Chapter 17

Jonathan’s POV

The project was going well.

Better than well, actually. We were ahead of schedule, the investors were happy, and Lisa’s team was efficient and competent.

But Elena…

Elena was driving me insane.

She’d been cold and distant ever since that first meeting with Lisa. Giving short responses and clipped answers to everything. She wore that polite, professional mask she wore when she wanted to shut me out.

I’d tried to talk to her. Multiple times. But every conversation ended the same way…her deflecting, me frustrated, and the tension between us growing thicker.

I was sitting on the couch in the suite, reviewing documents, when my phone rang.

Lisa.

I glanced over at Elena, who was sitting at the desk with her laptop open. She looked up when my phone buzzed, her eyes flicking to the screen.

I grabbed it quickly, maybe a little too quickly, and saw her eyebrow raise.

“Hello?” I answered, standing and walking toward the balcony.

“Jonathan, hi!” Lisa’s voice was bright and warm. “Are you free tonight?”

I hesitated. “Why?”

“I thought we could grab dinner. And catch up properly. It’s been so long, and we’ve barely had time to talk outside of work.”

I glanced back at Elena, who was watching me with an expression I couldn’t quite read.

“Sure,” I said finally. “What time?”

“Seven? I’ll text you the address.”

“Sounds good.”

I hung up and turned to find Elena still staring at me.

“Who is that?” she asked, her tone was calm.

“No one at all, it’s just work."

“Fine,” she muttered, turning back to her laptop.

The restaurant Lisa chose was upscale and intimate, there was no way this was a friendly dinner.

She was already there when I arrived, sitting at a corner table with a glass of wine in front of her.

“Jonathan,” she said, standing to greet me with a hug that lasted just a little too long. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

We sat, ordered food, and spent the first part of the meal talking about everything, nothing important, catching up on old friends and a bit of gossip.

But eventually, the conversation became more serious.

“So,” Lisa said, swirling her wine. “How’s Daniel?”

I stiffened. “Fine, as far as I know. We don’t talk much.”

“Still?” She frowned. “Jonathan, it’s been years. Don’t you think it’s time to reconcile?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Everything with you is complicated,” she said, but there was affection in her voice. “You’ve always been like that. Overthinking everything, keeping people at arm’s length.”

“Lisa…”

“I still like you, you know,” she said suddenly, setting down her glass and meeting my eyes. “I always have. Even after you chose Zara over me.”

My jaw tightened. “That was a long time ago.”

“And now Zara’s gone,” she said softly. “And you’ve kept me at a distance for fifteen years. Why?”

“Because it’s easier that way.”

“For who? You?” She leaned forward. “Or is it because of someone else? Like, say… Elena?”

I still went.

“Do you have feelings for her?” Lisa asked, her eyes searching mine.

I opened my mouth to deny it, to say something dismissive and move on.

But nothing came out.

Because the truth was, I didn’t know.

I didn’t know what I felt for Elena. I just knew that when she was upset, it bothered me. When she smiled, it felt like a small victory. When she challenged me, it made me want to be better.

And I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

“Jonathan?” Lisa called nudging my arm.

“I…” I stopped, realizing I was stuttering. “It’s not like that.”

“Isn’t it?”

“No,” I said firmly, though the word felt like a lie. “Elena has nothing to do with this. With us.”

“Then what’s stopping you?” she pressed. “Why won’t you give us a chance?”

“Because I’m not interested in revisiting the past,” I said, my voice harder than I intended. “And I need you to stay away from Elena. Whatever you think is happening between her and me, it’s none of your business.”

Lisa sat back, her eyes turned colder. “I see.”

“Lisa…”

“No, it’s fine,” she said, standing. “I understand perfectly.”

She left before I could say anything else, and I sat there alone, staring at my untouched plate and wondering how everything had gotten so complicated.

The next day, Elena and I were on the construction site, reviewing the latest updates. She was back to her usual self…professional, engaged, asking smart questions and offering useful suggestions.

It was a relief.

“I think we should push the ventilation installation up by a week,” she was saying. “If we wait until the electrical work is done, we’ll be cutting it too close.”

“Agreed,” I said. “I’ll talk to the contractors this afternoon.”

She nodded, making a note on her tablet.

I took a breath, deciding to just say it. “Elena, can we talk? About the past few days?”

She looked up, her expression guarded. “What about them?”

“You’ve been distant. And I know something’s bothering you, but I can’t fix it if you won’t tell me what it is.”

For a moment, I thought she might actually open up.

But then Lisa appeared, walking toward us with that bright smile.

“Good morning!” she said cheerfully. “How’s everything going?”

“Fine,” Elena said, her tone clipped.

Lisa turned to me, her smile widening. “Last night was fun, Jonathan. We should do it again sometime.”

I froze.

Elena’s eyes flicked to me, then to Lisa, and the look she gave me made me feel a sharp pain in my chest. I never wanted to feel this way again. The look of disgust and anger.

“Last night?” she repeated, her voice dangerously calm.

“We had dinner,” I said quickly. “Just catching up.”

“Right,” Elena said. “Catching up.”

She turned and walked away before I could say anything else, leaving me standing there like an idiot who’d just been caught doing something he shouldn’t have.

Lisa laughed softly. “She’s touchy, isn’t she?”

“Stay away from her,” I said, my voice low and sharp. And in that moment, I knew I have a lot of explaining to do.