Chapter 14: Eyes That Saw Too Much
696 Words
“Elena.”
Maya’s voice was sharp. Too sharp.
Elena froze, her lips still tingling from Dominic’s kiss, heart hammering in her chest. She turned slowly toward the door, where her best friend stood in stunned silence—eyes wide, jaw tight, and folder clutched so tightly her knuckles had gone white.
“Maya…” Elena began, but the words stuck in her throat.
“I was coming to drop off those marketing reports,” Maya said slowly, her voice deceptively calm. “Didn’t realize I’d be interrupting a little… office romance.”
Dominic’s posture shifted instantly—straightening, shoulders squared, jaw set.
Elena stepped forward. “It’s not what you think.”
Maya let out a sharp laugh. “Really? Because from where I was standing, it looked exactly like what I think.”
Dominic moved forward. “Maya, this isn’t a topic for discussion—”
“I’m not talking to you,” she snapped, glaring at him before turning her eyes back to Elena. “How long?”
Elena winced. “Not long. It’s… complicated.”
Maya’s eyes narrowed. “You mean ever since that mysterious one-night stand you wouldn’t talk about? Let me guess—he was the guy.”
Silence.
“Elena.” Maya’s voice cracked. “Was it him?”
A beat passed. Then another. Elena nodded.
Maya took a step back, her expression breaking apart. “You told me you didn’t remember who he was. That it was some stranger. That it meant nothing.”
“I didn’t lie,” Elena said quickly, her voice trembling. “I didn’t know it was him at the time. Neither of us did.”
“But you know now,” Maya said, voice cold. “And you’ve been… what? Sneaking around with him behind everyone’s back?”
Dominic stepped forward. “Elena hasn’t done anything wrong. If there’s blame to be handed out—”
“Save it, CEO,” Maya hissed. “You don’t get to stand there and act noble. You’re her boss. You hold her career in your hands.”
Elena’s stomach twisted. “Maya, please… this is more than just some workplace thing. I care about him.”
Maya looked like she’d been slapped. “Do you even hear yourself? You care about him? What happened to looking out for each other? To not getting involved with men like him?”
Elena didn’t answer. She couldn’t.
Maya’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I warned you about powerful men and how they use people like us. Do you think this will end well? That he’s going to pick you over everything else in his perfect little empire?”
“She’s not a pawn in my game,” Dominic said, stepping beside Elena.
But Maya’s expression turned dark. “You think you can protect her? That this won’t blow up in both your faces?”
She looked at Elena one last time—hurt, betrayed, furious.
“I hope it was worth it,” she said softly. “Because you just shattered a friendship I thought was unbreakable.”
With that, she turned and walked out.
The door closed with a soft click, but the silence left behind was deafening.
Elena stood frozen, trying to breathe past the tightness in her chest.
Dominic reached for her, but she pulled away. “I need a moment.”
“Elena—”
“No.” Her voice cracked. “Just… give me space.”
She left his office without another word, her heels echoing through the hallway like thunder in a storm.
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Downstairs, in the break room, Elena gripped the edge of the sink, trying to steady her racing thoughts.
How had everything fallen apart so fast?
Her best friend hated her. Her relationship with Dominic—whatever it was—felt like it had been thrown into the harsh light of reality. And worst of all, she didn’t even know if she could fix either of those things.
Her reflection in the mirror looked like a stranger. Torn. Broken. Conflicted.
She closed her eyes.
Was loving Dominic worth losing everything else?
And if it wasn’t love… what was it?
- Writer
