There's a thin line between hate and love

Chapter 1

A Chance Encounter
Lily's hurried footsteps echoed through the pristine corridors of her fashion brand's headquarters. She had overslept, a rare occurrence that filled her with a mix of anxiety and determination.
Today wasn't one to be late, not with what was at stake. If she could close the deal today, life as she had known it the last few months would finally have a ray of sunshine.
As she approached her office, her heart pounded in her chest, a symphony of anticipation and nerves.
Sarah, her secretary, was already waiting with a steaming cup of coffee. Bless her soul for the thoughtfulness. Sarah's warm smile couldn't hide her slight look of concern.
"Lily, I'm so glad you're here," she said, her voice tinged with urgency. "They've been waiting for the past 15 minutes."
Lily nodded, a twinge of panic coursing through her veins. It wasn't her first rodeo with investors but she was suddenly feeling on edge.
"Thank you, Sarah," she replied, her voice holding a weakness that was alien in her own ears. "I'll head straight in."
She started for her office but turned around instead. "I really need to use the other room."
Sarah raised a brow as Lily pushed the coffee cup back into her hands and hurried off to find the general restroom. She marched straight in, leaving the door open behind her for the sprinting Sarah to attend to.

What was with the barrage of emotions? She splashed some water on her face then raised her eyes to look into the mirror. Composure, she scolded herself.
"You don't seem yourself this morning," Sarah voiced. "Are you sure you don't want to reschedule? I could tell them you called in sick. They should understand, especially with the recent..."
Lily waved her left hand to dismiss the idea. She shook her head hard, more to convince herself than to disagree with her secretary.
"I'm fine," she said and managed a dry smile. "Come on, let's smash this."
Then she noticed the coffee cup in Sarah's hands. They both laughed as Lily collected the cup and downed the contents in one gulp. Oh, wow! Sarah muttered wondering if it's the same hot coffee she was holding all the while.
Inside the dimly lit sanctuary, she took a deep breath, allowing the coolness of the room against her trembling hands to ground her.
She took one more stare at her reflection in the mirror, straightened her tailored blazer and smoothed down the sleek lines of her skirt. She splashed some more cold water on her face, letting it wash away any remnants of anxiety. This was a pivotal opportunity, and she couldn't afford to let her nerves get the best of her.
Then she marched away to meet the promise waiting in her office. Lily entered her office, her steps more purposeful and confident than they were five minutes earlier.
Two men in black suits were seated by her desk, their backs to her. The moment she walked in, one turned his head and quickly rose. He was a tall man with some Indian features of sorts. The other man didn't catch up as quickly. But the moment he turned his head to greet her and Lily's eyes caught his black ones, she stopped dead in her tracks.

Now fully standing in front of her across the expansive table, an unexpected figure from her past stared back at her. How was this happening right now? Anyone in the world but not this man here!
Their eyes locked, a shared recognition flashing between them. The surprise on their faces was mirrored in their simultaneous exclamation of their names.
"Alex!" "Emily!"
"Lily," she corrected calmly.
"Lily?" The man's voice filled the room, a mixture of astonishment and disbelief. "What— How?"
Lily's heart raced, her mind swirling, foreign emotions rising. Memories flooded back—moments of joy, pain, and the difficult decision that had forced her to leave her former life all behind. She found her voice, her words steady but tinged with uncertainty.
"Alex," she replied, her voice catching for a moment before she continued, "I... I didn't expect to see you here."
The other man and Sarah both looked on bemused at the drama unfolding before them. Lily's eyes turned to Sarah's and she could read the whisper on her lips, Emily?
Emily, that's what Alex had called her. Who then was Lily?
Alex's gaze held hers, she wasn't sure what the eyes voiced but she could guess deep within him a million questions rummaged through his insides.

"I've been brought in as the lawyer representing the investors, Mr. Khan here," he explained, his voice deeper than Lily last remembered. "Fate has a way of playing its hand, it seems."
The room buzzed with unspoken tension, the weight of their shared history hanging heavy in the air. Lily's mind raced, questions forming on her lips, emotions threatening to spill over. But she pushed them down, focusing on the present, on the meeting that awaited them.
"Then I suppose we had better get down to business." She finalized.