Love lies and a billionaire’s secret

CHAPTER FIFTY–ONE–SHADOWS IN THE LIGHT

Nia stumbled slightly as she stepped off the yacht, her legs still adjusting to solid ground after days at sea. Helia, her coworker and newfound friend, steadied her with a laugh.

“Careful there, sea legs,” Helia teased. “You know, I’m heading to Queens. Why don’t we share a cab?”

Nia nodded gratefully. “That’d be great, thanks.”

As they settled into the back of the yellow taxi, Helia nudged Nia’s shoulder. “So, spill. What happened. with you and the boss man at the masquerade?”

Nia felt her cheeks flush. “Nothing! I mean… it was just a dance.”

“Uh–huh,” Helia said, unconvinced. “And that’s why you two disappeared onto the deck for an hour?”

Nia turned to look out the window, watching the city lights blur past. “It was… complicated,” she murmured.

Helia’s voice softened. “Hey, I get it. Just be careful, okay? Office romances can be tricky.”

Nia nodded, her mind drifting back to the moonlit kiss she’d shared with Leon. The warmth of his lips, the gentleness of his touch it had felt so right in the moment. But now, in the harsh light of reality, all she could feel was the weight of her deception pressing down on her chest.

The next morning, Nia’s alarm blared at 5:30 AM. She groaned, fumbling to silence it before dragging herself out of bed. Her routine was well–practiced by now: a quick shower, a hastily made cup of coffee, and a bowl of cereal eaten while standing at the kitchen counter.

As she pulled on her janitor’s uniform, Nia caught sight of herself in the mirror. The dark circles under her eyes were a testament to her restless night, filled with dreams of Leon discovering her true identity and the look of betrayal on his face.

“Get it together, Moreno,” she muttered to her reflection, adjusting her name tag.

The subway ride to Colossius Tech was a blur of familiar faces and the rattle of train cars. Nia kept her head down, lost in thought until she reached her stop.

As she approached the towering glass building that housed Colossius Tech, Nia took a deep breath. She was early, hoping to avoid any awkward encounters. But as she stepped into the elevator, her heart sank. There, adjusting his tie, stood Leon Allistair.

Their eyes met in the mirrored walls, and Nia felt her pulse quicken. Leon’s lips curved into a small smile.

“Good morning, Nia,” he said, his voice low and warm.

“Mr. Allistair,” she replied, nodding stiffly. The elevator began its ascent, each floor feeling like an eternity.

Leon cleared his throat. “I hope you enjoyed the cruise,

Nia forced herself to meet his gaze. “Yes, it was… lovely. Thank you for the opportunity.”

The air between them crackled with unspoken tension Leon took a half–step closer, and Nia found herself pressing back against the elevator wall.

*About the other night,” Leon began, his voice hesitant. I hope I didn’t overstep any boundaries.”

Nia swallowed hard. “No, of course not. It was just… unexpected.”

Leon’s brow furrowed. “Nia, I want you to know that I respect you and your position here. What happened.

on the cruise… well, I’d understand if you’d prefer to forget about it.”

The elevator dinged, announcing their arrival at the executive floor. As the doors slid open, Nia moved to step out, but Leon gently placed a hand on her shoulder

“Things will be fine,” he assured her, his eyes searching hers. “I promise.”

Nia nodded, unable to form words. As Leon strode out of the elevator, she let out a shaky breath, her shoulder tingling where he had touched her.

The day passed in a haze of cleaning and avoiding eye contact. Twice, Nia nearly spilled cleaning solution once while dusting the conference room table, lost in thought about Leon’s gentle reassurance, and again while refilling the dispensers in the women’s restroom, startled by a coworker’s sudden entrance.

“Whoa there!” Old Man Barnaby chuckled, steadying the bottle as Nia fumbled with it near the sink. “You alright, kid? You seem a bit out of sorts today.”

I

Nia forced a smile. “Just a little tired from the cruise, I guess. Thanks, Barnaby.”

As lunchtime approached, Nia found herself unable to face the bustling cafeteria, Instead, she ducked into a supply closet, pulling out her phone to text Maria

What am

“I’m losing it, she typed frantically. “I kissed Leon on the cruise. He doesn’t know who I am. I supposed to do?”

Maria’s reply came quickly: “Holy shit, girl! OK, deep breaths. We’ll figure this out. Want me tonight?”

o come over

Nia was about to respond when a knock on the closet door made her jump. “Nia? Are you in there?” It was

Mr. Harlow’s voice.

She quickly pocketed her phone and opened the door. “Yes, sir. Just… checking our supplies.”

Mr. Harlow raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. “Mr. Allistair needs some assistance in his office. There’s been a bit of an… incident with some paperwork.”

Nia’s stomach dropped, but she nodded. “Of course. I’ll head there right away.”

As she approached Leon’s office, Nia could see the chaos through the glass walls. Papers were strewn everywhere, fluttering in the breeze from the open balcony door.

Leon looked up as she entered, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “Ah, Nia. I’m so sorry about this mess. A gust of wind came through and… well, you can see the result.”

Nia nodded, keeping her eyes fixed on the scattered papers. “No problem, Mr. Allistair. I’ll have this cleaned up in no time.”

As she moved around the room, gathering documents, Nia could feel Leon’s eyes on her. The silence between them was heavy, broken only by the rustle of paper and the distant sounds of the city bell

“Nia, Leon said suddenly, causing her to startle. “I hope what I said earlier… I mean, I don’t want things to

be awkward between us.”

Nia forced herself to meet his gaze. “It’s fine, really. We should just… focus on work.”

Leon nodded, but there was a flicker of something disappointment? – in his eyes. “Of course. You’re

right.”

As Nia finished cleaning and turned to leave, Leon called out once more. “Nia? Thank you. For everything.”

She managed a small smile before hurrying out of the office, her heart pounding.

TRONE SHADOWS IN THE DIGI

The rest of the afternoon crawled by, each minute feeling like an hour. When it was finally time to clock out, Nia felt a wave of relief wash over her. As she was gathering her things, her phone buzzed with a text from Justin:

“Hey, haven’t heard from you since the cruise. Coffee tomorrow?”

Nia hesitated before replying: “Sorry, still recovering from the trip. Rain check?”

She felt a twinge of guilt as she sent the message, but the thought of facing either Allistair brother right now was too much to bear.

Back at her apartment, Nia paced restlessly, alternating between reliving the moonlit kiss with Leon and berating herself for her ongoing deception. She was so lost in thought that she almost missed the text from her brother Luis:

“Hey sis, Mom and Dad want to see you. Dinner tomorrow night?”