Chapter 8
1096 Words
Leila should have been tired.
Instead, she was distracted.
The next morning, she sat at her kitchen table with a cup of tea that had gone cold. Her camera still hung from the chair beside her. She had planned to spend the day working—editing photos, answering emails, and meeting deadlines.
She had barely managed any of it.
Every time she tried to focus, her thoughts drifted back to Adrian.
The walk through the city.
The easy conversation.
The way he had looked at her in the park.
The way he somehow kept finding space in her thoughts.
With a sigh, she opened her laptop.
The first email in her inbox caught her attention immediately.
Subject: Change of Plans
It was from her editor.
Leila read the message once, then again.
The gallery preview had been moved up. The magazine wanted fresh images by tomorrow afternoon, and they needed her at a private preview that evening.
One line near the bottom made her pause.
Mr. Kincaid personally requested the final image selections.
Leila stared at the sentence.
That shouldn't have mattered.
But it did.
Her phone buzzed.
Simi:
You alive?
Leila:
Barely.
Simi:
Work stress or Adrian stress?
Leila sighed.
Leila:
Both.
Simi:
Good. At least you're honest now.
Leila shook her head and put her phone aside.
By evening, she was standing outside the gallery with her camera bag over one shoulder.
The sky was dark and heavy with rain.
She checked the time.
Early.
Apparently Adrian had the same idea.
He stood near the entrance talking to a man in a dark coat. The moment he noticed her, he ended the conversation and walked over.
"You came."
Leila adjusted her camera strap.
"I was hired to."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"That wasn't what I meant."
She tried not to smile.
"Then be more specific."
His gaze moved briefly over her face.
"You look tired."
Leila stared at him.
"That's your opening line?"
"It was an observation."
"There are better observations."
A faint smile appeared.
"Fine."
He paused.
"You look beautiful."
Leila blinked.
Well.
That was direct.
"That was smoother," she admitted.
"I've been practicing."
She rolled her eyes.
Before she could answer, another voice interrupted.
"Adrian."
Leila turned.
Elena.
Again.
She looked elegant as always, dressed in pale silk and quiet confidence.
Her eyes landed on Leila immediately.
"Leila."
The greeting sounded polite.
It wasn't.
"Elena."
A brief silence followed.
"I didn't realize this was becoming a social event," Elena said.
"It isn't," Adrian replied.
"Then why is she here?"
Leila crossed her arms.
"I'm working."
"Of course."
The way Elena said it instantly annoyed her.
Adrian stepped in.
"Leila is covering the event."
Elena looked at him for a moment.
Then back at Leila.
"Right."
She touched Adrian's arm lightly.
"We should talk later."
"Later," Adrian agreed.
Elena nodded and walked away.
Leila watched her go.
"She's charming."
Adrian looked amused.
"Don't let her bother you."
"Too late."
That earned another small smile.
The preview began soon after.
Guests wandered through the gallery with drinks in their hands, stopping to admire paintings and sculptures.
Leila moved through the crowd, taking photographs.
Faces.
Reactions.
Small moments.
Anything real.
Work helped distract her.
At least for a while.
The problem was Adrian.
Every time she looked up, she found him somewhere nearby.
Speaking with donors.
Greeting guests.
Listening to investors.
Watching her.
That last one happened more often than she wanted to admit.
At one point she noticed Elena laughing with a group across the room.
Then she noticed Adrian looking in that direction.
Something tightened unexpectedly in her chest.
Leila frowned.
That was ridiculous.
She barely knew him.
Her phone buzzed.
Simi:
Has the ex caused trouble yet?
Leila:
Yes.
Simi:
I knew it.
Leila:
You're enjoying this way too much.
Simi:
Absolutely.
Leila laughed quietly.
When she looked up again, Adrian was standing beside her.
"Your friend?"
"Unfortunately."
"She sounds dangerous."
"Very."
His eyes moved across the room before returning to hers.
"Walk with me."
Leila hesitated.
"For work?"
"No."
The answer came too quickly.
Her heartbeat stumbled.
Annoying.
Very annoying.
Still, she nodded.
They walked through the gallery side by side.
People glanced at them.
Some pretended not to.
Others didn't bother.
Leila ignored them.
Mostly.
"This is where you say something interesting," she said.
"I already did."
"You absolutely did not."
"I asked you to walk with me."
"That's not interesting."
"It got your attention."
She hated that he was right.
They stopped near a large window overlooking the street below.
Rain tapped softly against the glass.
For a moment neither spoke.
Then Adrian broke the silence.
"Elena and I ended things years ago."
Leila looked at him.
"I didn't ask."
"I know."
That surprised her.
He stared out at the rain.
"It wasn't a good ending."
"I figured."
A short silence followed.
Then Adrian said quietly, "She likes control."
Leila laughed softly.
"So do you."
He looked at her.
"Not in the same way."
"No?"
"No."
She studied him.
"What way, then?"
He thought for a moment before answering.
"I like knowing what matters."
The words were simple.
But they felt honest.
Leila looked away first.
Again.
When she looked back, Adrian was already watching her.
Not with the polished expression he showed everyone else.
This was different.
More personal.
More real.
"You brought me over here just to talk about your ex?"
A corner of his mouth lifted.
"No."
"Then why?"
His gaze held hers.
"Because I wanted a few minutes alone with you."
The words settled heavily between them.
Before she could respond, someone hurried toward them.
A man in a dark suit.
One of Adrian's staff.
The man looked tense.
Worried.
He stopped beside Adrian and lowered his voice.
Leila couldn't hear what he said.
But she saw the change immediately.
Adrian's expression hardened.
The warmth disappeared from his eyes.
His jaw tightened.
Something was wrong.
"What happened?" Leila asked.
Adrian looked at her.
Then at the man.
Then back again.
For the first time all evening, he seemed distracted.
"It's nothing."
Leila didn't believe him.
Neither did the man standing beside him.
Adrian exhaled slowly.
"Excuse me for a minute."
The staff member nodded urgently.
As they walked away, Leila noticed something she hadn't seen before.
The man handed Adrian a phone.
And on the screen was a photograph.
She couldn't tell who it was, but it didn't look like good news.
Adrian stopped walking.
His face went completely still.
The kind of stillness that came before a storm.
Seems there is a serious problem.
- Writer
