The Promotion

Chapter Forty-Two

A new day had emerged, and with it came the sharp return to reality.

There were no waves crashing rhythmically against rocks. No sun spilling through a balcony in molten gold. Instead, I woke to the muted chirping of miserable birds and the relentless patter of rain tapping against the window—steady, cold, unmistakably British.

My mind finally accepted it.

We were back in the UK.

Last night felt like a blur. After Alexander dropped the bombshell about moving in together, exhaustion had swallowed us whole. Twenty-nine hours of travelling had a way of doing that—Australia to Abu Dhabi, a brief stop to breathe and stretch aching limbs, then onward to London. We barely made it to the bed before sleep claimed us both.

Yet somehow, despite the grey skies and relentless drizzle, I woke feeling... rested.

Rejuvenated.

Australia may have been paradise, but the sleep had been necessary. Healing, even.

After getting ready, we sat side by side in the car, fingers entwined. My gaze drifted to the scenery rushing past—the bare trees, the blurred outlines of buildings—while my thoughts replayed last night's conversation on a relentless loop.

Moving in.

Had I rushed into it?

We weren't technically boyfriend and girlfriend. There had been no formal conversation, no labels spoken aloud. And yet, here I was, agreeing to share a home with him.

Would he ask me properly?

Or was I filling in gaps with hope?

The questions gnawed at me until Alexander squeezed my hand gently, bringing me back to the present.

"We're here," he said softly.

The office tower loomed above us, all glass and steel. I followed him out of the car, my thoughts reluctantly trailing behind me.

Hand in hand, we made our way to the top floor. A handful of voices greeted us as we stepped out of the lift—welcomes, questions about the holiday, comments about the jet lag. There were also glances. Lingering looks. The kind that carried unspoken assumptions.

The first time Alexander and I had returned from Australia together, there had been whispers. Accusations. A few not-so-subtle remarks about me being a gold digger.

I'd learned to rise above it.

I knew who I was.

"It's good to be back," Alexander said, stretching as he dropped into his office chair.

I hummed in agreement and took my seat beside him. Since Lily had been hired, we'd decided to share the office. It made sense—practical, efficient, easy. When it came to my career, big decisions never frightened me.

It was my personal life that made me hesitate.

The knock at the door cut through my thoughts.

"Come in," I called.

Lily entered with her usual brightness, two takeaway cups balanced carefully in her hands.

"Good morning! Coffee delivery," she chirped. "Caramel latte for you, Louisa. Americano for you, Alexander."

"Lily," I laughed softly, accepting the cup, "you really don't need to keep doing this."

"I want to," she insisted, smiling—then hesitated. "Actually... I need to talk to you about something."