Chapter 3 It’s Her Or No One

Liam's POV

From the tall windows of my office, I looked down at the city below. Cars moved in steady lines, and the buildings reflected the light. Everything felt organized, like a system I already knew. From up here, it felt like it all belonged to me, power built in steel, glass, and numbers right at my feet.

I leaned back in my chair, the leather creaking softly, flipping through the last page of the report. But my focus had already drifted somewhere else, far from the figures in front of me.

“Anabel," I called, my voice steady.

She stepped in without delay, as composed and precise as ever, her expression calm and unreadable. "Yes, sir?"

“The lawyers from Aldrin and Vale," I said, glancing up at her. "Have they confirmed the meeting for Monday?"

"Yes, sir," Anabel replied. "Everything is set. Richard Vale will be there, along with the lawyer assigned to your account."

I tapped my finger lightly on the desk. "Anything I should know?"

A faint smile touched her lips, like she was holding back something. "She's one of their best. A bar topnotcher. Young. Very sharp." She paused before adding, "And from what I've heard... a bit of a heartbreaker."

I let out a quiet breath, almost amused. "A heartbreaker?"

"That's the word going around," she said. "Men tend to lose focus around her."

A smirk formed on my lips. "You know me, Anabel. No one gets that kind of effect on me."

It wasn't arrogance. It was simply how things had always been. Or at least, that's what I told myself. Because once, there was someone who got past every wall I ever built.

Mia Villaruiz 

I didn't say her name aloud. I didn't need to. The memory alone was enough to tighten my jaw before I pushed it away.

"Let's see if she's really as good as they say," I said, picking up my pen again. "Send me her details before the meeting."

"Yes, sir."

When she left, I looked out at the skyline, my focus drifting. Whoever this lawyer was, she needed to be ready. In my world, charm meant nothing. Only skill did.

"Anabel," I called again Monday morning, my voice steady and controlled.

"Yes, sir?"

"Is everything ready?"

"Yes, sir. Everything is confirmed."

"Have them come in as soon as they arrive."

"Of course, sir."

When the door closed behind her, I stared out at the city, though I barely saw it. For a moment, everything felt far away. The skyline. The movement below. Even the meeting I had been preparing for.

Then I exhaled slowly and straightened. I set my coffee aside and adjusted the cuffs of my suit. My reflection stared back at me from the glass, composed and controlled. Exactly as I needed to be. Just work, nothing else mattered.

I grabbed the folder from my desk and stepped out of my office, the familiar click of my shoes against marble echoing through the corridor. Employees moved aside instinctively as I passed, their greetings low and respectful.

"Good morning, sir." I acknowledged them with a slight nod, my focus already ahead. 

I pushed the glass doors open and stepped inside, the room already prepared. I took my seat at the head of the table, placing the folder in front of me. The pressure of the decision returned in full. This was about selecting the right law firm. One that could meet my standards. 

Minutes passed and the door opened.

"Mr. Alcaraz," Richard Vale greeted as he stepped inside, his hand already extended in greeting.

I took it without hesitation, polite, automatic, and controlled. The way I always was.

Then my gaze shifted past him. And everything stopped.

She walked in like she owned the space. Every step measured, deliberate, quiet but commanding, as if the room adjusted itself around her presence. There was no trace of uncertainty in her stride, only control.

Mia Villaruiz.

Her dark hair was pulled back into a sleek, low style that revealed the clean line of her neck and the sharp angle of her jaw. A few loose strands framed her face, softening what would have otherwise been an entirely untouchable image. Her skin was smooth, warm, flawless under the light, and her features were refined in a way that did not beg for attention, yet demanded it anyway.

The white silk blouse she wore fit her perfectly, structured yet fluid, the fabric catching the light with every subtle movement. It was tucked neatly into a black pencil skirt that followed the natural curve of her body without excess, without effort. Minimal jewelry. A watch. Simple earrings. Nothing unnecessary.

Everything about her was intentional. Every detail controlled. Every inch of her composed in a way that spoke of discipline, of someone who had rebuilt herself piece by piece.

But it was not her appearance that struck me.

It was her eyes. They were dark, steady, and unreadable. Familiar, yet colder than I remembered.

Eyes that once looked at me like I was everything.

Now they looked at me like I was nothing.

Eight years collapsed in a single breath, dragging memories I had buried straight to the surface.

My chest tightened, for a split second, I forgot where I was. Forgot the boardroom and the meeting. The people watching. All I could see was her.

"Mr. Alcaraz," Vale said, unaware of the tension snapping through the room, "this is Attorney Villaruiz. She will be mainly in charge of handling your account, should you choose our firm."

Her steady, cool gaze met mine, stripped of warmth and recognition.

"Mr. Alcaraz." She said without hesitation.

I forced my expression into the same mask.

"Attorney Villaruiz. Welcome."

We took our seats, but I barely heard Vale speaking. I still couldn't believe she was here, in my tower, in my world.

