All Chapters of She Didn't Know He Noticed: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

If someone told me months ago that I would be standing on a balcony in Seoul beside a half-British bestselling author while city lights shimmered beneath us like spilled diamonds, I would’ve laughed.Yet here I am.The dinner party had softened into smaller conversations. Glasses clinked. Soft jazz played from inside. The air was cold but comforting. And beside me was Luke. He leaned against the railing casually, sleeves rolled up, collar slightly undone. His British features were sharp but gentle. His voice carried that low, calm accent that made everything sound poetic, even nonsense.“You look like you’re trying to run away,” he said, glancing sideways at me.“I’m not,” I replied. “I just needed air.”He smirked slightly. “That’s what people say before they emotionally disappear.”I blinked. “Do I look like I’m emotionally disappearing?”“A little.”I let out a quiet laugh. “You barely know me.”He tilted his head. “Writers observe. It’s annoying, I know.”“Very.”We both smiled. F

Hindi ko alam kung kailan naging ganito. Kung kailan naging normal na hintayin ang message niya bago matulog. Kung kailan naging routine ang “Are you free tonight?” Kung kailan naging comfort ang presensya niya sa tabi ko.Pero ngayong gabi, iba.“Award nights are boring,” Luke muttered beside me as we sat at a long table filled with industry people.Natawa ako. “You’re the one who insisted we attend.”“I like supporting you,” he replied simply.Napatingin ako sa kanya. “You didn’t have to.”“I know.”May spotlight sa stage. May mga tinatawag na pangalan. Applause. Camera flashes. Typical. But my awareness wasn’t on the stage. It was on the warmth of his arm resting behind my chair. Not touching. But close.“You look tense,” he whispered.“I hate events like this.”“Why?”“Too many eyes.”He leaned closer. “Then don’t look at them.”“Where should I look?”He tilted his head slightly.“At me.”I swallowed. There was something dangerous about the way he said that. Not flirtatious. Not p

“Luke!”My voice cracked in the middle of the terminal. He turned slowly. No shock. No anger. Just quiet recognition.For a second, the noise of the airport faded. The boarding announcements, the rolling suitcases, the murmurs of strangers—it all blurred.It was just him and the space between us. He didn’t smile but he didn’t look cold either. He looked… prepared.I walked toward him, trying to steady my breathing.“You came,” he said softly.“I—” I swallowed. “You blocked me.”A faint exhale left his lips. “I did.”“Why?”“Because if I heard your voice before leaving, I wouldn’t.”The honesty knocked the air out of me.“I needed to see you,” I whispered.He nodded once. “I figured.”The line for boarding moved slowly beside him. People glanced at us,

It’s been a few years. Isang buong taon mula nang huling beses kong makita si Luke sa airport. Isang taon mula nang marinig ko ang mga salitang iyon—“I love you… but you’re not mine.”Minsan naiisip ko pa rin kung paano niya nasabi iyon nang ganoon kalumanay. Walang galit. Walang paninisi. Just acceptance. Parang alam na niya ang katotohanan bago ko pa inamin sa sarili ko.I still miss him.Not in a way that aches uncontrollably. Hindi na ganoon kasakit. But there are days when I see a bookstore and I remember how he’d drag me inside just to smell the pages. There are nights when I read interviews of British authors and I wonder kung may bagong libro na ba siya.But now, I understand.We were better off as friends.At that time, hindi ako sigurado sa nararamdaman ko. Hindi ko kayang ibigay ang buong puso ko kung may parte pa nito na hindi malinaw. And Luke deserved clarity. He deserved some

Lunch arrived, but I barely noticed the food. Hindi dahil hindi ako gutom. But because I could feel it. Sophie’s eyes. Nakatitig siya sa akin.Hindi lang basta tingin—yung klase ng titig na parang binubusisi ka. As if she was trying to peel away layers and see what was underneath.I kept my posture straight. Calm. Composed. As if nothing was wrong.But inside, my chest felt tight. You can do this. You’re not the same girl anymore. Maddy happily started serving food onto our plates.“Oh my god, you have to try this,” she said, pushing a dish toward me. “This is one of the best sellers here.”I smiled politely. “It looks good.”But before I could take a bite— I felt it again.Sophie’s gaze. Direct. Unmoving.I slowly looked up but then our eyes met. She didn’t even bother pretending she wasn’t staring.For a moment, walang nagsalita. Then Maddy suddenly cleared her throat.“So… Diane,” she started brightly, trying to break the silence, “you mentioned yesterday that your Seoul branch exp