Se connecter“So,” I said, narrowing my eyes slightly. “Marco.”Elena laughed softly. “You’re not wasting any time.”“I’m not here to waste time,” I replied. “Start talking.”She took a sip of her wine, clearly enjoying herself. “What do you want to know?”“Everything,” I said. “Where you met, how long you’ve known him, when he proposed, why you said yes. All of it.”She smiled into her glass. “You already know where we met.”“In Italy,” I said. “During your program. I want details.”Elena shook her head slightly, amused. “You haven’t changed.”“I have,” I said flatly. “Now talk.”She adjusted slightly on the couch, tucking her legs under her. “We met in one of my classes. He was late, walked in like he didn’t care, sat next to me, and asked if I had notes.”I raised a brow. “And you just gave them to him?”“I ignored him,” she said. “At first.”“Good,” I muttered.She laughed. “But he kept showing up. Not just to class—everywhere. Coffee shops, study groups, random events. It got… hard to ignore.
I didn’t knock.I pushed the door open and stepped into Liam’s office like I owned the space, even though every instinct in my body told me to hesitate. He was already there, standing behind his desk, sleeves rolled just enough to make it look intentional. His gaze lifted the second I walked in, like he’d been waiting.“There’s a visitor in your office,” he said before I could speak, his tone calm, measured. “I’m sorry I had to pull you away.”I shut the door behind me, letting it click softly into place. “You didn’t have to,” I replied, crossing the room without rushing. “You chose to.”His jaw shifted slightly, but he didn’t argue. “Take a seat.”“I’m fine standing.”“Nina.”The way he said my name wasn’t loud, but it carried weight. I held his gaze for a second longer, then pulled the chair out and sat, crossing one leg over the other, my posture straight and controlled.“What’s the problem?” I asked.He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he reached for something on his desk, a fi
I didn’t look at Elena immediately. I stayed where I was, near my desk, my fingers brushing lightly against the surface like I needed something solid to hold onto. Then I exhaled slowly and turned back to her.“So,” I said, my tone shifting, smoothing out, controlled. “How long are you staying?”Elena watched me for a moment before answering, like she could see the shift happen in real time. “A few weeks,” she said. “Marco booked me into a hotel nearby. The Grand Meridian.”I nodded once. “That’s… convenient.”“It’s close to here,” she added, like that mattered.“Clearly.”There was a small pause before I moved toward my chair and sat down, gesturing vaguely toward the one across from me. “Sit.”She did, folding her hands loosely in her lap, still watching me like she was trying to read something I wasn’t giving her.“When’s the wedding?” I asked, picking up a pen and tapping it lightly against the desk.“September,” she said. “In Italy. Near Florence.”“That’s soon.”“It is,” she agr
I saw her before she saw me.For a second, I almost turned around.The front desk area felt too open and exposed, with polished floors reflecting everything too clearly. She stood there like she belonged, like she hadn’t just walked back into a part of my life I had deliberately shut down.“Elena.”I didn’t say it out loud.Not yet.She turned.Like she felt it.Our eyes met, and there it was. Recognition. Immediate. Unavoidable.“Nina.”My name sounded different in her voice. Softer. Familiar in a way that felt wrong now.I stopped a few steps away from her, my posture straightening automatically, my expression locking into something controlled.“What are you doing here?” I asked, my tone even, but not warm.She smiled faintly, like she expected that. “It’s good to see you too.”I didn’t return it. “How did you find me?”“I tried calling,” she said. “You didn’t pick up.”“So you just showed up?” I replied, my brows pulling slightly.She hesitated, just for a second, and I knew someth
I didn’t realise how quiet my office could feel until it wasn’t.Amy was sitting across from me, legs tucked under her chair, gesturing wildly with a fork like she was presenting a case to a jury. “And then he says, with full confidence, ‘I thought the deadline was next week,’ and I just stared at him like… are you serious right now?”Ralph snorted from the corner, leaning back with his usual detached calm. “That’s not confidence. That’s delusion.”I let out a small laugh before I could stop myself, shaking my head as I picked at my food. “That’s what happens when people don’t read emails.”Amy pointed at me immediately. “Exactly! Thank you. See, this is why I like you.”“You like me because I agree with you,” I replied dryly.“I like you because you’re efficient,” she corrected, then grinned. “The agreement is just a bonus.”Ralph tilted his head slightly, studying me. “You’re in a suspiciously good mood.”I raised a brow. “Am I?”Amy leaned forward, narrowing her eyes. “You’re smili
By the time I got home, the quiet felt louder than the party.The hallway was dim, the kind of soft lighting that usually made everything feel calm, but tonight it just made the silence heavier. I shifted my bag on my shoulder, digging through it for my keys as I reached my door, my fingers brushing past random things before finally closing around the cold metal.Just as I brought the key up, my phone started buzzing.I paused, already annoyed.I pulled it out, glancing at the screen.Devil Sent.I let out a slow breath, my shoulders dropping slightly as irritation settled in. “What do you want now?” I muttered under my breath, staring at his name like it personally offended me.I didn’t pick up.I ended the call, shoved the phone back into my bag, and unlocked the door.The moment I stepped inside, I kicked the door shut behind me, the sound echoing lightly through the apartment. I dropped my bag onto the couch without care and started toward my bedroom, already reaching for my phone







