Chapter 10 Collision

Chapter 10 Collision
Elena's POV

Monday - Week Five

The weekend had done nothing to calm my nerves.

I'd spent Saturday playing with Leo, trying to pretend everything was fine. Sunday, I'd cleaned the house, done laundry, meal prepped for the week—anything to keep my hands busy and my mind from spiraling.

But every quiet moment, I saw Felicia's face. Heard her threat.

I will make sure everyone knows exactly what you are.

Now it was Monday, and I was back at my desk, pretending I wasn't looking over my shoulder every five minutes.

"Elena."

I jumped. Victoria stood at her office door, briefcase in hand.

"Yes?"

"I have a meeting at the Riverside property. You're coming with me."

My stomach dropped. "Me?"

"You'll take notes, handle any logistics that come up. We leave in ten minutes."

She disappeared back into her office.

I grabbed my tablet, my bag, checked that I had everything—pens, chargers, Victoria's preferred water brand. Jenna gave me a thumbs up as I headed for the elevator.

"Good luck," she mouthed.

I was going to need it.

The car Victoria had called was sleek and black, the kind with leather seats and a driver who didn't make small talk. I slid in beside her, keeping a professional distance.

Victoria was already on her phone, typing rapidly. She didn't look up as the car pulled into traffic.

I stared out the window, watching the city slide past. We were heading toward the waterfront, where Thorne Empire was developing a luxury residential complex.

"The architect will be there," Victoria said, still not looking at me. "James Hartwell. He talks too much. Keep the notes focused on decisions, not his commentary."

"Understood."

"The contractor is Fisher & Sons. They're competent but they'll try to upsell. I want exact quotes for any additional costs. No estimates."

"Got it."

She finally looked up, studying me. "You've been distracted."

My heart skipped. "I'm sorry, I—"

"Fix it. I need you focused today."

"Yes, ma'am."

Her eyes narrowed slightly at the 'ma'am' but she didn't correct me. Just went back to her phone.

I forced myself to breathe normally. She didn't know. She couldn't know.

Unless Felicia had already—

No. Felicia wouldn't risk it. Not yet. She wanted me scared and compliant, and I was both.

The car pulled up to a construction site—cranes rising against the sky, the skeletal frame of what would become a forty-story building. Men in hard hats moved around like ants, and the sound of drilling and welding filled the air.

A man approached as we got out—early fifties, expensive suit under a high-visibility vest, graying hair.

"Ms. Thorne. Right on time."

"James." Victoria shook his hand briefly. "This is Elena, my assistant. She'll be documenting everything."

James barely glanced at me. "Of course. Shall we?"

We spent the next two hours walking through the site. James talked constantly—about design choices, material selections, the "vision" for the space. Victoria listened with the focus of a surgeon, asking sharp questions that cut through the fluff.

"The timeline?"

"We're on schedule for a spring opening—"

"I asked for the timeline, not optimistic projections. Actual progress against actual deadlines."

James fumbled, pulling up documents on his tablet. "We're three weeks behind on the fifth through tenth floors due to supply chain issues with the steel—"

"Solutions?"

"We've sourced an alternative supplier. Cost increase is minimal, maybe two percent—"

"Define minimal."

I took notes furiously, capturing every number, every deadline, every excuse that Victoria immediately shot down.

By the time we finished, James looked exhausted. Victoria looked energized.

"Send me the revised timeline by tomorrow morning," she said. "With the updated budget. Itemized."

"Of course, Ms. Thorne."

We walked back to the car. Victoria was already making calls before we'd even pulled away from the curb.

I reviewed my notes, making sure everything was clear and organized. When Victoria finally hung up, I was ready.

"The notes?" She said.

I handed her the tablet. She scrolled through them, expression unreadable.

Then she nodded once.

That was it. No "good job." No "thank you." Just a nod.

But coming from Victoria, it felt like a standing ovation.

"We're stopping at the Downtown office before heading back," she said. "I need to review contracts with legal."

"Should I—"

"You'll wait in the car. This won't take long."

The car stopped outside a sleek building downtown. Victoria got out, disappearing inside.

I sat in the back seat, checking my phone. A text from Mrs. Chen: Leo wants to know if you're bringing him a surprise.

I smiled despite everything. Tell him I'll bring him something special.

He says it better be dinosaur-related.

It will be.

