Dinner
868 Words
Elara's POV
The restaurant was completely empty.
Not closed.
Empty.
Clair had rented the entire place for the evening.
No reporters.
No photographers.
No curious strangers pretending not to recognize me.
Just us.
For the first time since the scandal broke, I could breathe without wondering whether someone was recording me.
I sat across from Clair at a small table near the window, staring at the untouched plate in front of me.
“You haven't eaten.”
“I've been thinking.”
“That is exactly why you need to eat.”
I picked up my fork.
“Happy?”
“Not yet.”
I sighed and took a bite.
Vivian smiled.
“There.”
She lifted her glass of water.
“Here's to surviving the worst week of your career.”
I gave her a look.
“That's a terrible toast.”
“It's an accurate one.”
I couldn't argue with that.
For a few minutes, we ate in silence.
Then Clair placed her fork down.
“We need to talk.”
I immediately knew what she meant.
“The scandal?”
She nodded.
I leaned back.
“Tell me everything.”
Clair looked at me carefully.
“The video wasn't leaked randomly.”
“I know.”
“No. I mean someone planned this.”
My stomach tightened.
“Who?”
“We don't know yet.”
“Then what do we know?”
She reached into her bag and pulled out a thin folder.
“I've been investigating since yesterday.”
She opened it.
“There were three people who had access to the original footage.”
I stared at the documents.
“Who?”
“One of them works for the event production company. One works with the hotel. The third—”
She stopped.
“What?”
“Someone from your former campaign team.”
I frowned.
“Why would anyone from my team do this?”
“I don't know.”
I looked down at the papers.
“Could it be a competitor?”
“Possibly.”
“Another model?”
“Possibly.”
I rubbed my forehead.
“Everyone keeps saying possible.”
“Because we don't have proof yet.”
I sighed.
Clair reached across the table.
“That's why I need you to stay away from the media.”
“I know.”
“And the new job?”
I looked at her.
“What about it?”
“You start tomorrow.”
I nodded.
“Eight in the morning.”
“How was Caleb?”
I froze.
For some reason, the question immediately brought his face back into my mind.
Tall.
Broad shoulders.
Dark hair.
That sharp, almost intimidating face.
And those eyes.
God.
Those eyes.
I looked down at my plate.
“He's…”
Vivian raised an eyebrow.
“He's what?”
“Intimidating.”
She smiled.
“Only intimidating?”
I gave her a warning look.
“Clair.”
“What?”
“He's my boss.”
“Technically, you haven't started yet.”
“I'm still not discussing this.”
She laughed.
I took another bite of food.
But it didn't help.
Because the moment I looked away, I saw him again.
Caleb was sitting behind his desk.
The way he had looked at me.
The calmness in his voice.
The slight shift in his expression whenever I challenged him.
And the way he had told me to call him Caleb.
I shook my head.
Why was I thinking about him?
I'd known him for less than an hour.
“You're doing it again.”
I looked at Clair.
“Doing what?”
“Thinking.”
“I'm always thinking.”
“Not like that.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“What does that mean?”
She smiled knowingly.
“You're thinking about him.”
My cheeks warmed.
“No, I'm not.”
“You are.”
“I am thinking about my job.”
“His name is Caleb.”
“Exactly.”
“So you're thinking about Caleb.”
I groaned.
“You're impossible.”
Clair laughed.
“I'm your manager. It's my job to notice things.”
I looked toward the window.
Outside, the streets were empty and quiet.
For once, I didn't mind.
Tomorrow, I will step into a completely different world.
No runway.
No cameras.
No screaming crowds.
Just an office.
A desk.
A schedule.
And Caleb Vale.
I frowned.
Why did his face keep appearing in my mind?
Maybe it was because he was intimidating.
Maybe because I'd spent the entire day worrying about starting a new job.
Or maybe—
I didn't want to admit the other possibility.
I took another sip of water.
“I'm going to forget about him.”
Clair smiled.
“You say that like he's already difficult to forget.”
I glared at her.
“Eat your dinner.”
She laughed.
I tried to laugh with her.
But when I looked down at my plate again, his face appeared in my mind one more time.
And this time, I couldn't stop myself from wondering what his eyes would look like when he wasn't trying so hard to hide whatever was behind them.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD