CHAPTER THREE
1049 Words
ELENA’S POV
Luca and I stood at opposite ends of the dining table.
The space between us felt wider than it actually was, like the air itself had thickened just to make sure we didn’t accidentally reach each other. The apartment was quieter now....Serena had stormed out earlier with a sharp look and even sharper silence but somehow, her absence made everything worse.
Because now it was just us.
And the problem was… that didn’t feel comforting anymore.
It felt strained.
Like something that used to fit perfectly had started to c***k in places we were both pretending not to see.
I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to stay calm. I had come here excited. Happy. I had news that should have made him smile, maybe even pull me into one of those warm hugs he used to give without hesitation.
Instead, I felt like I was standing in front of a stranger.
“I don’t get why you don’t want me to take this job so badly,” I finally said, my voice sharper than I intended. I tried to keep it in, but the frustration had been sitting in my chest for too long. “You know how much I’ve wanted this… how much I still want it.”
Luca didn’t respond immediately.
He just looked at me.
Really looked at me.
And for a moment, I saw something in his expression that I couldn’t quite place. Not anger exactly. Not sadness either.
Something… tight.
Contained.
Like he was holding back words that were already halfway out of his mouth.
“I know how badly you want it,” he said finally, slowly, carefully. “And maybe that’s the problem.”
I frowned immediately.
“What does that even mean?”
He leaned slightly forward on the table, resting one hand against the wood like he needed something to ground him.
“It means,” he continued, his tone tightening, “that when you want something that badly and you finally get it, you don’t just do it normally, Elena. You immerse yourself in it. Completely.”
I blinked.
“That’s called passion, Luca.”
“No,” he said quickly, shaking his head. “That’s called losing balance.”
I let out a dry laugh, more out of disbelief than humor.
“You’re talking like I’m unstable.”
“I’m talking like I know you,” he replied, his voice lower now.
That made me pause.
There was something in the way he said it.
Something almost… personal.
Almost like a warning disguised as concern.
I crossed my arms.
“And what exactly am I supposed to be ‘losing balance’ into? My job?”
Luca’s jaw tightened slightly.
“That job,” he said, choosing his words carefully, “is at Sterling Inc.”
“Yes,” I said flatly. “The biggest corporation in Manhattan. That’s literally why I want it.”
He looked away for a second.
Just a second.
But I caught it.
The flicker.
The hesitation.
Then he looked back at me.
“And the CEO is Sebastian Sterling.”
I frowned again.
“Okay… and?”
That seemed to irritate him more than I expected.
He exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his hair.
“Are you really that unaware of what that means?”
I stared at him.
“Luca, what is your problem?”
Silence stretched between us.
He didn’t answer immediately.
And when he finally did, his voice was quieter.
Colder.
“When you want something that bad and you finally get it,” he repeated, slower this time, “you over-immerse yourself in it. And who knows… maybe you’ll fall in love with Sebastian in the process too.”
The words landed like a slap.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
Just… precise.
My chest tightened instantly.
For a second, I couldn’t even respond. My brain tried to process what he had just said, but it felt ridiculous. Offensive, even.
I let out a breath, shaking my head slightly.
“That’s what this is about?” I said slowly. “You think I’ll fall in love with my boss?”
Luca didn’t answer.
But his silence was answer enough.
Something in my expression hardened.
I took a step forward.
“We’re getting married in four weeks,” I said firmly. “Four. Weeks. And you’re standing here talking about me falling in love with someone else?”
His eyes flickered.
Just briefly.
Something sharp crossed his face....jealousy, maybe. Or insecurity.
But it disappeared just as quickly as it came.
What remained was something colder.
Angrier.
“Then act like it,” he snapped.
I froze.
That wasn’t what I expected.
Not the words.
Not the tone.
Definitely not the distance behind them.
“Act like what exactly?” I asked quietly, my voice dropping now.
Luca straightened.
“Like someone who remembers what she’s about to do.”
I stared at him.
For a moment, I genuinely didn’t recognize the man standing in front of me.
This wasn’t the Luca I planned a future with.
The Luca who used to hold my hand without hesitation.
The Luca who used to laugh softly at my chaos like it was something he loved about me.
This version of him felt… guarded.
Sharp around the edges.
Like he was constantly holding himself back from saying more.
Or worse, revealing something.
My voice softened, despite the tension.
“What’s really going on with you?”
He didn’t answer.
Instead, he looked at me for a long moment.
Too long.
And then something shifted in his expression.
A slow, tight smile formed on his lips.
It wasn’t warm.
It wasn’t kind.
It was controlled.
Almost knowing.
“Take the job, Elena,” he said finally.
I blinked, thrown off by the sudden change.
“But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
The words hung in the air.
Heavy.
Unfinished.
Before I could respond, before I could even ask what he meant, he grabbed his keys from the counter.
And walked out.
Just like that.
No explanation.
No apology.
Just the sound of the door clicking shut behind him.
Leaving me alone in the apartment.
Still standing.
Still confused.
And suddenly not as certain about anything as I had been when I walked in.
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