CHAPTER 5– The arrival
991 Words
The next morning, at the office Olivia moved between racks of fabrics, her fingers grazing the smooth silk and embroidered textures she had stayed up designing the night before. Today, everything had to be perfect.
Her assistant, Mina, peeked into the office. “Olivia… he’s here.”
Olivia froze, her heart doing an odd flutter. He? Elias?
From the doorway, he walked in—tall, poised, with that signature dark silver hair catching the morning light. His presence was calm, professional, yet something in the way he looked around the studio made her chest tighten.
“Good morning,” Elias said smoothly, his voice carrying a quiet confidence. His eyes briefly met Olivia’s, and she felt the same inexplicable pull she had felt the first time they’d locked eyes—like the universe was nudging them together. She quickly looked away, focusing on the table instead.
“Ah… good morning,” she said, her voice measured but slightly breathless. “I… I’m Olivia, the designer. Welcome to Eterna Threads.”
She brought her hand out for a handshake with Elias accepted
Nice to meet you he stared into her eyes
Mina clapped her hands softly. “Let’s start with the fitting, shall we?”
The jacket settled perfectly on Elias’s shoulders, but Olivia adjusted it anyway, her fingers lingering longer than necessary as she straightened the buttons. The fabric was warm beneath her touch. Too warm.
Her breath slowed without her permission, and for a brief, dangerous second, the world shrank to the space between them.
“This is just work”, she told herself. “Focus”.
he looked at her and asked “ Is everything okay?”
Olivia’s heart stuttered. His eyes—steady, searching—caught hers, and something old stirred, sharp and sudden, like a door cracking open inside her chest. She didn’t know why the moment felt heavy, why her fingers trembled as she reached for the collar.
Elias’s breath hitched.
The room blurred.
Those eyes.
Dark brown. Familiar. A flash of memory slammed into him without warning—laughter, warmth, a woman calling his name in a voice that didn’t belong to Olivia and yet felt impossibly close.
Pain surged through his head, and he stumbled back, gripping his temple as the ache pulsed hard and fast.
“What’s wrong?” Olivia asked, the trance snapping instantly. Fear edged her voice as she reached for him. “Ada… Elias?”
He straightened quickly, forcing a breath. Get it together. “I’m fine,” he said, he “Just… a headache.”
But as he stepped away, confusion gnawed at him. Why her? Why did standing near Olivia feel like standing on the edge of something he couldn’t see but somehow remembered? He was engaged. His life was clear. Ordered.
So why did everything feel wrong—and right—at the same time?
Mama!” Oscar's voice broke the silence as he ran to hug Olivia
Olivia turned just in time to see her son rush toward her. Relief flooded her—until Elias crouched instinctively, smiling as if he had always known the child.
Something in Elias’s chest softened, painfully. The boy’s laughter stirred a warmth he couldn’t explain
“I know you!” Oscar said brightly. “You play with Auntie Rose!”
Elias laughed softly, “yes am always with your auntie”.
Olivia watched them, her heart swelled with gentle warmth.
Later, at the café Olivia and Elias discussed about the fashion hub and the designs
Olivia ordered without thinking. When the plates arrived, Elias’s expression shifted.
“I’m allergic to broccoli,” he said gently, pushing the plate away.
Olivia froze.
Her pulse roared in her ears. Joshua’s voice echoed in her memory—“I can't eat that, lily ,that's broccoli adam whined”
She swallowed hard, forcing her face into calm.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t know.”
“It's alright”, Elias smiled warmly.
They stepped out of the café together, the evening already thick with rain-soaked air. The streetlights shimmered.
Elias paused beside his car and frowned.
“The tire’s low,” he muttered, crouching briefly before straightening. “That explains the drag.”
Olivia glanced around. The street was nearly empty, taxis scarce, the rain growing heavier by the second. She hesitated only a moment.
“We’re heading the same way,” she said quietly. “You can ride with me.”
He looked at her, surprised—then nodded. “Thank you.”
The rain intensified as Olivia eased the car into traffic. Red brake lights stretching endlessly ahead of them. Rain tapped against the windshield in a steady rhythm
Elias leaned back in the passenger seat, exhaustion finally winning. His eyes fluttered shut.
Olivia noticed when his breathing slowed.
She told herself to keep her eyes on the road. Told herself not to look.
But she did anyway.
His hair had fallen forward, ash strands brushing his lashes. Without thinking—without permission from her mind—she reached over and gently brushed it aside, her hand lingering over his lips.
Elias stirred, eyes open instantly
Olivia flinched , about to step away but His hand closed around hers before she could pull away.
Olivia froze, her fingers trapped in his.
“Why,” he asked slowly, his voice low, almost a growl, “do I feel like I know you?”
I wanted to snap at him, to put distance between us because of Rose.
“Am sorry there was something on your face” i said as I pulled back my hand
Making him look at me with a mixture of confusion and intensity.
I continued driving, when I finally parked the car and reached for the door, my hand trembled. Not with fear of him—but with the fear that the past I thought I buried had just opened its eyes.
- Writer
