Chapter 12: The Unexpected encounter
1563 Words
Elena woke up the next morning feeling strangely refreshed. It had been a long time since she’d had a night out that didn’t involve work, stress, or obligations. And surprisingly, Lucas had made it enjoyable.
As she got ready for work, her phone buzzed with a message.
Lucas: I hope you’re not backing out of our next challenge. Because I have something planned.
Elena chuckled, shaking her head. He was impossible.
She typed back, We’ll see.
Sliding her phone into her bag, she grabbed her keys and left for work.
At the office, Adrian was already in his usual spot, his focus sharp as ever. He barely glanced up when Elena walked in, his attention locked on a document in front of him.
“Elena,” he said without looking up, “I need the finalized reports from last week’s accounts. And set up a meeting with the finance team for noon.”
There was no trace of warmth in his voice, no indication that he even remembered anything beyond work.
Elena nodded, keeping her expression neutral. “I’ll have it ready shortly.”
As she turned to leave, Isabelle walked in, her presence deliberate.
Adrian looked up this time, his expression unreadable. “What are you doing here?”
Isabelle offered a soft smile, her voice gentle. “I was nearby and thought I’d check on you.
Adrian leaned back slightly in his chair. “I’m fine.”
Her expression remained warm, as if she wasn’t affected by his coldness. “That’s good to hear.” She glanced around his office before meeting his gaze again. “Actually, I was wondering if you’d have dinner with me tonight. No pressure—just catching up.”
Adrian hesitated for a brief second before nodding. “Alright. One dinner.”
Isabelle’s smile brightened, though her eyes held something unreadable. “Great. I’ll send you the details later.”
She turned gracefully and walked out, casting Elena a glance as she passed by.
Elena, who had been standing nearby gathering documents, kept her expression neutral, refusing to react.
That evening, Lucas texted Elena just as she was getting ready to leave work.
Lucas: Hope you’re still up for dinner.
Elena: Of course. Where are we going?
Lucas: It’s a surprise. But trust me, you’ll like it.
Elena sighed but smiled, intrigued by his spontaneity.
When she arrived at the restaurant, Lucas was already waiting outside.
“You’re late,” he teased.
Elena rolled her eyes. “By three minutes.”
“That’s three minutes too long.”
Laughing, they stepped inside, only for Elena to freeze mid-step.
Seated at a private table near the back was Adrian. And across from him, Isabelle.
Lucas followed her gaze and raised an eyebrow. “Well, this just got interesting.”
Elena exhaled, schooling her expression. “Let’s just ignore them.”
Lucas smirked. “Oh, absolutely not.”
Before she could stop him, he guided her toward a table dangerously close to Adrian and Isabelle’s.
As they took their seats, Adrian’s eyes flickered toward them, his gaze darkening when he saw Elena with Lucas.
Isabelle noticed too, her lips curving into a small, knowing smile. Then, she turned her attention to Lucas and, with a sweet voice, said, “Hello, brother.”
Elena’s head snapped toward Lucas, her eyes widening. “Wait… what?”
Lucas exhaled, rubbing his temple. “Yeah. About that…”
Adrian looked between them, his jaw tightening. Isabelle, on the other hand, simply smiled, as if she was enjoying every second of it.
The tension at the table was thick enough to cut with a knife. Elena’s mind was still reeling from Isabelle’s words.
Hello, brother.
Lucas and Isabelle were siblings? How had she not seen that coming?
Elena turned to Lucas, waiting for an explanation, but he simply sighed and leaned back in his chair. “I was going to tell you eventually,” he said, shooting Isabelle a look. “But I figured it’d come up… differently.”
Isabelle smirked, sipping her wine like she hadn’t just dropped a bombshell. “Well, now it’s out there.”
Adrian remained silent, his sharp gaze moving between Isabelle and Lucas. He didn’t like surprises, and this one had clearly caught him off guard.
Elena exhaled, regaining her composure. “So, you two are…?”
“Siblings,” Lucas confirmed. “Same father, different mothers.”
