Page 77 of Vacation with the Ice Queen
Serena sat at the terrace table, already dressed in crisp linen pants and a sleeveless blouse, her laptop open before her. Her fingers moved rapidly across the keyboard, that familiar focus etched into every line of her body. Her hair, still damp from a shower, had been pulled back into its usual style, silver streaks catching the morning light.
The transformation was jarring. This wasn't the woman who had whispered desperate confessions against Lila's skin last night. This was CEO Frost, armored and ready for battle.
"Good morning," Lila said, her voice steadier than she felt.
Serena looked up, her expression carefully neutral. "Good morning." She glanced at her watch, a calculated gesture that made something in Lila's chest tighten. "I ordered breakfast. It should arrive shortly."
"Thanks." Lila moved toward the table, noticing how Serena subtly angled her laptop screen away to protect her screen and maintain the barrier between them. "Sleep well?"
"Adequately." The clipped response hung between them, so different from the passionate words that had filled this space hours before.
Lila took the seat across from Serena, the distance between them suddenly more than just physical. A resort staff member arriving with fresh towels provided a momentary reprieve from the tension. Serena immediately shifted into professional courtesy, thanking him with practiced politeness before returning to her cool silence.
"You've been up awhile," Lila observed, noticing the coffee cup beside Serena's laptop, the neat stack of papers already covered in annotations.
"There’s been another crisis in New York," Serena replied, her voice taking on that familiar business tone. "Walter'sattempting to undermine the security architecture my team developed. It’s a very transparent power move, but it’ll be effective with certain board members."
The wall had fully materialized now, and work had become both a familiar shield and escape route.
Lila understood the pattern all too well. Last night had been too much, too real, too vulnerable. So Serena had retreated to the battlefield she knew best, where emotions were liabilities and control was paramount.
Breakfast arrived, an elaborate spread that under other circumstances would have delighted Lila. Fresh tropical fruits arranged in perfect spirals, warm pastries releasing buttery aromas, fresh-squeezed juices in crystal glasses. Serena barely glanced at the food, offering a perfunctory "thank you" to the server before returning to her screen.
"You should eat something," Lila said, serving herself a slice of dragon fruit.
"I'll grab something later." Serena's fingers continued their relentless dance across the keyboard. "These reports won't analyze themselves."
The familiar excuse—work before basic needs—was another brick in the wall being reconstructed between them.
Lila felt a surge of déjà vu. How many mornings had she sat across from Sophie, watching her prioritize casework over connection? The parallel was impossible to ignore, though the details differed. Where Sophie had been dismissive, Serena was simply... absent. Physically present but emotionally retreated to some distant, safer shore.
"Serena." Lila set down her fork, the gentle click against fine china somehow commanding attention where words might fail. "What's happening here?"
Serena’s piercing blue eyes finally met hers, something unreadable flickering in their depths. "What do you mean?"
"This." Lila gestured between them, at the invisible barrier that had materialized overnight. "Last night we were?—"
"Last night was wonderful," Serena interrupted, her voice softening briefly before that professional mask slid back into place. "But I have responsibilities that can't wait. The board meeting is in six days, and Walter's making significant moves."
Six days. Not seven anymore. The countdown continued, each tick bringing them closer to inevitable separation.
"I understand you have responsibilities," Lila said carefully. "That's not what I'm asking about."
Serena's fingers finally stilled on the keyboard. "What are you asking, then?"
"Why you're hiding behind your laptop instead of talking to me."
Serena's jaw tightened, that tiny muscle jump that Lila had come to recognize as discomfort. "I'm not hiding. I'm working."
"You can do both simultaneously," Lila replied. "I've seen CEOs manage it before."
The gentle challenge hung between them. Serena closed her laptop with deliberate care, folding her hands atop it like a business negotiation.
"You're right. I apologize." The words were perfect and the tone was measured, but something essential remained withdrawn. "I received some concerning emails this morning. It's put me in a... strategic mindset."
"I see." Lila sipped her tea, studying Serena over the rim of the cup. The woman before her was performing perfectly—polite, attentive, reasonable—while keeping her true thoughts locked safely away.
The breakfast stretched between them, every bite accompanied by conversation that felt like walking through a minefield. Pleasant weather observations. Innocuous commentsabout the food. Safe topics that demanded nothing and revealed less.
