The office felt normal again
At least on the surface
People moved around, conversations flowed, keyboards clicked, meetings came and went like they always did
Nothing looked out of place
But for Belonia, nothing felt settled
He stood by the window in his office, his hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed somewhere far beyond the buildings ahead of him
He had barely slept
Not because he couldn't
But because his mind refused to stay quiet
The image wouldn't leave him
Elina at the gala
Calm
Composed
Looking at him like she had already let go of something he hadn't even admitted holding
That bothered him
More than it should have
A knock came at the door
Before he could respond, it opened slightly
"Elina dropped these files earlier," a voice said
Not hers
Victor stepped in, holding a thin folder in his hand like he belonged there
Like this wasn't new
Belonia turned slowly, his expression unreadable
"Leave it there"
Victor didn't move immediately
Instead, he glanced around the office briefly before placing the file down on the table
Then he looked back at Belonia
"You've been keeping her busy"
The words were casual
But they weren't empty
Belonia's gaze sharpened slightly
"She's doing her job"
Victor gave a small nod, like he expected that answer
"Seems like she does more than that"
Silence settled between them
Not tense
But not light either
Victor slipped his hands into his pockets, relaxed, confident in the way someone like him always was
"You should be careful," he added, almost like a passing thought
Belonia's eyes narrowed slightly
"With what"
Victor held his gaze now
"With things you don't pay attention to until they're gone"
That hit something
Subtle
But real
Belonia didn't respond
And Victor didn't wait for him to
"I'll see you around," he said simply before turning and walking out
The door closed
And for a moment, the office felt quieter than it had all morning
Belonia looked at the file on the table
Then away
He didn't like the way that conversation sat with him
Across the office floor, Elina was focused on her screen, her posture straight, her attention fixed where it needed to be
She had returned to routine
And she was holding onto it
"You've been avoiding people," a familiar voice said
She looked up
Victor
A small smile touched her lips, softer than usual
"Not people… just unnecessary conversations"
He leaned slightly against her desk
"And I'm necessary?"
She let out a quiet breath, almost amused
"That depends"
"On what"
"On what you're here for"
Victor smiled, but there was something more genuine behind it now
"I was hoping to take you out"
She blinked once
Not shocked
Just… thinking
"A proper dinner this time," he added, his tone lighter but his gaze steady
"No interruptions"
Elina looked at him for a moment
Then away
It would be easy to say no
Safer
Simpler
But something in her shifted
Not because of him
But because of herself
Maybe she needed to remind herself that life didn't stop because something didn't work out
"Alright," she said softly
Victor's smile widened just slightly
"Tonight?"
She nodded
And just like that
Something changed
From the glass walls of his office, Belonia saw it
Not the words
But the moment
The way Victor leaned closer
The way Elina didn't pull away
The way something about her felt… lighter
His jaw tightened
He didn't hear what was said
But he didn't need to
The look was enough
That quiet understanding
That ease
Something about it didn't sit right with him
No
That wasn't it
It bothered him
More than it should have
Later that evening, the city moved like it always did, alive, glowing, indifferent to the small shifts happening within it
Elina stood in front of her mirror again
Not overthinking this time
Not trying to be anything
She chose something simple
Something soft
Something that felt like her
For once
She wasn't dressing for work
Or to stay guarded
She was just going
And somewhere across the city
Belonia sat alone in his car
Engine running
But unmoving
He didn't know where he was going
He just knew
He didn't like the feeling settling in his chest
The one that whispered
That he was about to lose something
Before he even understood what it was