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CHAPTER NINE: INNER TENSION
last update2026-10-20 05:56:59

FLASHBACK CONT'D

It didn’t leave her. And that was the problem. Amara had lived most of her life being composed.... But since that night in the hallway, where she nearly gave in to her emotions, she fell slowly.... Lockwood had felt lighter since Perez got his own gigs.... Her focus usually drifted back to him, the way he looked at her.... But then chose to look away.... She exhaled, stepping away from her desk.... It was just a moment, she told herself, a line that was crossed and corrected.... To avoid unnecessary affairs. But why him? She thought....

She had literally seen men with more status, more power.... And none of them stayed in her mind like this... This wasn’t like her, and it wasn't just about him... It was about what he was changing in her.... And she had no idea whether her husband had noticed something.

*********

Meanwhile, there was still an old story unfinished.... And it was about to become bigger than expected. Natasha, the irresistible heiress Perez once escaped.... Scrolling through the popular headlines.... Then paused when his face appeared in one...

“The Man Behind Lockwood’s Breakthrough. Now a Billionaire in Two Months"

Natasha didn’t move “…Perez?” she murmured

He looked the same.

But not the same.

Her eyes narrowed.... It was him.... “Two months, they said.... That's insane" she chuckled "Lockwood sure doesn't miss" her fingers brushed her thighs "So this is what you became"

It wasn’t admiration.... It was recognition mixed with distance..... Like seeing someone you almost trapped

now standing somewhere you couldn’t reach. "Guess I'll be seeing you again...." She smirked

**********

Then another, the one who never thought she'd play a part in someone's story. Once, twice and again... Victoria stared at her laptop screen, her fingers hovered over her keyboard after she had written dozens of pieces few minutes ago.... This particular article, the one Ruby urged her to write should have been simple.... Just a breakthrough story, but the words wouldn't come as easily as they should.... Because it felt unfinished, it didn't feel like the other articles....

She gave a low exhale.... “Alejandro...." she murmured, testing the name again. Her eyes then shifted to the notes scattered across her desk.

The sudden rise, the lack of background.... There was almost nothing about him, no track that made sense for someone who had moved that fast. Her mind drifted again, back to that day, the brief moment where their eyes met and hadn't lingered... Suddenly she started typing again "Some stories don't begin with an introduction, they begin with an interruption"

Her fingers slowed, but this time she didn't delete it for the thirtieth time.... Because that felt right “A writer is supposed to stay objective” she whispered to herself

But this didn’t feel like something she could observe from a distance. Not when she had seen him before all of this.

*********

MID WEEK AT LOCKWOOD

Vale Lockwood stood by the wide glass panel of his office, his tablet glowed in his hand while he scrolled through some stuff... Numbers and shipments “All imports from Aurex Systems should be prioritized” he said calmly “No delays and no substitutions"

Across from him, a senior operations manager, Dwayne, nodded “Uhmm noted sir. The ports have already been notified.

"Good, don't keep Mr. Perez waiting... same goes to me"

Dwayne nodded.

The door opened softly.... Amara stood by it.

“Leave us" Lockwood gestured and Dwayne quickly got up, bowed and walked out.... It was now Amara and Lockwood, staring at each other like strangers, the room became quiet... And the silence settled hardly in Amara's chest.... Lockwood set his tablet on the table and settled in his seat, Amara walked forward shortly

“You’ve been distant" Lockwood uttered, there was no greeting, just the truth

“I’ve been working....” Amara replied

“That’s not what I said, it's clear that you work for me Amara"

Lockwood studied her, but he still kept this strange little calm in his expression “You’ve been somewhere else" he added

Amara held his gaze.... "What are you talking about?"

“I noticed it months ago, I just chose to stay quiet and observe"

Amara exhaled softly, her fingers clasped together.... "Vale I don't understand what you're saying... Observe what?" She looked away

Lockwood tilted his head “Perez"

Amara turned sharply to Lockwood.... A million emotions rushed through her mind but she had no words to utter "Y..... You're being absurd"

Lockwood chuckled "He's useful yes.... And he played his part significantly well.... That's all what he needs to be"

His eyes narrowed "Don't confuse proximity with significance...."

Amara’s gaze held his, her heart pounded.... If Lockwood actually noticed the intense feelings between her and Perez from the start and at a short period.... And yet he stayed silent? That scared her more....

With things unsaid between them, with tension that hadn't fully surfaced yet.... And a silent war that was slowly developing, Perez was on the other hand building something of his own, unaware, or maybe aware, very aware.

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