Still facing the glass, Elio's jaw tightened as Maya's words filled the silence behind him.
"But I've made it clear to you how I felt," he said, his voice low, restrained. "You knew it, without me even having to say it, Maya, you have always known."
Maya stepped closer. "But we can change that," she cut in quickly. "If you just open your heart to me, Elio. I will make you forget her. With me, you won't have to beg to be in my life."
Elio finally turned to face her, his eyes sharp now, jaw clenched. Each word she spoke only added to the weight pressing on his chest. It wasn't just the desperation in her voice, it was how wrong it all felt.
"Maya, stop," he said, the frustration finally showing. "You're not listening. You never do, are you that desperate, hmm, are you that desperate just to be her replacement?"
But she kept talking, trying to reach for him, as if holding onto something that was never hers to begin with. And the more she spoke, the more suffocated Elio felt.
Elio's patience finally snapped, "End of discussion Maya!" he snapped, his voice echoing through the spacious office.
Maya froze for a second, clearly startled, but she quickly composed herself. A slow breath in. She straightened her shoulders, adjusted her expression, and turned with quiet grace, walking over to the edge of his desk. She perched slightly on it, crossing one leg over the other with deliberate poise, her eyes never leaving him.
"I heard you were invited to Mr. Harlan's gathering yesterday," she said smoothly, as if the previous conversation hadn't just occurred. "Quite the event… a lot of important faces. And I heard, it was something big." Her tone was carefully casual, but her intent was obvious.
Elio narrowed his eyes, unsure of where she was going with it.
Maya tilted her head, her lips curling just slightly. "I think you can offer my dad something… a deal,.Something valuable. Maybe, with that, I can try to put all this… behind us."
He stared at her, disbelief flickering across his face. "Are you serious right now?" he asked, voice low and flat.
She smiled faintly. "Why not? You've made your point, Elio, I get it. We don't need to keep dragging this out. Let's be adults here, hmm?"
He was a little surprised but wasn't shocked to hear that from her. Not truly. Maya always had a motive. She always played her cards with a smile and a hidden agenda. This, her offer, her charm, the sudden switch from emotional plea to business talk, was something he wasn't expecting tho. She hadn't changed, not even a little.
The silence lingered for a beat as Maya stood up, smoothing the fabric of her dress. She turned to leave but paused at the door. Glancing back over her shoulder with a smirk, she added, "You know… I've always loved that cold, charismatic thing you do." Her eyes lingered for a second longer. "So damn irresistible." She smiles and walks out, leaving the door slightly ajar and Elio standing in the middle of the room, jaw clenched, tension suppressed beneath his calm face.
Elio stood still for a moment, staring at the door after Maya left. He let out a quiet sigh, running a hand through his hair as he turned back toward his desk. He sat down slowly, leaning back in his chair and staring out at the city skyline. This time, her manipulation didn't sting. It just confirmed what he already knew.
She wasn't in love with him, She was in love with power, with having him, controlling the narrative, and keeping herself relevant in his world.
He scoffed under his breath, shaking his head with a bitter smile. The nerve, he thought. Just as James walked in, holding a tablet in his hand.
"Sir, your next meeting is in ten minutes," James said, noticing the look on Elio's face but knowing better than to ask.
Elio simply nodded, straightening his suit as he stood. "Okay," he said calmly, brushing off the lingering tension from Maya's visit.
The rest of his day passed in a blur of meetings, phone calls, and approvals. He kept himself busy, focused, and determined not to let emotions drag him down again.
After the long day at work, Elio walked out of the building, his pace steady but quiet. The evening air was cool, brushing lightly against his face. James followed closely behind, keeping a respectful distance as always.
"Don't forget," Elio said, his voice low, "we have a meeting with Mr. Harlan tomorrow. Make sure everything is set."
"Yes, sir. I've already confirmed the time and location," James replied.
As they approached the car, James moved ahead and opened the door for him. Elio gave a small nod of thanks and slid into the back seat. Without wasting a second, he leaned back and said to his chauffeur, "To the penthouse." The door shut gently behind him. The city lights blurred past the tinted windows as they pulled away, and Elio sat in silence.
He leaned his head against the back of the car seat, letting out a dry chuckle. Maya's proposal replayed in his mind, offering peace in exchange for a deal. A deal? Really? That wasn't the problem. Elio had handled bigger contracts with far more difficult terms. The issue wasn't business, it was her, them, the entire Bartlett family. He doesn't want anything to do with them.
When the car pulled into the private entrance of his penthouse building, He stepped out of the car, and he paused for a moment. The night air was cool and calm, a soft breeze brushing against his face. Everything felt distant and quiet. He tilted his head slightly, closing his eyes for a second, just taking it in, the stillness. After a deep breath, he opened his eyes, straightened his shoulders, and walked toward the entrance.
It was one of those rare moments where the noise of his thoughts dulled slightly, replaced by the simple peace of night, and he walked in. The soft lighting in the hallway greeted him as he entered his home. His house helper is still around, and she looked up from arranging a few things on the shelf.
"Good evening, sir," she said politely.
"Evening," Elio replied with a tired smile.
