The night didn't end when he left
It followed them
Quietly
In different ways
Elina barely slept
Not because she was restless, but because her mind wouldn't settle into one place. Every time she closed her eyes, the same moments replayed—the warmth of Victor's steady presence, the softness of that kiss, and then… the shift
Belonia
Standing there
Watching
She turned in her bed, pulling the sheets slightly closer as if that could quiet everything inside her
It wasn't supposed to matter this much
And yet it did
Not because she regretted anything
But because he had a way of appearing exactly when she thought she was moving forward
Morning came slowly
Soft light spilling through her window, the city already awake before she fully was
By the time she stepped into the office, she had already decided one thing
She would keep things simple
Work
Focus
Distance
And she did
Her desk was neat, her movements precise, her attention fixed on schedules and documents that didn't ask anything emotional from her
It was easier that way
Until she felt it
That presence
She didn't look up immediately
Didn't need to
She already knew
"Come in," Belonia said from his office
Her fingers paused briefly over the keyboard
Then continued
Finishing what she was doing before she stood
Composed
As always
When she stepped into his office, the air felt different
Not tense
Not loud
Just… heavier than usual
"You wanted to see me," she said, her tone calm
Belonia stood by the window, his back partially turned
For a moment, he didn't respond
Then, "You're seeing him now"
Straight to it
No build-up
Elina didn't flinch
"I had dinner with him"
"That's not what I asked"
She studied him quietly
Then answered anyway
"I don't know yet"
That wasn't the answer he expected
And somehow, it unsettled him more
He turned then, finally facing her
"You don't know," he repeated
"No," she said
Silence stretched between them
Not empty
Just filled with things neither of them were saying
Belonia walked a little closer, his gaze fixed on her
"You kissed him"
Again
Not a question
Elina held his gaze
"Yes"
Something in his expression shifted
Not anger
Not fully
But something sharp
Something restrained
"And that means nothing to you"
She frowned slightly, not in confusion but in quiet disbelief
"It doesn't mean nothing," she said
"Then what does it mean"
The question came too quickly
Too directly
Elina exhaled softly
"It means I'm trying to move forward"
That word again
Forward
Belonia let out a short breath, turning slightly as if the space between them suddenly felt too small
"From what"
Her eyes didn't leave him
"You already know"
Clara
The unspoken truth sitting between them again
He ran a hand through his hair, restless in a way that didn't suit him
"You're making this into something it's not"
Elina shook her head gently
"No… I'm seeing it for what it is"
"And what is that"
Her voice softened
Not weak
Just honest
"You don't choose me"
The words didn't come out bitter
They didn't accuse
They simply existed
And somehow, that made them heavier
Belonia stilled
Because for the first time
There was no argument for that
He didn't say Clara's name
Didn't explain
Didn't defend
He just stood there
And that silence said more than anything else could have
Elina gave a small nod, almost to herself
Then stepped back
"I have work to do," she said quietly
He didn't stop her
Didn't call her back
He just watched her leave
The door closing softly behind her
And for the first time in a long while
Belonia felt something unfamiliar settle in his chest
Not anger
Not control
Something closer to loss
Elsewhere in the city, Clara stood by the large window of her family's office, her phone in her hand, her expression thoughtful
"I heard about last night," she said when he finally answered
Belonia didn't ask how
People like Clara always knew
"You made quite the scene"
"I didn't make a scene"
"No," she said calmly, "you just showed up where you weren't expected"
Silence
Clara turned slightly, her gaze distant now
"She's affecting you more than you planned"
Belonia didn't respond
"Be careful," she added softly
"Because if you don't decide what you want…"
She paused
"…someone else will"
And this time
He heard it
Back at the office, Elina sat at her desk once again
Her expression calm
Her posture steady
But beneath it
There was something shifting
Not breaking
Not falling apart
Just changing
Because for the first time
She wasn't waiting for him to figure things out
She was choosing herself
Even if it hurt