Eight years of silence erased in a single breath. I didn't hear a single word Vale said after that. All I could see was my beautiful ex.

Eight damn years, and she still had that effect on me.

I kept my expression neutral, my posture relaxed, as if nothing had happened.

As if I hadn't just been hit with the past I thought I buried. She didn't even flinch, not once. No emotion. If I didn't know her, I would have believed she didn't remember me at all.

But I did know her. And that control? That was not indifference. That was war.

My jaw tightened as I forced myself to focus on the discussion, but every instinct I had was locked on her.

The way she moved. The way she avoided looking at me longer than necessary. The way she spoke like I was just another client. Just another man. The thought irritated me more than it should have.

My fingers tapped lightly against the table, my patience thinning. She thought she could walk into my world, sit across from me, and act like none of it mattered? As if I had never mattered? 

The meeting continued, or at least it was supposed to.

Vale spoke, numbers were presented, and strategies were laid out across the table. I heard none of it. My focus stayed on her.

Eight years had passed, and still, she could undo me without even trying.

I told myself it did not matter. I told myself I was not that boy anymore. But the truth settled heavily in my chest, impossible to ignore.

Because the moment I saw her again, I realized something I had spent years denying. I had never really let her go.

When the meeting ended, she was the first to leave.

She had walk away before I could say anything, before I could stop her. I remained where I was, my gaze fixed on the door long after it closed.

My reflection stared back at me from the glass, composed and untouchable, exactly as the world saw me. But I knew better, and her name echoed in my mind like it had never left.

A dark, dangerous thought settled in. She would not walk away from me again. I would make her remember who I was. Because the way she looked at me was not indifference. It was a challenge. And I never walked away from a challenge.

"Mr. Alcaraz... are you alright?" Anabel's voice pulled at the silence, careful, cautious.

I didn't answer. I hadn't moved for over an hour. The reports on my desk remained untouched. The scotch beside me sat warm, forgotten.

I didn't hear anything. Didn't feel anything.

Not since the boardroom.

"Mr. Alcaraz," Anabel said again, softer now. "Are you sure you're alright?"

I blinked, forcing myself back to the present. My gaze shifted to her.

"Cancel the rest of my meetings."

"All of them, sir?"

"Yes." My voice came out flat. "I don't want to be disturbed."

She hesitated, then nodded. "Of course, sir."

When the door closed, silence filled the room again.

I leaned forward, dragging a hand down my face. Eight years should have been enough to forget her. I had built a world that left no room for the past.

She was supposed to be nothing more than a memory.

A scar. But the moment she stepped into that boardroom everything collapsed.

She wasn't the same girl anymore. She was stronger now and somehow, she had become the most captivating lawyer in the country.

For years, I told myself I did the right thing. That letting her go was necessary. But  seeing her again made one thing painfully clear. I was wrong.

Vale sent over the final assignment, and my jaw clenched the second I saw the folder on my desk.

The name Lisbeth Ortiz stared back at me and not Mia.

My pulse roared in my ears as I flipped through the pages, once, twice, as if the truth might change. It didn't. I shoved back from my chair so hard it scraped across the floor. The folder snapped shut under my hand.

"No. This wasn't how it was going to end," I muttered to myself.

"Anabel!" My voice cut through the office.

She appeared instantly. "Sir?"

I thrust the folder toward her. "Call Vale. Now."

"Sir, I already confirmed. The reassignment is final. Attorney Ortiz will handle the account—"

"I don't care," I said, my voice turning cold. I moved toward the window, my fists tightening. "Ortiz won't do. I want Mia Villaruiz. No substitutions."

I turned back to her, my gaze locking on hers. "Tell Vale it's her or no one."

She froze for a second, then nodded. "Yes, Mr. Alcaraz."

When she left, I braced both hands on my desk, my head lowering. I shouldn't be doing this. There were other lawyers. Better choices, even.

But it wasn't about my legal counsel anymore. It was about her. If Mia wasn't sitting across from me, then I wasn't just losing a lawyer. I was losing her. And I would burn every option before I let that happen.

Minutes later, Anabel returned.

"Mr. Alcaraz... Vale confirmed. The decision is final. Ortiz will take over."

Silence filled the room.

Then I stood, slow, controlled, but fury burned under my skin.

"That won't do," I said quietly. "Not now. Not ever."

"Sir, Miss Villaruiz declined and—"

"Get Richard on the phone."

"Mr. Alcaraz, I should warn you—"

"Now, Anabel."

My fist slammed against the desk. The glass beside it trembled. She didn't hesitate anymore.

The phone was in my hand seconds later.

"Richard," I said sharply. "I'll make this simple. I want Atty. Villaruiz. If she's not representing my company, I'll find another firm."

He tried to argue. I didn't let him.

"That's your problem. My condition is simple. I want Villaruiz. Don't waste my time with anyone else."

I ended the call. My chest rose and fell as I gripped the desk. This wasn't business anymore. This was about Mia. And I wasn't letting her walk away again.