CHAPTER 9 JEALOUSY

ISLA

Well since Elena came, it has been two days now, It is so impossible to ignore her. Every time I walked into the room, Elena seemed to appear from nowhere, smiling up at Adrian like she had a secret only he knew.

And that smile? It made me want to scream and tear my hair out at the same time.

She wasn’t trying to be subtle. She would touch his arm lightly, lean in close, her laugh lilting and soft as she whispered something in his ear.

I could feel the sting of jealousy prickle at my skin. It wasn’t like I could just walk up and punch her in the face…no, that would be too obvious, wouldn’t it?

But every time she giggled at something Adrian said, it made me want to punch a pillow… or maybe an actual wall.

I tried to tell myself it didn’t matter. That she was just being friendly, that I had no reason to feel threatened.

But I wasn’t fooling anyone. Least of all myself.

And, of course, Adrian… He didn’t even notice. Of course, he didn’t. He was too caught up in his own world, trying to keep everything under control.

I was the one who had to adjust. I was the one who had to figure out where I fit into all of this, in this world of high-society people, business meetings, and high-powered executives.

Adrian was... well, Adrian. He was the boss, the hero in every story, the person everyone looked to for answers.

And then there was me. The messy one, the one who didn’t quite belong.

But maybe I could get his attention. Maybe if I made him see me…really see me…he’d forget about Elena.

About her soft, fluttering laughter, about how she hung onto his every word, as if his opinions were gold.

I wasn’t exactly sure how I planned to do that. But I figured I’d start small.

****

I walked into the kitchen that evening, arms crossed as I leaned against the doorway, casually letting my eyes fall on Adrian. He was sitting at the kitchen island, deep in thought, a stack of paperwork spread out in front of him.

Elena was there too, of course, standing too close to him, chatting about some nonsense I couldn’t bring myself to care about.

I let out a dramatic sigh, loud enough to be heard, and then dramatically plopped down into the seat next to Adrian, crossing my legs and tapping my foot impatiently.

“Isla?” Adrian looked up, a puzzled look crossing his face. “Everything alright?”

“Of course,” I said with a forced smile. “Just thinking about… stuff.”

Elena shot me a glance, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly as she pretended not to notice my obvious antics.

But I wasn’t going to let that slide. Oh no.

I turned toward Adrian, looking at him like I’d just discovered the meaning of life.

“You know, I think I’m going to start a new hobby,” I said, voice full of exaggerated enthusiasm.

“Oh?” Adrian raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by my tone.

“Yep.” I leaned in a little closer to him, lowering my voice just enough for it to be a little flirtatious. “I’ve decided to become an expert in... distracting my very busy, very handsome boss.”

He chuckled, his eyes lighting up with amusement. “And how do you plan on doing that?”

“Well,” I said, trailing off, “I could start by offering to make you dinner. Or maybe we could take a little break from all this work... go for a walk?”

I gave him a sideways glance, hoping he was catching my drift.

I wasn’t exactly being subtle, but at least I was being bold. Maybe a little too bold.

Elena, of course, didn’t miss a beat. “Oh, Isla, you must be tired. You’ve had such a stressful week, haven’t you?

It’s such a shame when people don’t get enough rest.” She said it sweetly, but I could feel the thinly veiled insult wrapped in sugar.

I smiled, my eyes narrowing slightly as I turned toward her.

“I don’t know about that,” I said in a voice that was just a little too sweet. “But I’m sure Adrian has enough work to keep him busy. And maybe... just maybe, I’ll help him take a little break.”

Adrian glanced between us, clearly sensing the undercurrent of tension, though he didn’t quite understand it.

He just shook his head, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “You two are ridiculous,” he muttered, though it was clear he was amused by the back-and-forth.

I wasn’t done yet. No, not by a long shot.

“I’m serious though,” I continued, my voice lowering a little as I leaned closer to him, letting my gaze linger on his lips for just a moment. “You should take a break, Adrian. A real one.

The kind where we... forget about all the crazy things going on for just a little while.”

I felt the shift in the air around us, the tension easing just a little.

Adrian’s expression softened, his eyes flicking to mine, and for a moment, I saw a glimmer of something…something more than just amusement. There was warmth there. Maybe even a little desire. I couldn’t be sure. But I didn’t want to be sure. Not yet.

I turned away, pretending to examine my nails, giving Adrian some space to process what I’d said. I could feel Elena’s gaze boring into me from across the kitchen, but I didn’t care.

This was my moment.

Adrian’s voice broke the silence. “How about tomorrow?” he said, his tone more serious now. “We’ll take a break tomorrow, okay?”

I looked up, surprised by his sudden shift. I smiled. It wasn’t my victory, at least not yet but it was something.

I could see Elena’s jaw tighten, but I wasn’t about to let her steal my thunder. Not today.

I left them to plan my next action because I deserve attention here too.