Grace didn't go home.
Not right away.
When Liam pulled up in front of her apartment , her hand stayed on the door handle. He didn't pressure her. Just waited.
And then quietly she said, "I don't want this morning to end yet."
His fingers tightened ever so slightly on the steering wheel "Come with me"
She didn't hesitate
His penthouse was different in the morning. The sharp edges and steel lines felt softened by sunlight. The skyline was awash in gold, and for the first time, it didn't feel like the lair of a tech billionaire it felt like his space. His real space.
She left her heels at the door. He tossed his blazer across the arm of the couch. Everything else slipped away too expectation, control, the careful masks they wore for the world.
In his kitchen, he made coffee with the quiet efficiency of a man who didn't like mornings but was trying to impress someone who might. Grace watched from his marble countertop, legs tucked beneath her, wearing a borrowed button-down that reached her thighs.
Liam turned to find her like that barefoot, smiling, hair a soft mess and for a moment, he forgot the outside world existed at all.
"I love your cooking skills " she asked, teasing.
"Really ," he replied, sliding a mug to her. "But I can bribe the housekeeper to leave fresh croissants."
She took a sip, watching him over the rim of the cup. "Dangerous man. Bribery and charm."
"Only for you."
Their eyes met. Neither looked away.
After breakfast, he gave her the quiet tour she'd never had. She moved through his space slowly in his library, lined with books she actually wanted to steal. His office, sleek and haunted by midnight hours. A room that used to be his sister's when she was younger, still half-filled with memories. And finally, the rooftop.
The city buzzed below them, but up here it felt far away. Removed. Like their own world.
Liam leaned on the railing beside her, his arm brushing hers "I know what's coming."
Grace glanced at him. "So do I."
"My board won't be happy," he said. "They already think I've gone soft. But I'll deal with them."
She hesitated. "My father's going to call me into his office again. He'll smile like it's nothing and then threaten to unravel everything behind closed doors."
Liam looked at her then, fully. "Do you want to walk away from this? From me?"
She turned to face him. "No. I don't."
He exhaled like he hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath. "Then let's take what peace we can, while we can."
They stood in silence for a long while, just looking out over the city.
Eventually, she leaned into him. His arm came around her waist, pulling her close. His lips found the top of her head, pressing a quiet promise into her hair.
They didn't need to say anything more.
For now, this moment was theirs.