Nothing more, nothing less

Crossing Boundaries

The next morning, the sun filtered through the tall glass windows of Celestiana's office, casting long shadows across the room. She sat at her desk, her fingers hovering above the keyboard as she tried to focus on work. But her mind was still spinning from the intensity of last night's encounter with Alicia. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake the memory of Alicia's words, her gaze, the way her presence lingered long after they had parted.

Napahinga nang malalim si Celestiana, trying to compose herself. Business was business. She had built her life around control, keeping everything—especially her emotions—neatly in check. And Alicia... Alicia was a complication she couldn't afford. Not now, not ever.

But the truth was, **Alicia had always been more than a complication**.

Her phone buzzed, snapping her out of her thoughts. She glanced at the screen and saw a message from her father: *"Meeting with the Valtieris at noon. Be ready."*

Celestiana's stomach clenched. Another meeting. Another chance for Alicia to unsettle her in ways no one else could.

---

Noontime arrived faster than she expected. The conference room was pristine, the air heavy with the scent of fresh coffee and leather-bound portfolios. As soon as Celestiana walked in, her eyes met Alicia's across the table. There it was again—**that tension**. It hung in the air like a heavy storm, threatening to break.

"Ms. Devereux, Ms. Valtieri, please have a seat," one of their fathers' business associates gestured to the chairs, oblivious to the undercurrent between them.

Celestiana sat across from Alicia, their fathers discussing projections and contracts in the background. She tried to focus on the numbers, the legalities, but every word felt distant, like static noise compared to the pounding in her chest.

Alicia, meanwhile, looked completely at ease. There was a slight smirk playing on her lips, a silent challenge only Celestiana could read. It made her skin prickle with anticipation and frustration.

"You're awfully quiet today, Cel," Alicia's voice broke through her thoughts.

"I'm focused," Celestiana replied curtly, avoiding her gaze. "You should try it sometime."

Alicia chuckled softly. "Oh, I'm focused. Just on different things."

Celestiana shot her a look. "Don't start."

"Start what?" Alicia leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice so no one else could hear. "We both know there's more to this than business. Why are you still pretending?"

Celestiana's hand tightened around the pen she was holding, her knuckles whitening. "I'm not pretending," she whispered back sharply, though the lie tasted bitter on her tongue.

But Alicia wasn't backing down. "Aren't you tired of fighting it?" she murmured, her voice dangerously close to something intimate, something that threatened to unravel all of Celestiana's carefully constructed walls.

Celestiana opened her mouth to respond, but their fathers' voices suddenly broke through the tension.

"Celestiana, Alicia, we need your final approval on this deal," Mr. Valtieri said, nodding toward the contract laid out in front of them.

Celestiana quickly composed herself, glancing down at the papers. **Focus**, she reminded herself. This is just business.

With a quick, decisive motion, she signed her name at the bottom of the page, her signature bold and firm. Alicia did the same, her eyes lingering on Celestiana's for just a moment too long.

---

Later that evening, Celestiana found herself alone in her office, the city lights glittering outside once again. She had thought the meeting would bring her some relief, a distraction. But instead, it had only deepened the confusion swirling in her mind.

A soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Come in," she called out, expecting her assistant.

But when the door opened, it was Alicia standing there, leaning against the frame with that same infuriatingly confident smile.

"Thought I'd drop by," Alicia said, stepping into the room without waiting for an invitation. "I figured we have some... unfinished business."

"Alicia, now's not the time," Celestiana said, her voice tight, though she knew it was a losing battle.

Alicia closed the door behind her and walked toward Celestiana, the room suddenly feeling much smaller.

"When is it ever the time, Cel?" Alicia whispered, standing close enough that Celestiana could feel the warmth radiating from her skin. "You keep running, but it's not going to change anything. We both know that."

Celestiana stood, trying to put some distance between them, but Alicia was relentless. "This is dangerous," Celestiana breathed, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Maybe," Alicia agreed, stepping closer still. "But maybe it's exactly what you need."

Their eyes locked, the air between them thick with unresolved tension. And in that moment, Celestiana felt her control slipping, the walls she had spent so long building crumbling under the weight of something she had fought too hard to deny.

"I can't..." Celestiana started, but the words died on her lips as Alicia's hand brushed against hers, sending a jolt of electricity through her body.

"You already have," Alicia whispered, and before Celestiana could protest, Alicia closed the distance between them, her lips brushing against Celestiana's in a kiss that was both fierce and tender, filled with years of suppressed emotion.

In that instant, everything changed. The line between business and personal, between control and surrender, was finally crossed. And Celestiana knew there was no going back.