The driver had the partition up, giving me privacy. I leaned my head back, closing my eyes for just a moment.

This job was exhausting. Exhilarating and terrifying and exhausting.

But I was doing it. Despite Felicia, despite everything, I was doing it.

My phone buzzed again. I expected Mrs. Chen.

It wasn't.

Unknown number: Saw you at the construction site. Didn't realize Victoria brings her assistant everywhere. How cute.

My blood ran cold.

Another text: Remember our agreement. Stay invisible.

Felicia.

She'd been there? At the site? I hadn't seen her.

But she'd seen me.

I shoved my phone into my bag, hands shaking.

She was watching me. Making sure I stayed in line.

I wanted to throw something. To scream. To—

The car door opened. Victoria slid in, already on another call.

I smoothed my expression, pulled out my tablet, became the perfect assistant again.

Invisible.

Just like Felicia wanted.

We got back to the office at four-thirty. Victoria disappeared into a meeting. I returned to my desk, trying to focus on work and not the knot of anxiety in my stomach.

At five-fifteen, Jenna leaned over. "You okay? You look pale."

"I'm fine. Just tired."

"The site visit was rough?"

"Victoria was Victoria."

Jenna smiled sympathetically. "Well, you survived. That counts for something."

"Yeah."

I turned back to my computer, but I could feel Jenna still watching me.

"Elena, if something's wrong—"

"Nothing's wrong. Really."

She didn't look convinced, but she let it go.

At six, Victoria called me into her office.

"Tomorrow, I need you here at seven. We have the quarterly review meeting with the full executive team. You'll be taking notes."

"Seven. Got it."

"It's going to be a long day. The meeting runs until noon, then we have back-to-back appointments until six."

"I'll be ready."

She studied me for a moment. "You did well today."

I blinked. "Thank you."

"Don't get used to it." But there was something almost like approval in her eyes. "Go home. Tomorrow will be worse."

I gathered my things, took the elevator down, and stepped out into the evening.

The bus was crowded. I stood, holding the rail, letting the motion rock me.

Tomorrow. Executive meeting. All the Thorne family leadership in one room.

I could handle it.

I had to.

At Mrs. Chen's, Leo ran to me immediately. "Mama! Did you bring it?"

"Bring what?"

"The surprise!" He said quietly.

I'd completely forgotten.

"Oh, baby, I'm sorry. Mama had a busy day—"

His face fell. "But you promised."

Guilt twisted in my chest. "I know. I'm sorry. How about tomorrow? I promise tomorrow."

"You said that last time."

Had I? I couldn't remember.

Mrs. Chen put a hand on my shoulder. "It's okay. We made cookies again instead. Right, Leo?"

He nodded, but he wouldn't look at me.

I knelt down in front of him. "Hey. Look at me."

He did, his eyes sad.

"I'm really, really sorry. Mama's trying her best, but sometimes I forget things. That's not fair to you."

"Are you too busy for me now?"

The question broke something in me.

"No. Never. You're the most important thing in the world to me."

"Then why do you forget?"

Because I was drowning. Because I was terrified. Because I was trying to survive in a world that wanted to destroy me.

But I couldn't tell him that.

"Because Mama's not perfect. But I'm going to do better. I promise."

He thought about this, then hugged me suddenly. "It's okay, Mama. Mrs. Chen says everybody makes mistakes."

I held him tight, fighting tears. "Mrs. Chen is very smart."

We went home. I made dinner, gave Leo extra attention, played dinosaurs with him until bedtime even though I was exhausted.

When he finally fell asleep, I sat on the couch and let myself feel everything.

I was failing. Not at work—I was holding my own there. But here. With Leo.

I'd promised him a surprise and forgotten. How many other promises had I broken? How many times had I been too tired, too distracted, too consumed by survival to be the mother he deserved?

This job was saving us financially.

But what was it costing?

I didn't have answers.

Just more questions and an alarm set for five AM.

Tuesday - 6:45 AM

I arrived at the office fifteen minutes early.

The fifty-third floor was quiet. Jenna wasn't in yet. Victoria's office light was on—of course it was.

I set up my station, made coffee—Victoria's blue mug, black, no sugar—and knocked on her door.

"Come in."

She was at her desk, already deep in documents. I set the coffee down.

She glanced at it, then at me. Nodded once.

I left.

At seven, people started arriving for the meeting. Senior executives I'd only seen in photos. They filed into the large conference room—the one reserved for important meetings.

