Page 31 of Vacation with the Ice Queen

As she walked the moonlit path, the shell a small weight in her pocket, Lila couldn't quite silence the quiet voice that wondered if those boundaries would be enough to containwhatever was beginning to stir between herself and the woman she was supposed to be healing, not falling for.

The question followed her into dreams of ice-blue eyes and unexpected vulnerability, of walls that crumbled not from force but from patient presence, of two broken places that might, just might, fit together in ways neither woman had anticipated.

5

SERENA

Restlessness crawled beneath Serena's skin as evening descended on her villa. She paced between her makeshift office and the terrace, unable to settle despite her best efforts to focus on work. The documents on her tablet blurred before her eyes, facts and figures refusing to arrange themselves into meaningful patterns. Even spreadsheets—her usual refuge—failed to provide their familiar comfort.

Damn this island. Three days ago, she'd been running a multibillion-dollar company. Now she couldn't even concentrate on a basic quarterly report.

She pressed her fingers against her temples, where the ghost of her usual headache lingered. For once, the constant throb had subsided to a dull whisper, a change she reluctantly attributed to Lila's massage that morning. The memory sent an unwelcome warmth through her body. The way those hands had somehow known exactly where to press and how to unlock knots she hadn't realized she carried.

"Stop it," she muttered to herself, turning away from the ocean view that had been distracting her for hours.

The sunset cast the room in amber light that felt invasive, as if the island itself were trying to breach her defenses. Serena yanked the sheer curtains closed with more force than necessary, plunging the room into artificial dimness.

Better. Control restored.

Except it wasn't, not really. Her body felt different—looser somehow, as if the rigid structure she'd cultivated over decades had been subtly recalibrated. The massage had unlocked something beyond mere muscle tension, though she refused to examine what that might be.

Work. She needed to work.

Serena returned to the dining table where she'd arranged her papers in precise stacks. A movement caught her eye—her own hand, reaching unconsciously toward her neck where Lila's fingers had released a particularly stubborn knot. She jerked her hand away, annoyed at herself.

This distraction was unacceptable. The board expected her return to New York armed with fresh strategies and renewed focus, not... whatever this unsettled feeling was.

She stared at the investor report she'd been trying to analyze for the past hour, but the words remained meaningless. An unfamiliar heaviness had settled in her limbs—not exhaustion exactly, but a deep-seated weariness that made concentration nearly impossible.

With a frustrated sigh, Serena abandoned the report and picked up her satellite phone. Perhaps Ashley would have updates that might re-anchor her to the real world—the world of deadlines and decisions, not ocean breezes and lingering touches.

The connection took longer than it should have. By the time Ashley's voice came through, Serena was pacing again.

"Frost Innovations, Ashley Kernahan speaking."

"Ashley, it's Serena."

A pause, then, "Serena. I didn't expect to hear from you tonight." The subtle emphasis on 'tonight' caught Serena's attention. She glanced at her watch. 9:30 p.m. on the island meant it was late morning in New York.

"Is this a bad time?" Serena asked, though she'd never bothered with such considerations before.

"Not at all. Just surprising. Nicole mentioned you were on a strict communication schedule."

Of course she had. Nicole and her damned wellness protocols.

"I'm checking on the Blackwood situation," Serena said, forcing her voice into its usual crisp authority. "Any developments since this morning?"

Ashley's sigh came through clearly despite the distance. "Nothing significant. Legal filed the preliminary injunction as planned. Tech blogs are still running the story, but the financial press has moved on to the Microsoft merger. The board hasn't scheduled any additional emergency meetings."

"And Walter?"

"Quietly meeting with investors, but nothing direct. Nicole's monitoring his calendar through his assistant."

At least that was something. Serena moved to the window, pulling back the curtain to look at the darkening sky. Stars were beginning to appear—so many more than were visible in Manhattan, where light pollution reduced the night sky to a dull glow.

"Serena?" Ashley's voice pulled her back. "Is everything alright?"

The question was so unexpected that Serena nearly laughed. When had anyone at Frost Innovations ever asked about her wellbeing rather than her strategic assessment?

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