Morning sunlight filtered through the thin curtains of Chloe's apartment, spilling across the living room in soft gold.
Lillian Parker stirred slowly on the couch, blinking as the light reached her eyes.
She had fallen asleep there sometime after her conversation with her parents the night before.
Her phone rested on the coffee table, silent for once.
For a moment everything felt peaceful.
Then her phone buzzed.
Once.
Twice.
Three times in quick succession.
Lillian groaned softly and reached for it, her hair slightly tangled as she pushed herself upright.
Notifications filled the screen.
News alerts.
Messages.
Emails.
Her stomach tightened slightly.
"That can't be good," she muttered.
Chloe's voice drifted from the kitchen.
"If it's before coffee, it's definitely not good."
Lillian unlocked her phone.
The first notification was from a major news outlet.
Her heart skipped when she read the headline.
"Trial Date Approaching in Attempted Murder Case of Billionaire CEO Sebastian Wolfe."
Her eyes widened.
The article preview mentioned Ethan Bennett 's name and referenced the attack that had nearly taken Sebastian's life.
Lillian sat up straighter, reading quickly.
The investigation was officially closed.
Charges had been filed.
The case was moving toward trial.
Chloe walked into the living room carrying two mugs of coffee.
"What's got you looking like that?" she asked.
Lillian slowly turned the phone toward her.
Chloe leaned closer and read the headline.
Her expression shifted immediately.
"Oh."
She sank down onto the couch beside Lillian.
"So it's happening," Chloe said quietly.
Lillian nodded.
"Yeah."
Chloe had known about Ethan from the beginning.
Lillian had told her everything months ago—about the attack, the hospital, and how close Sebastian had come to losing his life.
Still, seeing it in a headline made it feel different.
More real.
More public.
Chloe exhaled slowly.
"I knew the trial was coming eventually, but… wow."
Lillian scrolled further down the article.
"They're saying the preliminary hearings could start in a few weeks."
Chloe leaned back against the couch.
"Sebastian's going to have to testify, isn't he?"
"Probably."
A quiet moment passed.
Chloe studied her carefully.
"You're worried about him."
Lillian sighed softly.
"Of course I am."
She lowered the phone into her lap.
"He acts like nothing bothers him, but… that attack nearly killed him."
Chloe nodded.
"Yeah. And now the whole world is going to talk about it again."
Lillian's stomach tightened.
"And if the media is already paying attention because of us…"
Chloe finished the sentence for her.
"Then the trial will make it worse."
Lillian didn't answer.
She didn't need to.
They both knew it was true.
By the time Lillian arrived at the office, the atmosphere had changed.
Again.
The moment she stepped through the glass doors of Sovereign Technologies, she felt it.
Whispers.
Glances.
The subtle shift in conversations as people noticed her walking through the lobby.
Her heels clicked softly against the polished floor as she approached the elevators.
Two employees standing nearby lowered their voices.
"I heard the trial might start soon."
"Yeah, the guy who attacked him—Ethan something. Didn't he work in delivery?"
Lillian pressed the elevator button, pretending she couldn't hear them.
Her reflection in the mirrored elevator doors stared back at her.
Calm.
Professional.
But her chest felt tight.
The elevator opened with a soft ding.
She stepped inside and rode up to Sebastian's floor.
When the doors opened again, his assistant desk area was quiet.
The early morning light streamed through the tall windows, illuminating the sleek hallway leading to his office.
Lillian took a steady breath.
Then she walked toward his door and knocked lightly.
"Come in."
Sebastian Wolfe sat behind his desk, reviewing documents on his tablet.
He looked up as she entered.
His expression softened slightly.
"Good morning, Lillian."
"Good morning."
She stepped inside, closing the door behind her.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Then she held up her phone.
"I saw the news."
Sebastian leaned back slightly in his chair.
"The article about the trial?"
"Yes."
His expression remained calm.
"I figured the media would start reporting on it soon."
Lillian studied him carefully.
"You already knew, didn't you?"
He nodded once.
"The police called me last night."
Her eyebrows lifted slightly.
"You didn't tell me."
"It was late," he said calmly.
"I assumed you were asleep."
Lillian walked closer to the desk.
"They said the hearings might start in a few weeks."
"That's correct."
She crossed her arms lightly.
"You're really calm about this."
Sebastian tilted his head slightly.
"Should I be panicking?"
"That's not what I mean."
Lillian hesitated before speaking again.
"You almost died, Sebastian."
His expression softened just a fraction.
"I'm aware."
"And now the entire world is going to talk about it again."
"Yes," he said simply.
She searched his face.
"Doesn't that bother you?"
Sebastian stood from his chair and walked around the desk.
"It's a trial, Lillian," he said evenly.
"Not a war."
"It still matters."
He stopped a few feet away from her.
"I'm not afraid of Ethan Bennett," he said quietly.
Lillian believed him.
But that didn't stop the knot forming in her stomach.
"There's something else," she said after a moment.
Sebastian raised an eyebrow slightly.
"What is it?"
Lillian looked suddenly embarrassed.
"My parents called me last night."
Sebastian's expression shifted with mild curiosity.
"And?"
"They read the article about us."
He folded his arms.
"I assumed they would eventually."
Lillian nodded.
"I thought they were going to be upset."
"And were they?"
She shook her head slowly.
"Not exactly."
Sebastian waited.
Lillian looked slightly flustered.
"They… actually want to meet you."
Sebastian blinked once.
"Your parents want to meet me."
"Yes."
A brief silence followed.
Then the corner of Sebastian's mouth lifted slightly.
"That's unexpected."
"You're telling me," Lillian muttered.
"What did you tell them?"
"I said you're busy and probably don't have time to travel."
"And how did they respond?"
Lillian sighed.
"My mother said if I asked nicely, you might make time."
Sebastian chuckled quietly.
Lillian looked at him.
"You're enjoying this."
"A little."
"This isn't funny."
"Your parents wanting to meet me isn't exactly a crisis."
"It feels like one."
Sebastian studied her for a moment, amused.
"Lillian."
"Yes?"
"If meeting your parents is the most stressful thing we deal with this week, I'll consider us fortunate."
She tried not to smile.
"You say that now."
"And you're worried I'll embarrass you?"
"That's not what I said."
"But it's what you're thinking."
She groaned softly.
"You're impossible."
Sebastian's eyes softened slightly as he looked at her.
"Maybe," he said.
"But if your parents truly want to meet me… we'll figure something out."
Lillian blinked.
"You would actually do that?"
"For you?" he said calmly.
"Yes."
Her heart skipped slightly.
Before she could respond, the intercom on Sebastian's desk buzzed.
His assistant's voice came through.
"Mr. Wolfe, the board meeting starts in fifteen minutes."
Sebastian glanced toward the desk.
"Understood."
The intercom clicked off.
He turned back to Lillian.
"Looks like the day is about to get busy."
She nodded.
But the tension from earlier had eased slightly.
Still, as she turned to leave his office, she couldn't shake one lingering thought.
The trial.
The media.
And the way everything seemed to be slowly building toward something bigger.