At seven-fifteen, Victoria emerged. "Elena. Let's go."

I followed her into the conference room with my tablet.

The table was massive, surrounded by leather chairs. The executives were settling in—mostly men in expensive suits, a few women who looked equally powerful. At the head of the table sat Richard Thorne, Victoria's father. He looked exactly like his photos—silver hair, sharp eyes, commanding presence.

Victoria took a seat near him. I sat in a chair along the wall, out of the way but close enough to hear everything.

"Let's begin," Richard said.

The meeting started. Reports, projections, debates about strategy. I took notes, capturing everything, my fingers moving across the tablet screen.

An hour in, my focus wavered. The door opened.

I glanced up reflexively.

And my heart stopped.

Alexander's POV

London had been suffocating.

Three years of lectures, research, expectations. Three years of being the Thorne heir in training, the golden son who would save the company, the one everyone watched and judged.

Three years of never being enough.

I'd finished my master's thesis two weeks early just to escape. Defended it, passed with distinction, booked a flight home before anyone could add another "development opportunity" to my schedule.

I hadn't told anyone I was coming back early. Not my father, not Victoria. I wanted one moment—just one—where I could breathe without someone managing my life.

But the moment I landed, my phone exploded with messages.

Quarterly review meeting. Seven AM. Your presence is required.

Of course it was.

I went straight from the airport to the office, still wearing travel clothes, exhaustion bone-deep. Hadn't slept on the plane. Couldn't. My mind wouldn't stop.

Three years away, and nothing had changed. They still expected everything. Still demanded perfection.

I was so tired of perfection.

The Thorne Empire building looked exactly the same. Glass and steel and money. I nodded at security, took the elevator to the executive floor.

The conference room was easy to find—just follow the sound of my father's voice.

I opened the door quietly, not wanting to disrupt.

Everyone turned.

"Alexander." My father's voice was warm, but there was steel underneath. "You're early."

"Finished ahead of schedule."

"Excellent. Take a seat."

I moved into the room, scanning faces—executives I knew, a few new ones. Victoria at the table, looking unsurprised by my arrival. She knew I'd finished early. Of course she did.

My eyes swept the room habitually, cataloging, assessing.

And stopped.

There.

Along the wall.

A woman sat with a tablet, taking notes. Professional clothes, hair pulled back, focused on her screen.

She looked up for just a second as I entered.

Dark eyes. Familiar features. A face I'd seen in my dreams for three years.

My chest constricted.

No.

It couldn't be.

I stood frozen, staring, while my brain tried to process.

Her.

The girl from that night. The one who'd approached me at the graduation party with a bottle of champagne and reckless courage. The one who'd looked at me like I was someone worth knowing, not just the Thorne heir.

The one I'd searched for the next morning and couldn't find.

The one I'd thought about every day for three years.

She was here.

In this building.

Taking notes at a Thorne Empire meeting.

I forced myself to move, to take a seat, to look normal. But my mind was racing.

Her.

How was she here?

Why was she here?

Did she recognize me?

I looked at her again, carefully. She'd gone back to her tablet, face professional and blank. No recognition. No reaction.

She didn't remember me.

The realization hit harder than it should have.

Three years. I'd spent three years unable to forget her, and she didn't even recognize me.

I'd been drunk that night, but not as drunk as she'd been. I remembered everything—her smile, her laugh, the way she'd said her name. Elena. The way she'd looked at me like I mattered.

The way she'd disappeared before I woke up.

I'd tried to find her. Searched the graduation records, asked friends, came up empty. She'd vanished like a ghost.

And now she was here, sitting ten feet away, working for my family's company.

The meeting continued around me. People talked. I responded when spoken to, operating on autopilot.

But I couldn't stop looking at her.

She took notes, efficient and focused. Professional. Like I was just another executive, nothing special.

Like that night had meant nothing.

Had it meant nothing?

For me, it had been everything. One moment of feeling seen, of being someone other than Alexander Thorne, heir and disappointment. One night of freedom before three years of suffocation.

And she didn't even remember.

Victoria was speaking now, something about quarterly projections. I forced myself to focus.

But my mind kept drifting back to her.

Elena. She was here. And I wasn't letting her disappear again.

The meeting continued around me, but I'd already made my decision.

I'd find a way to talk to her. No matter what Victoria said. No matter what it cost.