EPISODE 2 – PART 3: “The Spark Between Us”

EPISODE 2 – PART 3: “The Spark Between Us”

Clara

After the day’s chaos, I thought it was safe to breathe. The files were fixed, the spreadsheet crisis resolved, and for once, no coffee disaster had occurred.

I leaned back in my chair, exhausted, letting out a long sigh.

“Still here?”

I looked up—Alexander Steele. Standing by the glass wall, holding two cups of coffee. One was mine.

“Uh… yes, sir,” I stammered.

He walked over and handed me the cup. “You earned it.”

I blinked. “Thank you… sir.”

He tilted his head. “Call me Alexander. We’ve spent enough time together these last two days, don’t you think?”

I froze. Call him Alexander? The thought made my heart race.

⸻

Alexander

He watched her take the cup, fingers brushing the rim.

Small, nervous movements—but they made her look… alive. Real. Honest.

“Clara,” he said quietly. “You handled today well. Not just the files—the situation. You didn’t panic.”

Her cheeks flushed. “Thank you, Alexander. I… I tried my best.”

He smiled faintly, that rare, almost imperceptible expression reserved for very few. “And that’s enough for now.”

Her smile in response… he didn’t realize it, but it lit something inside him he hadn’t felt in years.

⸻

Clara (first-person)

I wanted to say something, anything, but words caught in my throat.

He was right there, so close I could feel the faint warmth radiating from him.

“So… Alexander,” I finally whispered, “do you… uh, often notice people?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Notice people? I’m CEO. I notice everything.”

I laughed nervously. “Oh… good to know.”

He smirked. “Careful. That smile could get you in trouble.”

And somehow… I didn’t mind.

⸻

The Unexpected Moment

The office was quiet except for the faint hum of the AC.

Alexander leaned slightly against his desk, watching me sip my coffee.

“You’re different from others,” he said quietly.

I blinked. “Different? How, sir?”

“Not afraid to be yourself. Not pretending to impress anyone.”

My heart skipped a beat. He sees me… and he’s not judging me?

“Yes,” I whispered, almost to myself. “I… I guess I just want to prove that even ordinary people can matter.”

He studied me for a moment, silence hanging between us. Then, softly:

“You do matter. More than you realize.”

⸻

Alexander

He shouldn’t have said it. It was dangerous—too personal, too revealing.

But when he saw the hope flicker in her eyes, the faint blush, he couldn’t stop himself.

“Clara,” he said, voice low. “Be careful. I don’t… let people get close easily. But… you’re different.”

Her eyes widened, searching his. “Different… how?”

He didn’t answer immediately. He just let the silence speak.

And for a moment, the world outside the glass tower didn’t matter. It was just us.

⸻

Clara (first-person thoughts)

I couldn’t believe he said that. Different. Me.

I wanted to smile. I wanted to ask what he meant. But I stayed quiet.

Some things were too precious to ruin with words.

I took a sip of my coffee, feeling warmth—not just from the drink, but from him.

This is new.

This feels… dangerous.

But… good.

⸻

The Walk Home

At the end of the day, Alexander insisted again on sending me home.

The car ride was quiet this time, filled only with the sound of the city and the occasional raindrops on the window.

“You handled yourself well today,” he said softly.

I smiled. “Thanks, Alexander. I… I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“You think that’s what matters?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I don’t know… maybe. But it helped.”

He nodded, eyes on the blurred city lights. There was something comforting about that simple acknowledgment. Something he rarely gave anyone.

⸻

Back at the Apartment

I stepped out of the car, slightly reluctant.

“Good night, Clara,” he said.

“Good night, Alexander,” I replied.

Before the door closed, he added, softly, almost a whisper:

“Don’t doubt yourself. You’re stronger than you think.”

And just like that… he was gone.

⸻

Alexander

As he drove back to the tower, Alexander couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Clara Villanueva. Ordinary, yes. But fearless in small ways. Honest. Determined. Alive.

And the thought unsettled him. He had always controlled everything in his life—his empire, his decisions, even his emotions.

But her presence… it was shifting something inside him. Something dangerous, irresistible.

He gripped the steering wheel tightly.

This is the beginning of something I can’t control.

And for the first time, Alexander Steele didn’t want control.