“Half-siblings,” Isabelle corrected smoothly, her tone laced with something unreadable. “But that’s just a technicality.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened. He hated how effortlessly Isabelle manipulated conversations, always knowing exactly what to say to control the atmosphere.
Lucas shook his head, clearly unimpressed. “Why don’t we all just enjoy our dinner instead of making this some kind of dramatic revelation?”
Isabelle smiled. “I think it’s fascinating. Who would’ve thought my dear brother would be spending time with her?”
Elena narrowed her eyes. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Oh, nothing at all,” Isabelle said innocently. “Just an observation.”
Lucas sighed. “Isabelle, don’t start.”
Adrian finally spoke, his voice firm. “Enough.”
Isabelle turned to him with wide, almost hurt eyes, as if she had done nothing wrong. “I was just making conversation.”
Adrian didn’t respond, but his gaze was locked onto Lucas. “How long have you two known each other?”
Lucas smirked, knowing exactly what Adrian was getting at. “Not long. But long enough.”
Elena felt Adrian’s stare shift to her, as if waiting for her to explain herself. But she wasn’t going to play into whatever silent battle he was waging.
A waiter arrived, breaking the tension. “Are we ready to order?”
Lucas grinned. “Yes, let’s. Because I, for one, refuse to let this dinner be ruined by unnecessary drama.”
Elena nodded, determined to do the same.
But as the night went on, it became clear that unnecessary drama was exactly what was on the menu.
Dinner continued, but the atmosphere remained tense. Despite Lucas’s attempt to steer the conversation toward neutral topics, Isabelle had a way of subtly directing it back to uncomfortable territory.
Elena wasn’t sure what bothered her more—the smug way Isabelle observed her, or the way Adrian had barely looked at her since they sat down. It was as if she didn’t exist to him.
Halfway through the meal, Isabelle leaned toward Adrian, her voice soft. “You hardly touched your food. Not to your liking?”
Adrian finally looked at her, but his expression was unreadable. “It’s fine.”
Isabelle smiled. “I remember you used to love seafood. Have your tastes changed?”
Elena bristled at the way Isabelle spoke, like they were the only two people at the table. Lucas must have noticed too, because he set his fork down with a sigh. “Isabelle, you should really quit acting like this is a private dinner.”
Isabelle turned to him, feigning innocence. “Like what?”
“Like you’re here alone with Adrian,” Lucas said bluntly.
A flicker of amusement danced in Isabelle’s eyes. “Oh, but I was just reminiscing. No harm in that, right, Adrian?”
Adrian didn’t answer, and for the first time that evening, Elena saw something c***k in his expression. A flash of something unreadable before he masked it again.
Elena suddenly felt suffocated. She wasn’t sure what she had expected from this dinner, but it wasn’t this.
“I need some air,” she muttered, pushing back her chair.
Lucas gave her a concerned glance, but she ignored it and made her way toward the restaurant’s outdoor terrace. The cool air hit her skin, but it didn’t do much to clear her mind.
Moments later, she heard footsteps behind her.
She expected Lucas. But it wasn’t him.
It was Adrian.
Elena folded her arms, not turning to face him. “You didn’t have to follow me.”
“I didn’t,” Adrian said, his tone neutral. “I just needed a moment away from that dinner.”
Elena scoffed. “Oh? Was it too much, hearing your ex talk about your past like we weren’t sitting right there?”
Adrian was silent for a beat. “Is that what’s bothering you?”
Elena finally turned to him, her eyes flashing. “Should it not bother me?”
Adrian studied her for a long moment before he exhaled. “It’s just Isabelle being Isabelle.”
“That’s the problem,” Elena shot back. “She gets to act however she wants, and you let her.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened. “I’m not playing into whatever game she’s trying to start.”
“But you’re not stopping it either,” Elena countered.
They stared at each other, tension thick between them.
Adrian was the first to break eye contact. “You should go back inside.”
Elena let out a dry laugh. “Right. Because that’s exactly what I want to do right now.”
Without another word, she turned and walked away, leaving Adrian standing alone in the night.
But even as she put distance between them, her heart pounded.
Because for the first time in a long time, she realized something.
She didn’t just want Adrian to notice her.
She wanted him to choose her.
- Writer
