It had been the same for days.
I was sitting on the carpet by the window.
Coco wandered around the room aimlessly.
Apart from him, I hadn't spoken to anyone or let anyone come close.
A soft knock sounded on my bedroom door before it opened slowly.
I didn't notice at first, assuming it was Lily coming in to clean.
But it was Noah.
He was dressed in his work clothes. He must have come to see me before leaving for the office.
"Elina… why are you sitting on the floor?" he asked, frowning.
I quickly gathered myself, schooling my thoughts and body language, forcing my face to brighten.
His gaze shifted between me and the window.
"Are you hiding from something?" he asked, then added another lame question, "Is someone trying to get in through the window?"
I shook my head. "No… I was just sitting here."
His expression tightened with concern as he stepped closer.
"Are you alright? Are you feeling unwell?"
"I…" I started. He waited, patient as always.
"It's just a fever," I said finally. "That's why I took a sick leave."
He studied me for a moment. "Are you sure you're not hiding something from me?"
His voice was gentle, almost careful, like he was asking my heart instead of me.
I couldn't bring myself to say it. I didn't want to.
"I'm fine," I said, forcing a smile. "You'll be late. You should go to work."
Noah understood. He didn't push. He never did.
"Take care, okay?" he said, smiling. "Or I won't leave."
I smiled properly this time, just to reassure him, and waved as he left.
By dinnertime, my dad came in carrying a plate of neatly served food.
I must have worried him with my behaviour, and there was nothing I could do about it.
I sat up and smiled. "Dad…"
He sat beside me, gently placing the plate on the side table.
"How are you feeling, princess?" he asked. "You haven't been eating well these days."
Something in his worried look made me pull myself together. I acted before I could think too much.
"I think I wasn't used to the work pressure," I said lightly. "Maybe that's why I needed this break."
I smiled again, trying to reassure him. "I'm really fine now. The rest helped."
"Are you sure?" he asked softly. "If there's something—"
"There's nothing," I interrupted gently.
I nodded, picked up the plate, and took a bite.
"Thanks, Dad. I was actually really hungry."
I didn't look at him.
I never could when I was lying.
"Let me—" he started, reaching for the plate.
"I'll eat quickly and go to bed," I said, almost pleading. I didn't want him to feed me now, or to stay long enough for me to break down.
He nodded, understanding more than I wished he did.
"If you ever need anything," he said quietly, patting my head, "you'll tell me, right?"
I nodded again, stuffing another bite into my mouth just to keep him from saying more.
He left after one last worried glance.
Once he left and the door clicked shut,
I broke down.
I didn't know how to swallow the food still stuffed in my mouth. My throat tightened as tears streamed down my face, one after another. I didn't dare make a sound.
I curled up under my blanket and cried until midnight, questioning everything that had happened to me in these twenty-one years of life.
Trust? Affection? Happiness?
I didn't think I deserved any of it.
The night passed in silent suffering, wrapped in self-doubt and agony.
By morning, I pulled myself together. I had barely slept for three hours, yet I woke up with something fragile but stubborn still intact...willpower. Or maybe self-respect. Something in me refused to give up.
I stood by the window, facing the morning sun, letting its warmth sink into my skin. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath of the fresh air, steadying myself for another day.
I pulled a jacket from the closet, threw it over myself, picked up Coco, and let my feet move in sync with my mind—even if my heart resisted.
At eleven on a Wednesday, I found myself standing outside the library, far from my usual routine.
It was the only place I wanted to be.
The librarian's gaze dropped to Coco, and I hesitated, already knowing the answer.
She studied me for a moment, then sighed.
"Leave him outside with my daughter," she said. "She loves cats."
I nodded, quietly grateful.
Letting Coco go felt harder than usual. He had been my steady anchor when everything else inside me felt like it was slipping.
Two hours passed with me buried in my book until a light knock on the table pulled me out of it.
I looked up, blinking, my mind slowly returning to reality.
"Adam…"
Him? Here?
Why didn't I hear his footsteps?
Do I look ridiculous right now?
I quickly brushed my messy hair away from my face. He took the chair across from me.
"Comfy?" he asked, a familiar cocky smirk lingering on his lips. But today, oddly, it felt… comforting.
I smiled back, then frowned as the thought caught up with me.
Shouldn't he be at the office right now?
"Wait," I said softly. "How are you here...?"
For a moment, he studied my face, and I realised I must have looked… pathetic in the way I was existing right now.
"I stalked you," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"W-What?" I snapped, startled.
He chuckled. "Is that what you think of me… a stalker?"
Then he added more lightly, "Relax. I'm kidding."
He leaned back slightly. "I asked the librarian to call me if you showed up here."
I didn't know how to feel about that.
Whether I should be strangely comforted by the effort I never asked for… or angry that he had found me on one of my weakest days.
I didn't have the energy to argue or say anything, so I stayed silent, slowly gathering my things to leave.
He stood up too, his fingers absentmindedly brushing the spines of the books on the nearest shelf.
I walked away without waiting for him to continue the conversation.
