Aftertaste

Selene woke to the sound of her phone vibrating across the nightstand. Reaching for it with sleepy eyes, she expected another message from Hannah, but her screen was flooded with news alerts instead, one after another.

VALE COUPLE PRESENTS UNITED FRONT AFTER RUMORED DATE NIGHT

CASSIAN VALE AND WIFE SHUT DOWN DIVORCE RUMORS

DANIEL STERLING'S GALLERY LAUNCH MOVES FORWARD DESPITE ONLINE SPECULATION

Selene rubbed her forehead before opening the first article. The lead photo wasn't from the restaurant, but from yesterday morning: Cassian's arm wrapped tightly around her waist as they walked into Vale Meridian, surrounded by flashing cameras.

The headline painted them as a united couple standing strong against false rumors, while further down the page sat the photos of her at the restaurant with Daniel, who was labeled "the unexpected third party in Manhattan's most talked-about marriage."

Selene sighed tiredly and dropped the phone back onto the bed. People who had never spoken to her were writing stories about her life like they knew everything, when the truth was there was no perfect marriage, there wasn't even a marriage. Just a contract with five months and three weeks left before it finally disappeared.

She closed her eyes, but without warning, another voice slipped into her thoughts.

"I'll drive you to the worst diner I can find. We'll get the pie."

A smile tugged at the corner of her lips before she could stop it. It was ridiculous that after everything that happened yesterday, the thing she remembered most wasn't the boardroom, the cameras, or even Cassian. It was pie.

She laughed quietly to herself before climbing out of bed. "I seriously need help," she muttered.

An hour later, she walked downstairs with her laptop bag over one shoulder. The dining table was untouched, and Cassian had already left, nothing unusual there, considering they had spent five years living under the same roof without sharing breakfast.

She picked up her car keys from the hallway table and headed out. For the first time in days, she felt relieved.. Work waited for her, and that, at least, still made sense.

~~•~~

The elevator doors slid open on the twelfth floor, and Selene stepped out into a busy office. Someone from the design department hurried past with a stack of sample boards, while another stood beside the coffee machine arguing with a graphic designer over a slogan.

The familiar buzz calmed her down. This was her space. Not Vale Meridian, and not Cassian's world. This was Vellum.

"Morning, boss!" a junior designer called out, waving from across the room.

"Morning," Selene replied, barely taking another step before Hannah appeared from the hallway, walking so fast she nearly bumped into her.

"There you are."

Selene frowned. "What happened?"

Hannah smiled with unusual excitement. "You've got a delivery."

"A delivery?"

"I didn't open it."

"You weren't supposed to."

"I know," Hannah grinned, "but I really wanted to."

Selene laughed. "What is it?"

"You'll see."

Before she could ask anything else, Hannah took hold of her wrist and led her toward the reception desk. The moment they rounded the corner, Selene stopped in her tracks.

A massive arrangement of deep red roses sat neatly on the counter, impossible to miss. Wrapped in black paper and tied together with a gold ribbon, it looked elegant. Several staff members slowed down as they walked past, pretending not to stare.

"Those are for me?" Selene asked.

Hannah nodded. "They arrived about twenty minutes ago."

The receptionist picked up a small cream envelope tucked between the roses and handed it over. "It came with this."

Selene slipped a finger beneath the flap and unfolded the card to read the short message inside:

Congratulations on yesterday. Looking forward to building something unforgettable together.

— Daniel

She read it again, and a wide smile spread across her face, it wasn’t the polite one she gave clients or the one she wore for cameras.

Hannah noticed immediately. "There it is."

Selene looked up. "What?"

"That smile."

Selene folded the card and slipped it back into the envelope. "They're just congratulatory flowers."

"From Daniel Sterling."

"He's my client."

"Mhmm."

"Hannah."

"I'm only saying..." Hannah folded her arms. "I've worked here since Vellum was just you, me, and a few workers.

Selene smiled. "I remember."

"I've also seen a lot of clients, and I've never seen one send flowers."

"It was probably just his way of saying thank you."

"With two hundred roses?"

Selene blinked. "You counted?"

"Of course I counted," Hannah said, as the receptionist laughed beside them. "So did everyone else."

Selene looked around to see almost everyone walking past finding an excuse to glance at the bouquet. One of the designers slowed down just enough to grin. "Boss... if billionaire clients start sending flowers every week, I think business is going really well."

The office burst into laughter, and Selene covered her face with one hand. "Can everyone please go back to work?"

"No promises," a voice called out from the another room, followed by another adding, "At least let us admire them first."

Selene couldn’t help it and joined them laughing. The light mood spread through the office so naturally that for a moment, she forgot everything that had happened over the past week.

Hannah bent down and picked up the arrangement. "I'll put these in your office before somebody steals one."

"You people are unbelievable."

"We learned from the best," Hannah replied, carrying the flowers toward the office.

Selene shook her head, still smiling. For the first time since Vellum officially opened, the office didn't just feel like a company, it felt like home.

Hannah had barely disappeared into the room when Selene's phone buzzed on her desk. She glanced at the screen: Daniel Sterling.

The smile returned as she picked it up and answered, "Good morning."

"Good morning," Daniel replied. "I hope I’m not interrupting."

"You are."

He laughed. "I'll hang up then."

"I was joking."

"I know."

She leaned back in her chair, absentmindedly spinning a pen between her fingers.

"So... did they arrive?" he asked.

"They did."

"And?"

"The entire office has decided to make fun of me."

"I'm sorry."

"You don't sound sorry."

"I'm trying very hard."

Selene smiled, and Daniel added softly, "I can hear you smiling."

"I might be," she admitted, shaking her head. "You really didn't have to send them."

"I know."

"Then why did you?"

There was a brief pause before he answered. "Because yesterday wasn't easy. You walked into that boardroom knowing everyone would question your decisions, and you still stood your ground."

"It is my job."

"It is, but I don’t think you hear good job often enough."

She thought of his words, how honest they sounded, just like pure appreciation.

"I've never met anyone who sends flowers after a crisis meeting," she admitted.

"And I've never met anyone who turns a scandal into free advertising."

She laughed softly. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should."

A comfortable silence settled between them until Daniel cleared his throat. "I'll let you get back to work."

"Thank you... for the flowers."

"My pleasure."

The call ended, and Selene lowered the phone back onto her desk, her eyes drifting toward the bouquet by the window. For the first time in a long while, someone had celebrated her success. She didn’t expect it from him.

Outside the door, Hannah saw the smile stay on Selene's face, and she walked away quietly without disturbing her.