She followed him to the living room "Would you like me to make you something to eat?" she asked gently.
"Anything is fine," he murmured, waving a hand without much thought.
Instead of going straight to his room, he dropped onto the couch in the living room. The silence around him was oddly calming. He let himself sink back, staring at the ceiling, still lost in thought, thinking about Maya's deal.
Minutes passed before his phone lit up and vibrated against the side table. It was his mother. He sighed before picking up.
"Yes, Mother," he answered.
"I heard Maya visited you today," she said almost instantly.
Elio frowned slightly, sitting up. "Who told you that?"
"Does it matter?" she replied calmly. "I want to know what she wanted."
He rubbed his forehead. "She came to my office. Said she missed me. Then offered some twisted trade, she'll pretend nothing happened between us if I give her father a deal."
There was a pause on the other end, then Lila spoke, her voice firmer. "That girl is just like her mother, Manipulative. Don't give her that deal, Elio. If you do, she'll only keep coming back for more."
"I know," Elio said quietly. "Actually… The deal was nothing much. What bothers me is her coming back for more because she won't stop there."
"You know right?" she said, confirming what she meant by not giving her the deal.
"I know," he said again, this time with more weight, I will think about it. He ended the call, tossing the phone beside him.
The housekeeper walked over to where Elio sat, her voice soft and respectful. "Sir, I've set the table. Your food is ready."
Elio gave a small nod, rising from the couch with a quiet sigh. He followed her to the dining area, where a simple but warm meal was laid out neatly. The scent of the food filled the space, comforting in its own way.
He sat down, picked up his cutlery, and began to eat. The meal was good, but his thoughts still lingered on the day, on Maya, on everything he was trying to push aside.
After finishing, he stood up and gave who was already clearing the side. He made his way upstairs, heading to his room.
The moment he stepped inside, he exhaled deeply, loosened his shirt, he stepped into the bathroom, letting the warm water wash over him, trying to rinse off the long day. He needed to shake it off. After a while, he dried himself, wrapped a towel around his waist, and walked back into his room.
Just as he reached for his clothes, his phone buzzed on the nightstand. He glanced at the screen, expecting James or maybe his mother.
But instead, the name that lit up stopped him cold.
Ella.
His heart skipped.
He stared at it for a second longer than necessary. She never called without a reason. And even after everything… her name still made something in him shift. He let it ring once more before reaching for the phone.
"Hello" Her voice was soft, almost uncertain, like the wind brushing against something fragile. But for Elio, it was everything. The sound struck him with the force of a memory he'd been trying to forget.
He froze, towel still clinging to his waist, droplets of water trailing down his chest. He swallowed, his fingers tightening around the phone.
"Ella?" he breathed, stunned.
There was silence on the other end, When she finally spoke again, her voice was calmer but carried a tremble.
"Hi, Elio… I hope it's not too late to call. I…" She hesitated, then steadied herself. "I was wondering if we could meet tomorrow. In the evening."
Elio sat down on the edge of the bed, heart pounding. It felt like she had reached into his chest with her voice and squeezed. The silence between them felt intimate, too intimate for two people who were supposed to be strangers.
"Where?" he asked, barely above a whisper.
"The Rosehill Conservatory. 6 p.m., "she replied quickly, as if afraid she'd lose the nerve if she delayed.
His throat tightened. "Okay," he said.
Another pause. A shaky inhale on her end.
The silence between them hummed with energy, unsaid words, undone touches, unfinished moments.
Finally, her voice came again, almost a whisper.
"So… will you come?"
"I'll be there," he said, low and sure.
A soft breath from her side. Relief, maybe even hope.
"Okay," she murmured. "Goodnight, Elio."
"Goodnight, Ella."
The call ended, Elio sat there, phone still in hand, heart beating like it had just remembered how.
He looked toward the window. The city was quiet, but inside him, it was chaos. The war between reason and desire, Hurt and hope.
Tomorrow, he'd see her, maybe everything might change, he prayed it would. Because her voice still reached the parts of him he thought were fading, his mother was right that real love doesn't vanish overnight.
Elio sat on the bed, frozen in thought, the weight of his emotions heavy on his chest. His heart thudded with a rhythm that felt too loud, too fast, as if it knew what his mind was still trying to process.
He didn't know what to expect, but deep down, he hoped. He hoped for a chance, for a beginning, for something that didn't feel like a dream slipping through his fingers. He loved her. He always had.
She wasn't just a woman to him, she was the reason. The reason he built, the reason he fought, the reason he stood tall. His strength, his softness, his beginning.
Even though they had both tried to set everything aside, to move on, to act like nothing happened, that night brought it all crashing back. Everything began again "THAT NIGHT."
The look in her eyes, the kiss, the silence between them that spoke louder than words. The way his soul felt raw just being near her. It wasn't just memories that returned, it was everything, every ache, every smile, every moment of what they were, and what they could've been.
That night didn't fix the past, but it reminded him just ho
w deeply he still felt.
No matter how far he ran, she was still his ending.
All the feelings from that night came rushing in, fast, unfiltered, overwhelming.