Chapter 15: HIS GAZE WAS INTENSE.

       I blinked, my mind struggling to catch up. "I-I'm Samantha," I finally managed, my voice slightly uneven. "I work here."

Her brows lifted slightly, as if she hadn't expected that answer. "You work here?" she echoed, as if tasting the words on her tongue.

Before she could say anything else, the sound of footsteps filled the air.

I turned instinctively, my pulse stuttering.

Alan.

He walked in with his usual air of quiet confidence, his sharp black eyes scanning the room before landing on the woman in front of me. And then-

His entire demeanor shifted.

His expression softened, his lips pulling into something dangerously close to a real smile.

"Alan," the woman breathed, as if she couldn't believe he was actually standing there.

"Isabel?”

The way he said her name—low, familiar, intimate, sent an unexpected pang through me. And then, before I could fully process it, she closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him.

I should have looked away. Should have given them a moment. But I couldn't.

Because Alan—aloof, unreadable, untouchable Alan, hugged her back.

And not in a stiff way but a polite way.

His hand pressed lightly against the small of her back, his head dipped just slightly toward her, as if her presence alone brought him a rare sense of comfort.

Something tight coiled in my stomach.

They knew each other. Not just in passing. Not as acquaintances. This was something deeper.

"Still the same," Isabel murmured as they pulled apart, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "You never change."

Alan chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. "And you're still dramatic."

My fingers curled around the kitchen towel I hadn't realized I was holding.

I didn't like this.

I didn't even know why I didn't like this.

Just when I thought they'd completely forgotten I was standing there, Alan finally asked, "What are you doing here? This is... surprising."

Isabel scoffed, swatting his arm lightly. "Why would you even ask that? As if I'd ever miss something this important."

Alan raised an eyebrow. "Something important?"

She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "The ball, Alan. The heartwarming, grand event of the year. Of course, I'm here."

I stiffened.

Ball?

Since when was there a ball?

Alan didn't react much—his usual unreadable self again, but I felt a shift in the air between them. A silent understanding.

Isabel let out a small sigh before suddenly turning her attention back to me. Her green eyes flickered with curiosity as she studied me more intently.

"And who is this?" she asked, tilting her head slightly toward Alan.

Alan barely hesitated before answering, his voice neutral.

"This is Samantha White," he said plainly. "She works here. She's an employee. A caretaker to blake."

That was it.

Nothing more.

Not a single mention that I was also partially his caretaker too. That I cooked for him. That I... that we...

I swallowed against the unexpected sting in my chest.

"Oh!" Isabel's face lit up almost instantly. Instead of offering a handshake, she did something completely unexpected, she pulled me into a warm hug.

I stiffened at first, caught off guard, but there was something so genuine about it. As if she had already decided she liked me before I had even spoken a full sentence to her.

"its nice to meet you sam," she said, pulling back with a grin. "Anyone who has the patience to deal with Blake is practically a saint."

I blinked, still processing the rapid shift in energy and sam?

Alan said nothing, but I could feel his gaze on me.

And suddenly, I wasn't sure what surprised me more—the fact that Isabel had been so openly warm toward me...

Or the fact that Alan had chosen to introduce me so plainly.

And for some reason, that bothered me.

Just as I was still processing Isabel's unexpected warmth, the sound of approaching footsteps caught my attention.

Nadia.

She stepped into the kitchen, her usual confident stride momentarily faltering the second her gaze landed on Isabel. And then her entire face lit up.

"Oh my God," Nadia gasped, practically rushing forward. "Miss Isabel?"

I blinked. Miss Isabel?

A wide smile broke across Isabel's face, her green eyes shining with excitement. "Nadia!" she exclaimed, meeting her halfway and pulling her into a tight hug.

I stood frozen as they embraced like long-lost friends, their laughter filling the kitchen like an old melody.

"Oh my God, it's been forever," Isabel said, pulling back just enough to hold Nadia at arm's length. "Look at you! You haven't changed at all."

Nadia laughed, shaking her head. "I could say the same about you! You look stunning as always."

Isabel tossed her hair dramatically. "Flattery will get you everywhere."

They both giggled, the easy familiarity between them making it clear that they'd known each other for a long time.

And then—

Then Isabel turned her attention fully to Nadia, her expression softening with genuine care. "How are you?" she asked warmly. "How have you been? And how are my brothers treating you?"

I felt it like a slap.

