Monday morning arrived like a weight on my chest. I woke up already exhausted, stress clinging to me as if I hadn't slept at all. My body felt heavy, my mind louder than the alarm I shut off too quickly. Still, routine pulled me forward—getting dressed, forcing myself out the door, reminding myself that work doesn't wait for tired souls. By the time I reached the office, I was running on habit more than energy. In the hallway, a colleague — Emma stopped me and placed a stack of documents into my hands. "For the meeting in an hour," she said. I nodded, gripping the papers, the reality of the day finally settling in.
As I work, a text catch my eyes and I caught myself blushing like an Idiot— Teenager. Of course it's Jeremy, My boyfriend right now. His text read: "𝑆𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑦, 𝐼'𝑑 𝑡 𝑔𝑜 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑜 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑦 𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑒𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 ~"
Damn, not now Elena! I remind myself. As i continue to work, I think about my life before Jeremy come. The Betrayal, The cheating.... I push those thoughts aside, It's all past now. I've a Boyfriend better than that Cheater anyway.
The meeting room was already half full when I stepped inside. Chairs scraped softly against the floor, low conversations humming in the background. I took my seat without looking up—until I felt it.
That familiar pressure.
Someone staring.
I raised my eyes, and there he was.
Zhenya Ivanov, my ex sat across the table, unmoving, his cold blue eyes fixed on me as if the years between us had never existed. No surprise crossed his face—only that sharp, unreadable calm that used to unnerve me. My breath caught despite myself. I looked away immediately, pretending to review the documents in front of me, but my skin burned under his gaze.
Then I realized why.
The faint mark on my neck—barely hidden, left behind by Jeremy's kisses from last night. I adjusted my collar instinctively, too late. His eyes flickered there for half a second before returning to my face, darker now. Something tightened in my chest.
I ignored him. I forced myself to speak when required, to nod, to listen. But throughout the meeting, I could feel him watching me—unblinking, relentless—like he was memorizing every breath I took. By the time the meeting ended, my nerves were stretched thin.
When I finally looked up again, his seat was empty.
Gone.
Relief washed over me, short-lived and shaky. I gathered my things and headed for the restroom, needing a moment to breathe, to calm the storm he'd stirred so easily. The hallway was quiet, my footsteps echoing softly.
As soon as I pushed the restroom door open, a hand closed around my wrist.
I gasped, spinning halfway before I froze.
Him.
His grip was firm but controlled, his blue eyes even colder up close. He said nothing at first—just stared down at me like he had all morning, except now there was something dangerous beneath the calm.
"Still pretending I don't exist, Elena?" he finally murmured, and the way he call my name... I used to melt back then, now I just feel disgust.
My heart pounded as I met his gaze, knowing this was far from over.