Sometimes, the silence between two people speaks louder than any confession
In Conrad’s Office… “Boss, I apologize for the scheduling mix-up. Isla usually handles your calendar to keep everything organized, and I’m afraid I wasn’t prepared to take over that responsibility,” Conrad’s assistant said, shifting uncomfortably. Conrad’s expression darkened. “Is this what I’m paying you for? Scheduling is part of your basic duties, yet you’ve let Isla handle it?” The assistant fidgeted. “Y-You told us to let her handle it… because she uses that tool to map out your timeline. None of us knows how she does it.” Conrad’s frown deepened. He hadn’t realized how much heavier the workload would feel without Isla around. And she’d only been with the company a little over two years. “Where the hell is Isla? Tell her to come here!” “Uh…” The assistant scratched his head awkwardly. “What is it?” “Yesterday… I handed you her resignation letter. You signed her clearance. I asked if you wanted to say anything or respond, but you just said to take care of it.” “Resignatio
Isla “Are you alright?” Lucas Westwood asked. I took a shaky breath. “About earlier... I’m really sorry. I know my emotions aren’t an excuse, but I was completely lost, Mr. Westwood. I didn’t intend to make you believe I was your date.” “It was my fault, too. I didn’t even check who I was supposed to meet today. The moment I saw you in the private room, I just assumed you were the one.” I couldn’t help but wonder why someone like him would need arranged dates. I mean—he’s Lucas Westwood. Women practically threw themselves at him. “Is your family trying to set you up with Elara?” I asked, unable to hold back the question swirling in my mind. He frowned. “Not exactly. My mother’s been pushing for grandchildren since I don’t have any... legacy under my name. I never planned to date anyone seriously, but when your sick mother asks for something, you’d promise her the moon.” That side of someone like him was unfamiliar to me. Lucas Westwood—the man who could see through any busine
A surge of resentment flared in Conrad’s chest, sharp and unexplained. One thing was clear—he wasn’t happy with how things had turned out. Earlier at the restaurant, the maître d’ had assured him that Isla had already arrived, but Conrad hadn’t caught even a glimpse of her. Instead, Elara had stormed into their private dining room, fuming about Lucas Westwood’s absence. The confusion only cleared when they questioned the staff and discovered that Lucas Westwood and Isla had left the place together. As much as Conrad wanted to feel relieved that Elara’s date had been canceled, he found himself utterly irritated knowing that Lucas had taken his girlfriend away. “How could those two be together?” Ethan asked, incredulous. “Do they even know each other? Was he one of your clients?” That was the only explanation Conrad could come up with. He scoffed. Was Isla really trying that hard to win him back, going as far as securing Lucas Westwood as a client? Landing Westwood Company woul
Lucas Confusion etched itself across my face. I remembered her telling me, “There was a misunderstanding...” I’d assumed she meant there were things she needed to handle, that she wasn’t supposed to be at the restaurant in the first place. But after speaking with my mother, she told me Ms. Foster had waited for me for hours at that restaurant. That’s when the pieces started falling into place, none of them fitting the picture I’d constructed. The woman I’d spent the evening with wasn’t the one who had arranged our blind date. They simply shared the same last name. A deep frown furrowed my brow. My jaw tightened as I watched Isla Foster hurry away from the vehicle, genuine fear flickering across her features. Just then, a woman stormed toward her, and something in me stirred: a need to protect Isla. “Isla! You bitch! I asked the restaurant who Mr. West—” She saw me emerge from the shadows behind Isla, and her words died in a strangled scream. “M-Mr. Westwood?” Her voice falt
After submitting my resignation at Conrad’s company, I headed to the restaurant he had mentioned. Just as I reached for the door, I froze. Conrad was talking to Ethan, his best friend, and a woman, likely Ethan’s girlfriend or perhaps just one of their female friends. “Come on, man,” Ethan was saying. “She’s always been like that. Aren’t you used to it by now?” “I must admit, I was shocked when Isla Foster became your girlfriend,” the woman said. “Wasn’t Elara the one you loved? How did you end up with Isla instead?” “You don’t know?” Ethan replied casually. “Elara left two years ago. She went abroad for that guy Mrs. Foster introduced her to. She was completely obsessed with that man abroad. Our boy here was devastated.” Ethan paused for a beat, clearly reacting to a sharp look from Conrad. “Sorry, I’m just being honest.” “So, you chose Isla?” the woman asked. “The twin?” “Elara’s imitation,” Ethan sneered. The two of them burst out laughing. Conrad didn’t say a word. He didn
The other end of the line was silent for some time before I finally heard his sneer. “You’re always like this when things don’t go your way. Stop the nonsense. Go to the office tomorrow morning and fix the issue with that client.” Those were the last words I heard before the line went dead. He had no intention of taking what I truly wanted seriously. Maybe it was my fault he treated me this way. I allowed it. But for the first time, I didn’t care what he thought. I was too hurt to think, too tired to keep pretending everything was fine. Conrad and Elara had lived near each other growing up—they were childhood friends—so I’d seen him around whenever my father sent me to their house on his birthday. I was seventeen when I first truly met Conrad. That day, I couldn’t hold back the tears. I felt so out of place, so unwanted. My father, Mr. Foster, barely acknowledged me, like I was just there to tick off some family obligation. Like, inviting me was more for show than affection. It