weighted with meaning.

"Hi yourself," Serena replied, stepping back to welcome her in. "You look beautiful."