~𝑶𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒀𝒐𝒖!~

~2~

The next morning felt heavier than usual as Lily made her way to work. She had barely slept the night before, tossing and turning while her mind replayed the events of yesterday. Ethan's gaze, his words—they all circled around her like a persistent whisper, and she was starting to wonder if she was in way over her head.

As she walked into Caldwell Enterprises, the air felt thick with anticipation. The usual buzz of the office seemed to fade into the background as she focused on getting through the day. But as soon as she sat down at her desk, she sensed something was off.

Ethan burst into the office, his expression stormy. "Lily!" he called, his voice sharp and urgent. She looked up, startled. "I need you in my office now."

Her stomach dropped. Was it about the presentation? Had she messed something up? She quickly followed him, trying to suppress the wave of anxiety that was threatening to spill over.

Once inside his office, Ethan slammed the door behind her, and she jumped at the sound. "What's going on?" she asked, her heart racing.

"Did you have a conversation with Mark yesterday?" he asked, his tone fierce.

Lily furrowed her brow. "Mark? No, why?"

"Because I just got a call from him, and he seems to think he can take over the presentation," Ethan said, crossing his arms over his chest. "He's trying to undermine you."

"What? That doesn't make any sense," she replied, confusion washing over her. "I thought we were all on the same team."

Ethan paced the room, raking a hand through his hair. "We are, but Mark thinks he can swoop in and take credit for our work. I don't want him anywhere near this presentation. I need you to stand your ground."

Lily felt a mix of anger and frustration bubbling inside her. "But I'm not going to fight him, Ethan. That's not how I operate."

Ethan stopped and faced her, his blue eyes blazing. "You need to be more assertive! This is your chance to prove yourself, and you can't let someone like Mark bully you out of it."

Lily crossed her arms defensively. "I don't want to play games, Ethan. I thought we were above that."

He stepped closer, his voice lowering. "This isn't a game. This is about your future. Don't you want to show everyone what you can do?"

She could feel the tension crackling between them. It was infuriating and thrilling all at once. "Of course, I do, but I want to do it the right way. Not by getting into some petty office drama."

"Right way?" he echoed, his frustration mounting. "Sometimes you have to fight for what you want, Lily. You can't be afraid of a little conflict."

Before she could respond, the office door swung open, and Victoria stepped inside, her cheerful demeanor contrasting sharply with the tension in the room. "Hey, what's going on in here? You two look like you're about to start a war."

Lily shot Ethan a glance, feeling the weight of their argument hanging in the air. "Just discussing the presentation," she said, forcing a smile.

"Right," Victoria said, her eyes darting between them. "Well, the meeting is in an hour. Are you guys ready?"

Ethan nodded, his expression softening slightly as he turned back to Lily. "Let's focus on the presentation, okay? We'll deal with Mark later."

"Fine," Lily said, her heart still racing from the confrontation. As she followed Victoria out of the office, she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The drama between her and Ethan was escalating, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep her emotions in check.