Emma's POV We wandered away from the picnic, following the path that led down to the riverbank. The air was cooler here, the shade of the trees providing a welcome relief from the warmth of the day. The river flowed gently beside us, its surface shimmering in the light. It was a perfect setting, almost too perfect, and I felt a strange mixture of nervousness and excitement as we walked in silence.I don't know why but I felt a Deja vu....When we reached the water’s edge, Ryan paused, looking out at the river with a thoughtful expression. “It’s beautiful here,” he said softly.I nodded, my eyes following his gaze. “It is.”He turned to look at me then, his expression shifting to something more serious. “Emma, I know this isn’t easy for you,” he began, his voice gentle. “But I want you to know that I’m here for you. Whatever happens, we’re in this together.His words touched me in a way I hadn’t expected. There was something about the way he said them, the sincerity in his voice, that
Emma's POV I didn’t let him finish. Something inside me snapped, and before I could stop myself, I leaned up and kissed him. It was the first time I’d ever kissed someone willingly, and the moment our lips met, it felt like everything around us disappeared. The world shrank until it was just the two of us, tangled together in a moment that felt both inevitable and surprising.The kiss started slow and tender as if we were testing the waters, afraid that the slightest misstep would shatter the fragile connection between us. His lips were warm and soft against mine, and I could feel the careful restraint in his touch, as though he was afraid to push too far too quickly. But I didn’t want restraint—I wanted to feel everything.I deepened the kiss, pouring every unspoken emotion into it. The longing, the fear, the overwhelming sense that this was where I was meant to be—it all rushed to the surface, and I kissed him like I’d never kissed anyone before. The intensity of it took me by surp
Emma's POV Deep down, despite all my fears and doubts, I knew that he was different and that he was worth the risk.But for now, I’d take it one step at a time, one moment at a time, letting the tension between us build until I was ready to embrace whatever it was that was growing between us. And when that day came, I hoped that I’d be brave enough to face it, to let go of the past and embrace the future that was waiting for me, just beyond the edge of the cliff.Because as much as the thought of falling scared me, the thought of never taking that leap, of never knowing what could have been, scared me even more.I wanted him but was scared that maybe it was fake, a part of our original plan“You don’t have to say anything,” he replied, his thumb brushing gently across my cheek. “Just…be here with me. Right now.”And so I did. I let myself be present in the moment, soaking in the warmth of his touch, the depth of his gaze, the connection that was building between us. The world around
Emma's POV I finally found my voice, though it was softer than I’d intended. “Thank you for today,” I said, my eyes not quite meeting his. “You didn’t have to do all of this, but…I’m glad you did.”Ryan’s gaze was steady, unreadable for a heartbeat, and then he smiled—a slow, genuine smile that made my heart skip in a way that was both thrilling and terrifying. “I meant what I said earlier, Emma. I’m here for you. Whatever happens, we’ll face it together.”His words should have comforted me and should have made me feel safe. But instead, they sent a shiver down my spine, a sensation that I didn’t quite know how to process. I could sense him moving closer, even though I hadn’t looked at him. It was in the way the air between us seemed to hum, in the warmth of his breath that I felt more than heard.When he reached for my hand, I didn’t pull away. I let him take it, though I knew my trembling would betray the tumult of emotions coursing through me. His hand was warm, his grip firm but
Emma's POVI didn’t know how to respond to him, so I simply nodded, though my mind was a whirl of conflicting emotions. I wanted to say that I wasn’t ready for this, that I wasn’t sure if I would ever be ready. But the truth was, I didn’t know if I could accept him as my partner or let go of him now, not after everything we’d been through.Ryan seemed to sense my turmoil, because he didn’t push me for a response. Instead, he took a step back, creating the distance he’d spoken of, though it felt like a physical ache in my chest. He smiled at me, a little ruefully, and said, “Don’t worry, Emma. We’ll figure this out together.”The words were meant to reassure me, but all they did was deepen the conflict inside me. Because as much as I wanted to figure this out, as much as I wanted to believe that we could take things slow and find our way, I couldn’t ignore the past that was weighing down on me.I’d spent my entire life surrounded by men who had no respect for women. My father had treat
Emma's POV The physical attraction between us was undeniable, a spark that seemed to flare every time our eyes met, every time our hands brushed against each other. It was something that was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore, especially when it felt like it was building, like it was just waiting for the right moment to explode into something more.Shit!! What was happening to me? I couldn’t ignore the way my heart raced whenever he was near, the way my skin tingled whenever he touched me, the way my thoughts kept circling back to him no matter how hard I tried to distract myself. The attraction between us was undeniable, and it was only growing stronger by the day. And yet, I couldn’t bring myself to take that final step, to let go of the fears and doubts that were holding me back.And so we continued our delicate dance, moving closer and then pulling back, never quite crossing the line but never fully retreating either. The tension between us was palpable, a constant underc
Present time...Emma's POV My alarm went off, bringing me back from memory lane. I realized that I didn't sleep a wink for the whole night, just kept thinking about how we met and I didn't even realize that I was going to make the biggest mistake of my life. Shaking my head, I got ready and went to the office, or he would not hesitate to fire everyone on the staff; I could not let it happen to my colleagues, so I went to the office. When I stepped into the office that morning, the atmosphere felt suffocating. The familiar hum of the air conditioner, the muted conversations, and the clatter of keyboards all seemed like distant noises, buried beneath the heavy weight of what lay ahead. After six long years of avoiding Ryan and burying the memories and heartache, I was back in his world, and I was completely unprepared for it.Ryan, my husband...though I struggled not to even think of him in those terms anymore, was now my boss. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, I was to be his assis
Emma's POV Ryan reached for a stack of files on his desk, sliding them toward me. “These need to be reviewed by the end of the day,” he said, his tone was all business now. “I want a detailed report on each one. No mistakes.”I glanced down at the files, noting the sheer volume of work he was piling on me. It was an unreasonable demand—there was no way I could get through all of this in one day, not without sacrificing quality. But I knew that was exactly what he wanted. He was testing me, pushing me to my limits, seeing how far he could go before I snapped.But I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. I wouldn’t break, not in front of him.“I’ll get started right away,” I said, reaching for files and getting up to take them away to my cabin. My voice was calm and controlled, even as my stomach twisted in knots. " Stay here; I want you to work here and discuss them with me so that I get to know about the status immediately. We have to work a lot." " Why don't I take them to my cabin,