Chapter 20: Testing Patience
530 Words
Elara dragged herself out of the office at four pm, barely holding her exhaustion together. Her secretary duties had drained her, and now she faced another five-hour shift at the garage. Her backpack felt heavier than usual, loaded with papers, notebooks, and the weight of every insult her family had thrown at her in the morning.
By five pm, she was at the garage, tying her hair back and rolling up her sleeves. The smell of motor oil, hot engines, and concrete somehow felt grounding. She liked it.
Except the one person she expected to be absent Adrian was… there.
He was leaning against a workbench, arms crossed, expression calm but eyes sharp.
“Back so soon,” he said, voice neutral but teasing.
“Elaborate,” she snapped. “Are you here to annoy me, judge me, or just stare?”
“Depends,” he said smoothly. “Which reaction will you give me today?”
She rolled her eyes. “All three. Pick your favorite.”
He smirked. “Good. I like variety.”
They worked side by side in silence for a while, engines humming, tools clinking. Adrian watched her carefully. Too carefully.
“You work too hard,” he said eventually.
“I work too much,” she corrected, tightening a bolt. “There is a difference.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Subtle. Impressive.”
She shot him a glare. “Do not pretend to compliment me. You are here to test me.”
“Maybe,” he admitted. “Maybe I want to see how far you can go before snapping.”
She paused, holding a wrench in midair. “And if I snap?”
He leaned closer, voice quiet. “Then I will know you are human.”
She tightened her grip and set the wrench down. “I am human, Carter. You do not get the privilege of testing me.”
He chuckled, finally. Low, brief, and irritatingly approving.
Just then, Rachel’s voice rang out from the garage entrance. “Elara! Adrian! You two in here?”
Elara groaned. “Of course she found us.”
Adrian frowned slightly. “What does she want?”
Elara stepped between him and Rachel. “To cause trouble. As usual. Ignore her.”
Rachel’s lips curved into a smile that was all teeth and mischief. “I just wanted to see the two of you working together. It is… interesting.”
Elara muttered under her breath, “That is one word for it.”
Adrian’s gaze flicked to her. “Ignore her. Focus.”
Elara nodded. “Yes, sir,” she said sarcastically.
Rachel huffed and stalked off.
Elara sighed. “You see why I hate her.”
“Yeah,” Adrian said quietly. “I can see why.”
For the first time, Elara noticed something different in his tone. No teasing. No arrogance. Just… observation. Concern.
She blinked. “You are not supposed to care,” she said softly.
“I care,” he admitted. Just enough for her to catch it, but not enough to make it comfortable.
Enemy lines still drawn. Respect rising. Trouble unavoidable. And Elara’s patience? Being tested… perfectly.
- Writer
