His Heiress To Love

An Unforgettable gaze

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Eliana Carter, couldn’t stop staring into the eyes of the most handsome man she believed she had ever met, unable to fix her gaze away from him.Despite been the one that Victoria Bennett pushed, and she fell directly into Adrian Johnson’s arms before she could even understand what was happening. One moment she was standing quietly with her delivery bag, trying not to draw attention, and the next her body was thrown forward, her balance gone, her heart jumping in fear as she expected to hit the hard marble floor. But she didn’t. Strong arms caught her immediately, firm and steady, pulling her into a solid chest that felt warm and safe in a way she had not felt in a long time.

Eliana froze in shock, her fingers gripping the front of his suit without thinking. Slowly, she lifted her head, her breath uneven, and her eyes met his. Adrian Johnson.

He was closer than she had ever imagined, his face calm but his eyes intense, watching her in a way that made her heart beat faster. For a few seconds, neither of them moved. It felt like the world had gone quiet around them.

Adrian could not look away.

There was something about her that felt strange and familiar at the same time. Her scent was soft, simple, but it stirred something deep in his memory, something he could not clearly remember. He found himself staring at her longer than he should, trying to understand why she felt so known to him.

“Eliana! What do you think you’re doing?”

Victoria Bennet’s sharp voice broke the moment.

Eliana suddenly realized how close she still was to him. Her eyes widened, and she quickly stepped back, letting go of his suit as if she had done something wrong.

“I…I’m sorry, sir,” she said quickly, lowering her head in embarrassment. “I didn’t mean to fall ”

“You didn’t mean to throw yourself at him?” Victoria said with a cold laugh as she walked closer. “Of course, that must be it.”

Eliana clenched her hands but stayed quiet.

She knew this kind of talk too well.

Victoria looked her up and down with clear dislike. “Look at you. You’ve already dirtied Mr. Johnson’s clothes. Do you even know how expensive that suit is? Can you afford it?”

The words hurt, but Eliana said nothing.

Before things could get worse, Adrian spoke.

“That’s enough.”

His voice was calm, but strong.

Everyone nearby became quiet immediately.

“Every job deserves respect,” Adrian said, his eyes now on Victoria. “My grandfather started by collecting junk before he built this company. No work is useless.”

The air changed.

People around them pretended not to listen, but they clearly were.

Victoria forced a smile, but her anger showed. “Mr. Johnson, you shouldn’t be fooled by her innocent face. She has a child out of wedlock. She’s always chasing men like this.”

Eliana felt her chest tighten.

That part of her life was always used against her.

But Adrian did not even pause.

“I am not interested in her personal life,” he said firmly. “And you should not be either.”

Victoria’s smile faded.

“Don’t you have work to do?” Adrian added. “Or do you have nothing better to do?”

His words were clear.

And embarrassing for her.

Victoria looked angry, but she could not argue. She turned and walked away quickly, her heels hitting the floor loudly.

Silence filled the space again.

Eliana took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

Then she looked at Adrian.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

He didn’t answer immediately. He just looked at her again, as if he was still trying to understand something.

Before anything else could happen, Adrian’s manager stepped forward.

“Sir, your meeting is in ten minutes,” he said, then stopped when he noticed Adrian’s tie. “Your tie is dirty.”

Eliana followed his eyes and felt bad.

“Oh… that’s because of me.”

She quickly opened her bag and took out a clean scarf.

“I can fix it,” she said. “If you don’t mind.”

Adrian did not stop her.

He simply nodded slightly.

“Please lower your head,” Eliana said gently.

Adrian did as she asked.

Her hands moved carefully as she removed his tie. Her fingers were gentle and quick, showing she had done this kind of thing before.

Adrian watched her closely.

He noticed the way she focused, the way her eyes softened when she worked. He could still smell that same light scent around her, and it continued to bother his thoughts.

Why did she feel so familiar?

Eliana folded her scarf neatly and tied it around his collar, adjusting it until it looked right.

“There,” she said quietly. “It matches your suit, so it should look fine.”

Without thinking, she reached forward and smoothed his shirt with her hands, pressing the fabric gently.

Then she suddenly stopped.

“I’m sorry,” she said quickly, stepping back. “I didn’t mean to touch you like that. I just… I do that for my son, so I didn’t think.”

Adrian’s manager looked surprised.

“You have a son?” he asked.

Eliana nodded.

“Yes,” she said. “He is five years old.”

There was no shame in her voice.

Only calm honesty.

Adrian looked at her more deeply.

Five years old.

For some reason, that number stayed in his mind.

Eliana adjusted her bag again.

“I should go now,” she said politely. “I still have deliveries to finish.”

She gave a small nod and turned to leave.

Adrian watched her as she walked away.

He didn’t call her back.

He didn’t ask questions.

But he kept looking at her until she disappeared from sight.

Even when she was gone, something remained.

A strange feeling.

A quiet pull he could not explain.

And for the first time in a long while, Adrian Johnson found himself distracted, thinking about a woman he had just met, wondering why it felt like their story had already begun long before this moment.