Chapter 2 — The Way They Looked at Me
1164 Words
Elera Vale's Point of View.
The hallway felt too small.
Too quiet.
Too intense.
I stood there frozen with folders pressed tightly against my chest while the two strangers stared at me like I had said something shocking instead of my name.
Elera.
Just Elera.
So why did it suddenly feel important?
The man in front of me—the one with the cold eyes and dark suit—didn’t look away. His gaze stayed locked on mine so intensely that my heartbeat became uneven.
Behind him, the second man stayed silent, but unlike the first, his expression held something calmer. Softer. Like he was trying not to alarm me.
Unfortunately, it was too late for that.
Because something was wrong.
I could feel it.
The pressure in my chest kept growing stronger the longer they looked at me. It wasn’t pain exactly, but it was enough to make breathing difficult.
The dark-haired man noticed.
I saw it in the slight narrowing of his eyes.
“You’re nervous,” he said flatly.
I blinked quickly. “You’re staring at me.”
His jaw tightened slightly like he didn’t expect that answer.
The second man suddenly let out a quiet laugh under his breath, stepping closer from behind him.
“Well,” he said calmly, “you’re not wrong.”
The cold one shot him an irritated look.
For some reason, that made me even more uncomfortable.
I shifted my weight awkwardly, tightening my hold on the folders. “I should go. I’m supposed to deliver these.”
Neither of them moved.
My anxiety immediately got worse.
The quieter man noticed it first. His expression softened slightly before he stepped aside.
“You’re shaking,” he said gently.
I looked down automatically.
My hands actually were trembling.
Embarrassing.
“I’m fine,” I muttered quickly.
The dark-haired man still hadn’t looked away from me once. “No,” he said quietly, “you’re not.”
Something about the way he said it made my stomach twist strangely.
Not concern.
Not mockery either.
It sounded more like… certainty.
Like he could see something I couldn’t.
I hated that feeling instantly.
“I really need to go,” I said again, forcing my voice to stay steady.
This time, the calmer man nodded first. “Conference room three is down the hall.”
“Thank you,” I said quickly.
I walked past them before my body could embarrass me further, but the second I moved around the dark-haired man, another strange feeling rushed through me.
Warmth.
Sharp and sudden.
It spread through my chest so fast that I almost stumbled.
What the hell—
I grabbed the wall lightly for balance.
Behind me, I heard movement immediately.
“Elera.”
The dark-haired man’s voice sounded closer now.
Too close.
I turned quickly, startled to find him standing only a step away from me. His expression looked tighter than before, jaw tense like he was holding something back.
“You okay?” the calmer man asked.
I nodded too fast. “I’m fine.”
Lie.
My pulse was racing so hard it almost hurt.
The dark-haired man kept staring at me like he was trying to solve a problem.
Then finally, he spoke.
“What department are you from?”
I blinked. “Marketing.”
His expression darkened slightly.
That… was a weird reaction to marketing.
The calmer man crossed his arms loosely, watching both of us carefully now. “Kael,” he said quietly.
So that was his name.
Kael.
It fit him too well.
Sharp. Cold. Dangerous.
Kael finally stepped back slightly, though his eyes never left me. “Go finish your task.”
I stared at him for a second.
Not because of what he said.
Because of the way he said it.
Like it wasn’t a suggestion.
It sounded like an order.
And somehow my body reacted to it before my pride did.
I hated that even more.
I lifted my chin slightly. “I was already planning to.”
For the first time, something shifted in his face.
Not exactly amusement.
But close.
The calmer man noticed too.
Interesting.
Without another word, I walked away before things could become even stranger.
But I could still feel their eyes on me the entire time.
---
By the time I returned downstairs, my chest still hadn’t calmed down properly.
Mina noticed immediately.
“You look like you saw a ghost.”
I dropped into my chair. “Maybe I did.”
Her eyes widened dramatically. “Was it a hot ghost?”
I let out a tired laugh despite myself. “You’re impossible.”
“That means yes.”
I rubbed my forehead slowly. “I met two executives upstairs.”
“Ooooh.” Mina leaned closer instantly. “Which ones?”
“I don’t know.”
“Describe them.”
I hesitated.
Why was it suddenly hard to explain them?
“One was…” I paused. “Tall. Black suit. Looked angry at the world.”
Mina gasped loudly.
“Oh my God.”
I frowned. “What?”
“That’s Kael Draven.”
The name hit me strangely.
Kael Draven.
Even his name sounded important.
“Who is that?” I asked carefully.
Mina looked horrified. “You work here and don’t know who Kael Draven is?”
“I try to survive here, not study rich people.”
“He basically runs half the company.”
I blinked. “What?”
“And he’s terrifying.”
That sounded accurate.
Mina lowered her voice dramatically. “People say he’s cold to everyone. Like actually cold. He fired someone for interrupting a meeting once.”
I stared at her. “That can’t be true.”
“It’s absolutely true.”
I looked down at my desk quietly.
Kael Draven.
Of course someone like that would belong upstairs.
Someone powerful.
Someone important.
Someone completely out of my world.
So why did the way he looked at me still feel stuck in my chest?
“And the other guy?” Mina asked.
I shrugged slightly. “Calmer. Easier to talk to.”
“Oh.” Mina nodded knowingly. “That’s probably Riven.”
“Riven?”
“He works closely with Kael.”
I frowned slightly. “They didn’t feel similar.”
Mina wiggled her eyebrows. “You analyzed them already?”
“I did not.”
“You totally did.”
I rolled my eyes, but before I could answer, my phone suddenly buzzed on the desk.
Unknown number.
I frowned before opening the message.
Report to Executive Floor 34 tomorrow morning. 8:00 AM sharp.
No name.
No explanation.
Just one line.
My stomach dropped immediately.
Mina leaned over my shoulder.
Then she gasped.
“Oh my God.”
I slowly looked at her.
“…Why do I feel like my life is about to get worse?”
Mina grinned.
“Or more interesting.”
Honestly? I wasn’t sure which one scared me more.
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