Ethan didn't notice when the situation stopped being simple.
At first, meeting Lena Voss felt like luck. She was older, confident, and moved through the city like she owned every room she stepped into. People listened when she spoke. Doors opened for her without questions.
More importantly, she had something Ethan needed.
Licenses.
Permits. Access papers. Contacts inside offices that normally took months to deal with. Lena could make those things appear in days.
Their first few meetings were strictly business. Coffee shops. Quiet offices. Conversations about paperwork and procedures.
But Lena had a way of leaning closer when she talked. Her voice always dropped a little lower than necessary. Her smile lingered longer than normal.
One evening, after finishing a stack of documents, she looked at Ethan with amusement.
"You're very serious for someone your age," she said.
"I have reasons," Ethan replied.
She laughed softly.
"I like that."
That was when the line blurred.
Soon they started meeting outside work. Dinners that were supposed to be quick discussions turned into long conversations. Walks through quiet streets after dark.
Ethan told himself it wasn't a problem.
It was just temporary. Just useful.
But Lena's attention had weight to it. When she looked at him, it felt like she was studying something she planned to keep.
And Ethan didn't notice how carefully she was placing pieces around him.