Chapter 5
1290 Words
Chapter 5
The morning after the dinner at Sophia’s, Celestine woke up feeling like she had barely slept at all. Her mind had been running in circles, replaying every glance, every word, every stolen moment of eye contact with Isaac. She hated how easily he could pull her back into the past, as if five years hadn’t passed, as if she wasn’t engaged to another man.
She forced herself out of bed, determined to shake the thoughts away. Today was just another workday, and she refused to let Isaac’s presence affect her.
By the time she arrived at the office, the usual hustle and bustle of the company was in full swing. Employees walked past her in hurried strides, murmuring greetings as they carried stacks of paperwork and coffee cups. Celestine took a deep breath, steeling herself before stepping into the executive floor.
She had barely settled at her desk when her phone buzzed. A message from Michael.
Michael: Good morning, love. Have a great day at work. I’ll pick you up later?
A pang of guilt settled in her chest. He was always so thoughtful, so patient. She should be thinking about him, about their future, not about Isaac.
Celestine: Good morning! I might need to stay a little late, but I’ll let you know when I’m done.
She hit send and placed her phone face down on the desk, exhaling sharply. Focus. Work. That’s all that matters.
The sound of her office door opening made her look up. And just like that, her composure cracked.
Isaac stepped inside, dressed in a crisp navy-blue suit, his presence effortlessly commanding. He held a stack of documents in one hand, his other casually tucked into his pocket. His eyes locked onto hers immediately.
“Good morning,” he said, his voice smooth and even.
Celestine straightened. “Good morning, sir.”
His lips twitched slightly at the formality. “Can you bring these reports to my office in ten minutes? I need to go over them with you.”
“Of course.”
He lingered for a second longer than necessary, as if he had something else to say. But then he nodded and walked out.
The moment the door shut behind him, Celestine let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.
Exactly ten minutes later, she knocked on Isaac’s office door before stepping inside. He was seated at his desk, reviewing a file with a furrowed brow. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows behind him, casting a golden glow over the room.
“Here are the reports you asked for,” she said, placing them on his desk.
He looked up, studying her for a moment. “Thank you. Have a seat.”
Celestine hesitated but eventually settled into the chair across from him. Isaac flipped through the documents, his fingers skimming over the pages. The silence between them felt almost suffocating.
After a few minutes, he leaned back. “How have you been?”
The question caught her off guard. “Excuse me?”
Isaac’s gaze was steady. “Outside of work. How are you?”
Celestine tensed. “I don’t see how that’s relevant to this meeting.”
His lips curved into a knowing smirk. “It’s not. But it’s a simple question.”
She swallowed, glancing away. “I’m fine.”
His smirk faded. “Are you?”
She hated the way he could see through her, the way he always had. “Yes,” she said firmly. “I am.”
Isaac nodded slowly, as if weighing her words. Then, without another word, he turned his attention back to the reports.
Celestine sat there for a few more moments, waiting for him to continue the discussion about work. But he never did.
Feeling dismissed, she stood. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll get back to work.”
“Celestine.”
She froze, her hand on the doorknob.
His voice was quieter this time, almost hesitant. “Do you ever regret it?”
Her heart slammed against her ribcage. She didn’t have to ask what he meant. She knew.
She closed her eyes for a second, steadying herself. When she turned around, she met his gaze head-on. “There’s nothing to regret, Isaac.”
His jaw clenched slightly, but he nodded. “If you say so.”
She walked out without another word.
The rest of the day dragged on, and by the time she finally stepped out of the office, the sky was painted in shades of orange and pink. As promised, Michael was waiting outside, leaning against his car with a smile.
“Long day?” he asked as she approached.
“You have no idea.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Let’s get you home.”
The warmth of his touch should have soothed her, but Celestine couldn’t shake the memory of Isaac’s question.
Do you ever regret it?
She shoved the thought away and climbed into the car.
Days passed, and Celestine did everything she could to avoid being alone with Isaac. She kept their interactions strictly professional, never lingering too long in his office, never allowing herself to acknowledge the way his eyes followed her when he thought she wasn’t looking.
But avoidance could only last for so long.
One evening, she found herself staying late to finish a report. Most of the office had already emptied out, and the quiet hum of the air conditioning was the only sound filling the space. She had just saved her file when she heard a knock at the door.
She didn’t have to look up to know who it was.
Isaac stepped inside, hands in his pockets. “Still here?”
“I had work to finish,” she said without looking at him.
He didn’t respond right away. Instead, he walked further inside, leaning against the edge of her desk. “You used to love staying late,” he said casually. “You’d always complain about it, but I knew you secretly enjoyed the quiet.”
Celestine clenched her jaw. “That was a long time ago.”
Isaac exhaled through his nose, studying her. “Why do you keep acting like those years never happened?”
Her fingers tightened around her pen. “Because they don’t matter anymore.”
He leaned in slightly. “That’s a lie.”
She shot up from her seat, forcing herself to meet his gaze. “What do you want from me, Isaac? Do you want me to admit that seeing you again messes with my head? That every time you look at me, I feel like I can’t breathe?”
Isaac’s expression darkened. “Yes.”
Her chest rose and fell rapidly, emotions threatening to spill over. “Well, it doesn’t change anything. I’m engaged. And you—” she swallowed, forcing herself to say it, “you have Sophia.”
A muscle in his jaw twitched. “Do you love him?”
Celestine’s breath caught.
Michael was good to her. He was kind, stable, everything she thought she wanted. She had built a future with him, a safe, secure future.
But did she love him?
She opened her mouth, but the words wouldn’t come.
Isaac noticed.
The space between them felt suffocating, charged with something neither of them was ready to name.
Finally, Isaac took a step back. “Get some rest, Celestine.”
And then he was gone.
She sank back into her chair, her hands trembling.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
She wasn’t supposed to feel this way.
But as she sat there in the dimly lit office, heart racing, she knew—she was losing the battle she had fought so hard to win.
To be continued…
- Writer
