𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄

2.𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗔𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗿

Ava's expression remained neutral as she looked at Sophia.

"Liam?" she asked.

Sophia's eyes lit up with a hint of excitement. "Yeah... he's ALEX'S best friend!"

Ava's eyebrows shot up. "Wait... Alex? Your rival from university?"

Sophia rolled her eyes with a playful smile. "Yes, that jerk."

Ava chuckled. "Oh, I remember now. You two were always bickering. It was kind of entertaining, honestly."

***

Soon their laughter was interrupted as Esha, one of their colleagues, walked in holding a stack of files.

"Mr. Ryder needs these files, Ava," Esha said, handing them over.

Ava took the files and glanced at Sophia. "Guess we're both off to see Mr. Ryder."

Sophia grabbed her own set of files, and the two of them walked down the hall to Mr. Ryder's cabin. As they entered, they found Mr. Ryder deep in thought, studying some documents on his desk.

He looked up as they approached. "Ah, NovaSpire's proposal," he began, his expression thoughtful. "It looks promising."

Sophia stepped forward, placing her files on his desk with a calm professionalism. "We reviewed it thoroughly, sir. Their projections seem strong and in line with our objectives."

Marcus leaned back, nodding thoughtfully. "Yes, I think we might be able to work with them."

Ava nodded as well, though her mind briefly wandered to Sophia's mention of Alex, her old university rival. The thought was strange-Liam, Alex's best friend, was now somehow part of their professional world.

Marcus looked up again, his gaze distant as if he was weighing something important. Finally, he spoke, his tone more serious.

"There's something you both should know," he began, pausing to collect his thoughts.

Ava and Sophia exchanged curious glances, sensing the weight in his words.

Marcus took a steadying breath. "The CEO of NovaSpire, Liam..." he hesitated, looking at both of them. "...he's my son."

Ava's eyes widened in shock, and Sophia's expression froze as the unexpected connection sank in. For Sophia, it was especially jarring-she'd never imagined that Liam, a close friend of her university rival, was actually Mr. Ryder's son.

Meanwhile on UK

Liam leaned back, his gaze drifting away from the laptop screen as exhaustion and mental fatigue began to settle in. The weight of his father's expectations pressed down on him, but his thoughts wandered to a different world - one where Ava existed.

He opened the drawer, revealing his treasured secret diary. A soft smile crept onto his lips as he pulled out the photos he'd secretly taken. Ava, lost in the library's stacks, her nose buried in a book, she collecting delicate petals from the ground, her eyes sparkling with joy.

Liam's heart swelled with affection. He'd meticulously listed her favorite books in the diary, determined to understand her love for fiction. He knew every detail about her, from her morning coffee habits to her evening strolls along Sydney's moonlit harbor.

But amidst his surveillance, Liam drew boundaries. He respected Ava's privacy, never crossing the line into voyeurism. His intentions were pure, driven by a deep connection he couldn't explain.