Chapter 29

"You're distracted," Ben stated, interrupting my thoughts as I peered at the spreadsheets in front of me. I blinked, coming out of it and realizing I had been staring at the same figures for the previous five minutes.

"I'm not," I lied, skimming through the pages as if looking for something special. But Ben didn't buy it. He leaned back in his chair, giving me that knowing look he got when he realized I was hiding something from him.

"You've been off for days, man," Ben said nonchalantly, straightening his tie. "Is this the FBI stuff? Or is it something else?"

I looked up at him, my jaw stiffening. I didn't want to discuss about the FBI or the "something else." But Ben was not foolish. He knew me too well.

"It's just a lot, Ben," I explained, attempting to deflect. "Work. Pressure. Keeping the business afloat. "Everything is weighing on me."

Ben nodded slowly, but I knew he wasn't convinced. He had been with me through some of my most difficult times, and he knew when I was hiding something. And recently, there was a lot to hide.

Especially Emily.

Later, in the penthouse, I found myself standing by the window, looking out at the city. Emily was in the next room, most likely working on something for the company, but all I could think of was the space between us. Or rather, the absence of it.

Everything had changed since she'd moved in. Maintaining a professional demeanor was first straightforward. We had our routines and schedules. But suddenly, every time I saw her, the boundaries I had set for myself slipped. It wasn't only that we were living together. It was something deeper.

Sometimes she stared at me as if I wasn't paying attention. She grinned when we chatted about something other than business, letting her guard down for a little period. Then there were the nights, when the penthouse was quiet and we were alone. Those were the roughest nights.

I could hear her moving around the kitchen, perhaps getting ready to cook dinner. I should have gone in there, helped her, and made some small conversation about the day. But I didn't trust myself. Not after last night, when she rested her head on my shoulder, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

I hadn't slept much after that.

"Ethan, are you coming to eat or not?" Emily called from the kitchen.

I breathed out and massaged the nape of my neck. "Yes, I will arrive."

As I entered the kitchen, Emily was setting the table, with her hair tied back and wearing one of her usual casual outfits that still managed to make her appear stunningly beautiful. I dismissed the idea and concentrated on the meal.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, fixing her gaze on me while setting a plate down in front of me.

"Okay," I responded, a bit too quickly.

She glanced at me from the side. "It appears that you are not okay."

I breathed out and took a seat at the table. "I have a million thoughts racing through my head."

Emily was seated in front of me, gazing at my face. You don't need to handle everything on your own, you're aware of that. We are all in this as one.

Her comments had a greater impact than she understood. We were united in this, but we shouldn't have been. This is not acceptable. She was my stepsister, and I had no business entertaining the thoughts I'd been having about her. Nevertheless, the more time we interacted, the harder it became to ignore those thoughts.

"I am aware," I mentioned, picking at my meal. "I just... I don't want you getting caught up in everything."

She reached across the table, her fingers brushing across mine for a brief second before pulling away. "I am already caught up, Ethan. "Whether you like it or not."

I gazed up at her, my heart racing in my chest. That was the problem. She was swept up in everything, not just the company or the chaos. That was me. Every day, the border between us became further blurred.

The next day at work, I tried to concentrate. But Emily was everywhere I turned. We conducted back-to-back sessions to strategize about new business agreements and address the board's concerns. It was meant to be routine, but being around Emily no longer felt like that.

We were standing side by side in the boardroom, discussing a plan, when I felt it again: this pull between us. She was too close. Her shoulder brushed against mine as she bent forward to point out something on the paper in front of us, and my body responded before I could stop it.

I remained still, feeling my jaw tighten as I tried to focus on the proposal. All that crossed my mind was how close she was, the faint scent of her perfume, and how easy it would be to just look at her and ignore everything else.

"Ethan, are you there?"

The sound of her voice snapped me back from my daydream, and I noticed she was expecting a response.

"Yes, I am sorry. I was just thinking."

"About the proposal?" she inquired, her face wrinkled.

"Of course," I lied.

She didn't seem convinced, but happily, we were distracted when Ben entered the boardroom.

"Hey, you two," he said casually, looking between us. "Got a minute?"

I nodded and stepped away from Emily as Ben entered. But when he sat down across from us, I noticed how he looked at me. He looked back and forth between me and Emily, and I could practically see the cogs turning in his mind.

"So," Ben murmured quietly, reclining in his seat. "How's everything going with the new deals?"

"Fine," I replied hurriedly, averting his stare.

"Really?" Ben's eyes narrowed slightly. "You have been a touch off recently. "Both of you."

Emily looked at me, her expression unclear. "We've just had a lot going on."

Ben nodded, but something about his demeanor made me apprehensive. He was not buying it. He knew something was going on, even if he wasn't sure what.

"Listen," Ben stated, leaning forward. "I'm just saying... you guys have been spending a lot of time together. "More than usual."

I gave him a look, attempting to keep my tone neutral. "We are working on the same projects. "That is all."

Ben lifted his eyebrow. "Is that all?"

Emily squirmed uneasily next me, and I could feel the tension in the room increasing.

"Ben," I responded calmly, "drop it."

He returned my look for a moment before resting back in his chair. "Fine. But don't think I don't notice what's going on."