Harder to Hide
By the next morning—
Everything had changed.
Again.
Isabella stood in front of the mirror, staring at herself.
She looked the same.
But she didn't feel the same.
Because now—
There was something real between them.
Something undeniable.
At the office…
It started immediately.
"Good morning, Isabella," Alexander said as she walked in.
Not cold.
Not distant.
Gentle.
That alone—
Was enough to turn heads.
Isabella paused slightly. "Good morning… sir."
But the way she said it—
Soft.
Almost shy—
Didn't go unnoticed either.
Across the office, Cara slowly turned in her chair.
Eyes wide.
Grin spreading.
"Oh… it's bad," she whispered to herself.
The day went on—
But things kept slipping.
Alexander called her into his office more than usual.
Too often.
For things he could have handled himself.
"Isabella, I need that file."
"It's already on your desk, sir."
"Then… come explain it."
Cara nearly choked trying not to laugh.
Inside the office—
It wasn't any better.
They stood too close.
Talked too quietly.
Paused too long between words.
At one point—
Their hands brushed again.
And this time—
They didn't pull away immediately.
"We need to be careful," Isabella whispered.
Alexander looked at her, calm but intense.
"We are."
She raised a brow slightly. "Are we?"
A faint smirk touched his lips.
"Trying."
Outside—
People were starting to notice.
Two employees whispered near the printer.
"Have you seen the way he looks at her?"
"I thought I was imagining it…"
"No way. That's not normal."
And Cara?
Cara was enjoying every second of it.
Later that afternoon—
She casually walked up to Isabella's desk.
"So… how long are you two planning to pretend?" she asked sweetly.
Isabella nearly dropped her pen. "Cara!"
"Relax," she said, leaning closer. "But seriously… everyone's starting to notice."
Isabella froze.
"Everyone?"
Cara nodded slowly. "You might want to… tone it down."
That hit harder than expected.
Because she knew Cara was right.
That evening—
Isabella walked into Alexander's office again.
"We need to talk," she said softly.
He looked up immediately. "What is it?"
"People are noticing."
Silence.
For the first time—
He didn't brush it off.
Didn't ignore it.
"Does that bother you?" he asked quietly.
Isabella hesitated.
"It's not that…"
She looked at him.
"I just don't want this to become… a problem."
A long pause followed.
Then—
Alexander stood.
Walking toward her slowly.
"You think I care about what they think?"
His voice was calm.
But firm.
"I care about my job," she replied honestly.
That stopped him.
The distance between them felt heavier now.
Not tension—
But reality.
"We'll be careful," he said finally.
More serious this time.
"I won't let anything affect you."
Isabella nodded slowly.
"Okay…"
But as she turned to leave—
He reached out.
Grabbing her wrist gently.
"That doesn't change anything," he added quietly.
Her heart softened.
"I know…" she whispered.
Outside the office—
The whispers continued.
The looks lingered.
The tension grew.
Because no matter how hard they tried—
This wasn't something they could hide anymore.
And sooner or later…
Someone important was going to notice.