Earlier in the evening...
Ella’s fingers fumbled with the seatbelt, her voice soft but filled with nerves. "T-Thank you for dropping ho. Have a good night..."
Liam didn’t look at her imdiately. His gaze was fixed elsewhere, sharp and unreadable. "You should’ve brought your own car if you planned to stay at Georgia’s this late. It’s dangerous to commute alone for a woman."
Confused, Ella followed his line of sight, only to find him staring at the weathered old car in her driveway.
"Oh, that?" she asked quickly, her cheeks warming. "It’s my father’s car. I had it towed from his place to get fixed, but the repair costs are... insane. The shop sent it back when I couldn’t commit. Still—" her voice softened, almost affectionate, "—I’ve been saving up because he loves that car."
Liam finally turned to her, his eyes catching hers, the tension between them making her heart jolt. "It’s not just old, Ella. It’s vintage. In the right condition, it could be worth a fortune."
Her lips parted in shock, forming a silent ’O.’ "Really? I... I didn’t know that. No wonder he begged not to get rid of it. He even promised he’d help with the repairs just to see it running again."
A smirk tugged at the corner of Liam’s mouth, but there was sothing softer underneath. "You’re not into cars, are you?"
"Not really," Ella admitted with a small shrug. "They’re just... tools to get from one place to another. I don’t see the appeal of owning one just for display."
His gaze flicked back to her, sharp and teasing now. "Is that why you don’t have one yourself?"
Ella laughed lightly, shaking her head. "I do. It’s just in the shop. My staff has an early delivery tomorrow, and since I won’t be around that ti, I left it there for them to use."
The ntion of her work seed to catch him. "Speaking of your business... do you handle landscaping, too?"
Her entire face lit up, like the moon had chosen to shine just for her. Opportunity sparkled in her eyes, and Liam caught it instantly. "Yes, we do! Do you need sothing done?"
His lips curved into a slow, knowing smile. ’So that’s what makes you glow, huh?’ he thought, pulse quickening. ’Perfect opportunity.’
"Tell ..." he leaned a little closer, "is a living wall considered landscaping? I saw so in Singapore once. They were incredible—lush, alive. Not just beautiful, but calming. Stress seems to disappear when you look at them," he said as he look straight into her eyes with an intense gaze.
Ella blinked, caught off guard not by the question but by the way he said it—like he wasn’t really asking about walls at all. Her heart drumd, her pulse racing in a way she couldn’t quite explain.
"Uhm... yeah, we do that too." Ella’s voice carried a nervous lilt, her hands twisting in her lap as her mind shifted into business mode. "There are plenty of designs, thes, colors, and plant varieties to choose from. If you’d like, I could email you so of our past projects and a collection of designs I gathered online for inspiration—"
Liam cut her off smoothly, his tone deep and commanding, yet oddly casual. "I’ll be off-site tomorrow. I won’t have ti to open my laptop, and looking at pictures on my phone would be pointless; they’re too small. How about I visit your shop instead? That way, I can see the plants myself. Would that be alright?"
Ella blinked, caught off guard by the sudden directness. "O-Oh. Sure. Clients are always welco at the shop. In fact, we encourage it." Her eyes softened with genuine warmth. "Where are you planning to put the living wall, if I may ask?"
"There are several spots in my penthouse where I think it would fit," Liam replied, his voice low, almost teasing. "But I’m not exactly sure. Like I said, I don’t know much about these things. Perhaps..." his gaze pinned her in place, "...you could visit my place. Do a site inspection, and advise where it would look best. Would that be possible?"
Her breath caught in her throat, her pulse racing at the subtle weight of his words. ’Visit his place? Alone? No, I can tug alone one of my employees.’
"S-Sure," Ella stamred, her lips tugging into a small, shy smile. "How about you co by the shop first, look around the garden, see the samples... then we could head to your place afterwards. That way, we can visualize properly and asure the wall you want to transform. How does that sound?"
"Sounds perfect." Liam’s answer ca quick, decisive, like he had been waiting for her to say exactly that. "What ti does your shop close?"
"Five in the afternoon," she said, her voice smaller than intended.
"Good." His smile was casual but too cute not to stare at. "I’ll drop by maybe thirty minutes to an hour before closing. Then we’ll head to my place. We can plan everything there..." His eyes glimred as he leaned closer, his words dripping with sothing she couldn’t na. "...while I cook dinner for you. How does that sound?"
Ella froze, her jaw slightly slack. "H-Huh? Cook for ?"
Liam bit back a chuckle, fighting the urge to let the amusent spill out. ’Of all the things I just said, that’s the only part she clings to?’ His chest tightened, a warmth spreading through him. ’That’s cute. Too damn cute.’
His "innocent" smile lingered—too smooth, too rehearsed, as if every detail had already been planned.
And Ella, sitting there flushed and speechless, couldn’t tell if she’d just stepped into a harmless business arrangent... or the beginning of sothing far more dangerous.
"Yeah, let’s have dinner at my place," Liam said smoothly, his tone warm yet deliberate. "You know... working while eating. It’s the least I could do for bothering you after work hours. I don’t have much ti in the mornings, so the only chance to show you my place is in the evening. Would that be too much to ask?"
His face shifted, his features softening into sothing almost... sad. Vulnerable. But was it genuine, or just another calculated move?
Ella studied him in silence, her heart racing faster than she wanted to admit. ’He’s the CEO of a massive logistics company. Of course he’s busy. But working after hours shouldn’t stop from closing this deal. This project could an everything for my business...’
She forced herself to et his gaze, steady but trembling inside. "That wouldn’t be a problem at all. Honestly... it’s a great opportunity. If you entrust this project to my company, it’ll be an incredible addition to our portfolio."
Liam’s lips curved into a slow, magnetic smile. His eyes glead as he leaned back, relaxed yet charged with energy. "It’s a date then."
Ella’s jaw dropped. "H-Huh? A date?" she stamred, her pulse skipping wildly.
He tilted his head slightly, feigning innocence with a dangerous kind of charm. "Isn’t that just... a common expression? When two people agree on a schedule?"
Her cheeks burned. "R-Right. I’ll... I’ll see you tomorrow then. Good night. And, um, safe drive!" she said quickly, fumbling with the door handle before stepping out into the cool night air.
Liam lingered, watching her every move through the windshield. He didn’t drive away until she unlocked her door, stepped inside, and disappeared from view. Only then did his engine roar to life, fading into the distance.
Inside, Ella closed the door behind her, pressing her back against it. Her chest heaved as if she had run a mile, her hand flying up to her heated cheeks.
"What the heck just happened?" she whispered to herself, her voice breathless. The mory of his smile replayed in her head, looping endlessly, making her heart pound harder.
She slid down against the door, half laughing, half panicked. How had the night turned from casual talk about cars to her agreeing—no, willingly agreeing—to go to Liam’s penthouse... and have dinner with him?
Her body still tingled, her mind buzzing. Whether it was a trap, fate, or pure recklessness—one thing was certain. Liam just made it impossible for her to say no after she cancelled the dinner that they were supposed to have last weekend.
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