Once outside, I looked around for Coco. A moment later, he came toward me with his slow, relaxed, unhurried catwalk.
By then, Adam was already standing behind me. Coco circled his leg, nuzzling softly.
"Tch—" I bent down to pick him up, but Adam bent down at the same time.
Our eyes met. I broke the contact immediately.
He picked Coco up instead.
"You know what they say about cats," he began, his voice calm, unbothered.
I straightened, my gaze shifting from Coco to Adam.
"They fight, flee, or freeze when they're running away from something," he said, stepping closer.
Something about his words made me pause. I listened despite myself.
"You're a bit like them," he added.
"Scared," he said, moving closer.
I took a step back.
"Avoidant."
I stepped back again, trying to create distance, but before he could close it, I cut in.
"Adam, what do you think you're doing?"
He handed Coco back to me meeting my annoyed gaze, but his expression didn't change.
"You know what they say about cats," he repeated pushing further, his tone firmer this time.
I closed my eyes briefly, ready to snap back, but he cut me off.
"They fight back when they're done coping."
My mouth parted, but no words came out.
"They scratch. Swat. Bite."
He stepped closer again. This time, I didn't move.
My gaze lifted to his eyes, and for the first time, I noticed something softer there.
He broke eye contact, looking down at Coco, ruffling his head gently until he purred.
The warmth crept up my face at the sight. A small smile betrayed me when Adam smiled too—genuinely this time.
He looked back at me.
"Come back," he said simply. "I'll be waiting."
Then he straightened and walked away.
His words echoed in my ears as I stood frozen in place, my heart pounding hard against my chest.
The very next day.
After fighting countless battles in my head, I finally decided it was time to steady my heart.
I took a deep breath and stepped into the office building.
Adam was just outside, talking to someone on the phone, when our paths crossed. I caught his attention. He hung up without hesitation, his eyes briefly scanning me as if checking my composure.
I smiled.
He stepped closer and smiled back softly, almost bashfully.
Something about that moment made me realise there was still so much about him I didn't understand. And yet, despite that, I found myself drawn to him.
Throughout the day, my thoughts kept drifting back to him.
I was back at work, handling everything with the same precision as before.
The day was hectic, but it felt oddly satisfying—as if I had won a small victory over the agitation that had been threatening to return.
Within a few days, I slipped back into routine, feeling steadier, calmer, and more collected than before.
Adam and Noah were away at an important business event that day.
It had been a while since Noah and I had properly talked. Guilt settled in when I realised I hadn't even shared in his excitement about the new apartment.
I pulled out my phone and typed a message.
"Let's catch up after work today."
The reply came within seconds.
"See ya there."
I chuckled softly and slipped my phone back into my pocket before heading toward Adam's office to collect a few reports.
That's when I saw him. Victor Hale.
My breath hitched. The sight of him sent a cold shudder through me. Instinct took over and I reached for the door, ready to close it quietly.
"Elina… come in, dear," he called out.
My fingers froze.
I wouldn't have stepped inside if I hadn't noticed someone else in the room. Against every instinct screaming at me to run, I entered.
Victor stood up immediately, moving closer. "You've grown up so much—"
"Don't you dare."
The words left me sharp and breathless as I stepped back, my voice shaking with restrained fury.
His expression flickered, then hardened into anger. But he said nothing. The other man in the room frowned, his gaze shifting to Victor, clearly unsettled by what he had witnessed.
I didn't wait. I turned and stormed out of the office, my heart pounding loudly.
The encounter left me shaken. Panic rushed back in, fast and unforgiving, and the courage I had built crumbled all over again.
I drifted through the rest of the day, unable to focus, my mind trapped somewhere far from work.
By the time evening came, I had already decided. I was going to hide again.
My body felt weak as I walked toward the elevator, every step slower than the last. I just wanted to leave.
Suddenly, someone yanked me backward, pulling me into a room.The door shut.
"How dare you insult me."
His voice turned my fear into reality.
"Let go," I said, my voice breaking as tears burned my eyes, fear and anger colliding in my chest.
His grip tightened around my wrist, sharp and deliberate, until pain shot through my arm. I winced but didn't stop struggling, twisting, pulling, fighting for space, for air, for control.
"You should've stayed quiet, Elina. You always knew what happened when you didn't," he said through gritted teeth, his voice low and threatening.
His words made me sick. Every sight and encounter I had buried came flooding back into my memory. I was done coping in silence.
Those words surfaced in my mind... faint, almost accidental.
"They fight back when they're done coping.
They scratch. Swat. Bite."
With all the force my body could gather, I threw myself against him, slamming him into the rack behind us. He hit it abruptly, cursing under his breath.
I broke free.
I ran.
Just ran. As fast as I could.
My chest burned. I couldn't breathe. Tears blurred my vision as panic took over. Every sound behind me felt like I was being followed, but I didn't look back.
I slammed the elevator button again and again until the doors finally opened. I stumbled inside, breath breaking, hands shaking, until the doors slid shut.
Silence.
I slid down into the corner, hugging my knees to my chest, trying to hold myself together as my body trembled, tears spilling freely at last.