Morning came quietly.
Lillian woke slowly, blinking at the faint light filtering through the curtains. For a few seconds she forgot where she was.
Then the unfamiliar hotel ceiling reminded her.
Dallas.
The business trip.
And the fact that she had shared a bed with her boss.
Her eyes widened slightly.
She turned her head.
The other side of the bed was empty.
Cold.
Sebastian was already gone.
Of course he was.
She pushed herself upright and rubbed her eyes, brushing a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. The room was silent except for the faint hum of the air conditioning.
Then she heard it.
Typing.
Fast.
Precise.
Coming from the main room of the suite.
She slipped out of bed carefully and walked toward the door. Her ankle still felt a little sore from the fall days ago, but it was manageable.
The door creaked slightly as she opened it.
And then she froze.
Sebastian was sitting at the desk near the window.
Working.
Completely focused on his laptop.
And completely shirtless.
Her brain stalled for a moment.
The morning sunlight streamed through the glass behind him, casting light across his back and shoulders.
He was tall. Broad.
Muscular in a way that wasn't exaggerated, but clearly strong. Defined shoulders. A narrow waist.
His black hair was slightly messy, as if he had run his hand through it too many times.
Her eyes widened before she could stop herself.
She immediately turned her head.
"Good morning, Mr. Wolfe," she said quickly.
Sebastian didn't look up from his laptop.
"Morning."
His voice was calm.
Neutral.
As if nothing about this situation was unusual.
Lillian kept her gaze carefully fixed on the wall.
"I didn't realize you were already awake."
"I've been awake for hours."
Of course he had.
She nodded slightly even though he wasn't looking at her.
"I'll get ready quickly."
She started to turn toward the bathroom.
"Miss Parker."
She stopped.
"Yes?"
His fingers paused on the keyboard.
"If you're going to stare," he said flatly, "you should at least try to be subtle about it."
Her face instantly flushed.
"I was not staring."
"You were."
"I was surprised."
"Surprised?" he repeated.
She exhaled slowly. "You were not wearing a shirt."
"That tends to happen when people change clothes."
She opened her mouth.
Then closed it again.
Arguing about this was pointless.
"I apologize," she muttered.
Sebastian didn't respond.
His fingers resumed typing.
Lillian glanced back despite herself.
That's when she noticed it.
The scar.
It ran straight down his back.
Long.
Thick.
Uneven, but surgical.
Starting near the base of his neck and cutting down his spine.
Her breath caught.
That wasn't a small injury.
That was serious.
Old.
But severe.
Before she could stop herself, the words slipped out.
"What happened to your back?"
The typing stopped.
Sebastian went very still.
Slowly, he leaned back in the chair.
But he didn't turn around.
The silence stretched.
Heavy.
Cold.
Finally he stood up.
Lillian's eyes widened slightly as he reached for the black dress shirt draped over the chair.
When he turned, his blue eyes were sharp.
"What happened," he said coolly, "is none of your concern."
Lillian swallowed.
"I didn't mean to pry."
"And yet you did."
She looked down briefly.
"I was just surprised. That scar looks… serious."
His expression hardened.
"Old injury."
"That's all?"
"That's all."
His tone made it clear the conversation was over.
He slipped his arms into the sleeves of the shirt and began buttoning it with quick, efficient movements.
Lillian hesitated.
Part of her wanted to push further.
But she knew better.
Sebastian Wolfe did not like being questioned.
Especially about something personal.
"Did you sleep at all?" she asked instead.
His hands paused briefly at the buttons.
"My sleep schedule is not part of your responsibilities."
"I know," she said quickly. "But the meeting—."
"The meeting," he interrupted calmly, "will go exactly as planned."
She folded her arms slightly.
"You can't function properly without sleep."
His eyes flicked up to meet hers.
Sharp.
Cold.
"I've built an entire company on very little sleep, Miss Parker."
"That doesn't mean it's healthy."
"I didn't ask for medical advice."
She sighed softly.
"You never ask for help either."
He finished buttoning the shirt and straightened the collar.
"I didn't hire you for psychological commentary."
"I'm not giving commentary. I'm just pointing out the obvious."
"The obvious," he repeated quietly, "is that we have a presentation in two hours."
He walked toward the desk and picked up his jacket.
Lillian watched him.
Even fully dressed now, he still looked slightly tense.
Tired.
But composed.
Perfectly controlled.
"Did you take the medication?" she asked before thinking.
Sebastian stopped.
Slowly, he turned his head.
"That is the second time you've overstepped that boundary."
She immediately looked down.
"I'm sorry."
Silence filled the room again.
Then he walked past her toward the door.
"We leave in ten minutes."
She nodded.
"Yes, Mr. Wolfe."
He stopped.
His eyes flicked toward her again.
Briefly.
Something unreadable crossed his expression.
Then it disappeared.
He walked into the bedroom to retrieve his watch.
Lillian finally exhaled.
She quickly grabbed her own clothes and disappeared into the bathroom.
Twenty minutes later they were both ready.
Professional.
Composed.
Like nothing awkward had happened.
Sebastian stood near the window checking something on his phone.
Lillian stepped out of the bathroom, smoothing down her blazer.
"I've organized the meeting documents," she said. "And the contract revisions."
He nodded once.
"Good."
She picked up her tablet.
"And the Dallas executives confirmed attendance."
"Expected."
She hesitated.
Then spoke quietly.
"About earlier… I really am sorry."
He glanced at her briefly.
"For which part?"
"The scar."
A pause.
Then he looked away.
"Drop it, Miss Parker."
His tone wasn't angry.
Just final.
She nodded slowly.
"Understood."
He grabbed his coat from the chair.
"Let's go."
The elevator ride down was quiet.
Businesslike.
Sebastian reviewed notes on his phone.
Lillian checked the presentation slides again.
But her mind kept drifting.
To the scar.
To the insomnia medication.
To the nightmare on the plane.
There were too many things about Sebastian Wolfe that didn't make sense.
The cold CEO.
The ruthless businessman.
The man who never slept.
And the one who woke up terrified in the middle of the night.
She glanced at him briefly.
His expression was calm.
Focused.
Like nothing in the world could shake him.
But she knew better now.
The elevator doors opened.
They stepped into the busy lobby.
A black car was waiting outside.
Sebastian adjusted his cuffs.
"Remember," he said calmly, "this meeting determines the future rollout of the smart-home interface."
"I know."
"We cannot afford mistakes."
"I won't make any."
He studied her for a moment.
Then nodded once.
"Good."
They stepped into the car.
As the vehicle pulled away from the hotel, Lillian glanced out the window.
Her thoughts drifted again.
That scar hadn't looked like something minor.
It looked like something that nearly killed him.
But Sebastian clearly had no intention of explaining it.
She turned back toward him.
He was already reviewing documents again.
Focused.
Unreachable.
Cold.
Just like always.
And yet—
Now she knew something no one else in the company probably knew.
Sebastian Wolfe had scars.
Ones he refused to talk about.
And ones he carried far deeper than anyone could see.