Brothers?

My heart skipped a beat, my breath catching as the realization struck me like a tidal wave.

Isabel wasn't Alan's lover.

She was his sister.

I felt like an idiot.

A colossal, overthinking, assuming idiot.

Every single moment from before—the way Alan had hugged her, the way she had spoken to him so intimately, it had all screamed something else to me. I had let my thoughts spiral, let my emotions twist things into something they weren't.

And now, as I stood there frozen, still trying to process this revelation, I suddenly became aware of a steady gaze on me.

I looked up.

Alan was already watching.

His black eyes were locked onto mine, unblinking, unreadable.

A slow, sinking sensation spread through me as I realized—he had been watching me this whole time.

Watching my reaction.

Watching me realize.

My throat felt dry, my heart pounding for an entirely new reason now.

Because in that moment, we weren't speaking with words.

We didn't need to.

His stare held something knowing, something sharp, something teasing.

As if he could see everything—the way I had mistaken Isabel for something else, the way my stomach had twisted at their closeness, the way I had made an absolute fool of myself in my own mind.

And now, with just a look, he was telling me he knew.

I swallowed hard, willing myself to look away. But I couldn't.

The air between us shifted.

How long had we been staring at each other? A second? A minute? An eternity?

I didn't know.

And I wasn't sure I wanted to.

Because something was happening in this silence.

Something that made my pulse race and my stomach flip.

It wasn't until Isabel's voice broke through the haze that I finally blinked.

"So, tell me everything," she said, looping her arm around Nadia's. "What's been going on here? What have I missed?"

Nadia laughed. "Oh, where do I even start from ma'am?"

Isabel grinned, leaning in. "Start with the drama. I live for the drama."

I barely heard them.

Because even as the conversation continued around us, even as the world moved forward, I could still feel him.

Still feel the way Alan's gaze had stayed on me, unwavering.

And I knew—

Whatever just happened between us in that silence...

It wasn't over.

Isabel and Nadia were still laughing as they walked out of the kitchen, their voices fading into the distance.

And just like that, we were alone—again.

I couldn't continue holding the eye contact again so I turned my face away from him and focused on the smooth, cold surface of the countertop beneath my fingertips, forcing myself to breathe, to think.

But it was impossible when I could feel him.

Standing there. Watching me.

Waiting.

I swallowed hard before finally breaking the silence.

"I didn't know you had a sister."

Alan's gaze remained steady. "Yeah, well... it's not like we've ever had a conversation where that would come up, is it?"

"Right." I gave a small nod.

His lips quirked slightly. "You thought she was someone else, didn't you? A girlfriend, maybe?"

I didn't answer right away—mostly because he was right.

"Not really," I finally said, though we both knew it wasn't entirely the truth.

Alan hummed, a knowing look in his eyes. "Hmm. If you say so."

After a little silence again I decided to speak.

"I'm sorry, for what happened earlier in your room," I said, my voice quieter than I intended. "For the way I spoke. And the things I said."

I hesitated, my throat tightening.

"Please... just forget it."

For a long, agonizing second, he said nothing.

Then—

"You always say what's on your mind like that?"

I stiffened.

His voice was smooth, steady, like he wasn't asking for an explanation, just making an observation.

I forced my hands to remain still, ignoring the way my fingers wanted to grip the counter just to ground myself.

"I-" I started, but my voice wavered. I hated that.

I swallowed, shaking my head slightly. "I don't know what came over me."

A low, humorless chuckle left him. "That makes two of us."

Something in his tone made me turn around and glance up.

His gaze was intense, the same way it had been when we locked eyes earlier. But this time... this time, there was something else beneath it.

Like my words had done something to him.

Like he was seeing me differently now.

My pulse quickened.

I should have looked away. Should have said something to break the tension stretching between us like a wire pulled too tight.

But I didn't.

And neither did he.

The silence swelled, thick with something unspoken, something I didn't quite understand.

I parted my lips, ready to say anything, but before I could—

He moved.

Smooth, effortless, like this moment hadn't affected him at all.

And then without any word he turned and walked out.

Leaving me alone.

Again.

A sharp breath left me as I gripped the counter, my fingers pressing into the surface like it could somehow keep me grounded.

This was getting out of hand.

I needed to get myself together.

I needed space. Away from both of them.

And yet, deep down, I already knew—

Neither Blake nor Alan were the kind of men you could run from.....

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