Leah stared at Ryan, her breath caught in her throat, the diamond ring glinting up at her beneath the candlelight.
The world had gone quiet. Too quiet.
Leah (thinking): This is too soon.
Her pulse pounded in her ears. The words swirled in her head, struggling to form.
Leah (thinking): Not again. Not now. I've lived this life before. Too many times. And every time I said yes too early... it crumbled.
The memories came rushing back—timelines folded atop each other like pages from a torn book:
In one life, she had said yes to her college sweetheart. They were engaged before their business even launched. The moment funding dried up, so did the relationship. In another, she said yes to a partner while juggling two major ventures. Within months, the stress had driven them apart, the engagement ring returned in a velvet box left on her desk. And once, she had married quickly after an IPO. The marriage collapsed just as fast when the pressure of expansion became too great. Love turned to blame.
Leah (thinking): I want this to be real. I want this to last. But I can't keep making the same mistake just because the moment feels perfect.
She looked into Ryan's eyes. Hope. Vulnerability. Love.
Leah (whispering): "Ryan... I love you. You know that. But this... it's too early."
His expression didn't change. Not visibly. But something in his shoulders deflated.
Ryan: "Oh."
She reached across the table, her fingers brushing his.
Leah: "It's not a no. It's a not yet."
Ryan (softly): "Right. Not yet."
The mood dissolved. The music continued, but it no longer reached them.
They finished their wine in silence. The air between them was no longer electric—it was heavy. Weighted with questions neither of them dared ask aloud.
They returned to their villa without a word. She changed slowly, folding her dress over the back of a chair, the quiet of the suite like a third presence watching them from the corner.
He turned off the lights. And that night, they lay side by side, not touching.
---
The Next Morning
Sunlight crept through the curtains. Leah turned over to find Ryan staring at the ceiling.
She sat up, knees to her chest.
Leah (quietly): "I need to talk to you."
He turned his head, eyes dull, searching.
Ryan: "Okay."
She took a deep breath.
Leah: "I love you. So much that it scares me. I wake up thinking about you. I go to bed thinking about us. And what we could be. But I have a reason—a real, serious reason—why I can't say yes right now."
She hesitated. Her throat tightened.
Leah: "I can't tell you what it is. Not yet. But I need you to trust me. Just like I've trusted you through every impossible idea you've chased."
He didn't speak at first. Just stared at her.
Ryan (thinking): She said no. Not yet. And I should be angry. I should be confused. But I'm not. Not really.
He thought back on the last few days. Her eyes lighting up on the boat. Her laughter over cheap raki. The way she looked at ruins like they held answers to questions she couldn't yet ask.
Ryan (thinking): I've built empires on timing. I've walked away from deals because the hour wasn't right. If I can trust my gut with billions... why not trust her with this?
He nodded slowly.
Ryan: "Okay. I trust you."
Tears welled in her eyes.
Leah: "Thank you."
He pulled her into his arms, and she melted into him.
The rest of their trip was spent behind closed doors. Room service trays collected outside. No more catamarans. No more ruins or hikes.
Just whispered promises.
Quiet apologies.
Touch that meant more than words.
Honest conversations stretched across lazy mornings and long nights.
They didn't need another sunset.
They just needed each other.
---
Flight Home – September 22, 2010
The jet coasted above clouds as Greece faded behind them. Leah leaned into Ryan's shoulder, his fingers tracing circles along her wrist.
Leah: "I think we need to tighten up. Refocus."
Ryan: "On the company?"
Leah: "On everything. Expand smart. Double down on what's working. Put the pieces in place now for that 100 billion mark."
He nodded, grateful to shift gears, to move forward.
Ryan: "We'll restructure the leadership tree. Reassess the risk layers in the crypto department."
Leah: "And I want a formal pitch day for new partners. No more casual invites. If someone wants in, they prove their worth."
Ryan (smiling faintly): "That's my girl."
They clinked water glasses in a silent toast.
---
Phoenix Fund Holdings – Status Report (As of September 22, 2010)
Total Employees: 283
Departments:
Real Estate Development
Cryptocurrency & Blockchain Division
Consumer Goods Investments
Live Entertainment & Venue Acquisition
Legal & Compliance
Public Relations
Risk Management
Security & Cyber Defense
Liquid Assets: $614 million
Non-Liquid Assets: $3.9 billion
Valuation Estimate: $9.75 billion
The future wasn't written.
But they were writing it—together.
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