Chapter  86

(GENERAL POV)

Lilian was sitting in her office alone.

The wooden panels and shelves of neatly arranged files seemed to close in on her, matching the heavy weight in her chest.

Her desk, once a space of order, felt like a battlefield.

Different papers scattered, her laptop half-closed, and her phone lying face down as if she couldn't bear to face it.

The silence was like a faint cloud, broken only by the soft hum of the air conditioner above.

She leaned back in her chair, exhaling slowly.

Her mind was just like her desk, but it was consumed by wild thoughts relating to just one person... Nathan.

Ever since that kiss at the club, the one that sent sparks through her but left her reeling, she had done everything to distance herself from him.

She had to protect her heart.

And so she had begun avoiding him, retreating into the safety of her office, her phone, and her work.

Nathan had noticed, of course. He wasn’t one to let things like this slide easily.

He had tried to reach out, le