The Celeste Winter Collection Preview had ended in success. The press raved, investors were pleased, and the buzz around the Celeste Noir line trended for hours on industry forums.
But for Liyana Xu, the real reward wasn't applause.
It was the moment she stepped into her private villa, kicked off her stilettos, and let silence embrace her like silk.
She undid her earrings, placed them neatly on her mirrored vanity, and shrugged off her deep-blue velvet gown. In the soft glow of her bedroom light, she looked every bit the woman the world respected.
And underneath?
The girl Damien Lu never used to see.Now, he couldn't stop seeing her.
The door opened with a quiet click.
"You're late," she said without turning.
Damien's voice drifted through the space. "You left without saying goodbye."
She smirked faintly. "You were busy charming investors."
"And you were busy ignoring me."
"I was working," she replied coolly, slipping into a silk robe and finally facing him.
Damien stood near the door, having discarded his tux jacket. His white shirt was half unbuttoned, sleeves rolled, black watch catching the dim light. His hair was slightly tousled—evidence of a long night.
"You could've waited," he murmured, stepping closer.
"I did."
He stopped a few feet from her, tilting his head.
"You looked beautiful tonight."
She blinked once, surprised by the softness in his tone.
"You always say that."
"Because it's always true."
For a moment, they simply stood there—two titans wrapped in vulnerability, pride, and everything they never said.
Finally, she broke the silence.
"We need to talk."
Damien arched a brow. "That sounds serious."
She gestured toward the couch near the floor-length windows. "Sit."
He obeyed, loosening his tie and waiting patiently as she poured them both a glass of wine. She handed him one, then sat beside him, legs curled under her.
"Celeste is expanding fast," she began. "And with the Westward Plaza flagship coming up, things will get tighter. I'll be out of the country next month for negotiations in Milan."
"I know," Damien said quietly. "Your assistant already forwarded the schedule."
She shot him a glance. "Of course she did."
He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"I don't want us to start drifting," she said, finally admitting what had been sitting in her chest for weeks. "Not when we've only just... started."
His gaze sharpened. "You think I'd let that happen?"
"You know how we are," she said. "We've always been... too much. Too driven. Too proud. We're good at building empires, but relationships?"
Damien set his glass down.
"Then let's build one like we do everything else—slow, deliberate, and invincible."
She looked at him, unsure whether to laugh or be touched.
"You're ridiculous."
"And you love it," he said, brushing his knuckles along her cheek.
"I do," she admitted, softly.
There it was again—that terrifying honesty between them. No games. No sharp-edged banter. Just truth.
Damien leaned back, pulling her gently until her head rested on his shoulder.
"I've been thinking," he said after a beat. "Maybe we set some rules."
She turned her head slightly. "Rules?"
He nodded. "Not corporate. Personal. Like—no skipping meals during deadlines. Or, if we're in different time zones, we talk at least once every night."
"You sound like a clingy boyfriend."
"I am a clingy boyfriend," he said unapologetically. "And you're the ruthless CEO who melts when I call her mei-mei."
She huffed a laugh. "One of these days, I'll stab you with my heels."
"You'd have to catch me first," he said, tilting his head to kiss her temple.
Their laughter faded into silence, the good kind—the kind that wrapped around them like safety.
"I don't want to lose us in the noise," she whispered.
"You won't," Damien said, brushing her hair back. "You could be on Mars, and I'd still chase you down."
She smiled into his shoulder. "Obsessed."
"With you," he said easily.
Later, as the moonlight bathed the villa in silver, they lay on the couch, tangled limbs and quiet hearts.
"Meilin and Yuhan want to do another plan," Damien murmured. "Something about a weekend getaway. Lu siblings, you, and me. They said you 'owe them bonding time'."
Liyana chuckled, eyes already half-closed.
"They're not wrong."
"I told them I'd make it happen."
She reached for his hand.
"Let's do it," she whispered.
And for the first time in a long time, both of them let go—of control, of pressure, of everything they carried alone.
They didn't have all the answers. But they had this.
Each other.
And somehow, that was more than enough.