Twice in a Lifetime

Chapter 1: CEO Life Never Looked This Good

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Chapter 1: CEO Life Never Looked This Good
Eliana Sinclair's POV

Being a CEO at 21 wasn't exactly part of my five-year plan. Hell, I wasn’t even supposed to be here. But here I am, sitting behind a mahogany desk that’s worth more than my entire apartment, with a stack of papers threatening to drown me before lunch.

"You're late," I say without looking up as the door swings open. I know that laugh—Dove Lancaster, my best friend since we were kids, and the only person in this world who could manage to be five minutes late while still looking like she stepped off the cover of Vogue.

"Please, Eli," Dove waves a perfectly manicured hand, "Fashionably late is my thing. You should know this by now."

I roll my eyes. "You're supposed to be a fashion designer, not the poster child for procrastination."

"Oh, don’t be dramatic. You’ve got time. What’s a few minutes when you already run the world?" She drops onto my couch, casually crossing her legs like she's the queen of this office, not me.

Before I can respond, Liam walks in, phone in one hand, coffee in the other. His suit is pressed to perfection, as usual. "What did I miss?"

"Everything, Lia," Dove smirks.

He glares. "Don't call me that."

"Aw, did I hurt the big bad CEO’s feelings?" Dove coos mockingly. "Should we call your assistant to console you?"

Liam sighs, rolling his eyes in my direction. "Why do I even hang out with you two? My therapist is going to raise his rates again."

I chuckle. "Because you love us, and we're the only people who can handle your ‘I inherited everything but act like I earned it’ attitude."

Liam looks genuinely offended. "Hey, I work hard, alright? Just because I didn’t start from scratch like Miss ‘I-make-dresses-that-cost-more-than-people's-rent’ over there, doesn’t mean I don’t hustle."

Dove snorts. "Oh, please. The only thing you hustle is a parking spot for your chauffeured car."

I lean back in my chair, a satisfied grin tugging at my lips as I watch my two best friends bicker like an old married couple. This was our dynamic. Dove with her sharp tongue, Liam with his perfect exterior and subtle insecurities. And me? Well, I was just trying to keep my head above water, which wasn’t easy when your life was a balancing act between managing a multi-million-dollar company and pretending to be 100% in control of everything.

Spoiler alert: I wasn't. But they'd never know it. Not today, at least.

"You know," I say, breaking up their banter, "I have a company to run, and unless you both want to fill out these quarterly reports for me, I suggest you take your fashionably late selves out of here."

Dove stands, stretching lazily. "I have a runway show to prep for anyway. Dinner tonight?"

"Yeah," I say, rubbing my temples. "I’ll text you the time."

Liam taps his coffee cup against mine. "Hang in there, Eli. You're killing it."

As the door clicks shut, I take a deep breath, staring out at the city skyline. They had no idea how complicated things really were. How one wrong step could send this whole perfectly constructed life crashing down.

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