The day at work had started normally for Arabella. She had buried herself in lines of code, the hum of the office around her fading into the background as she focused. But the faint thought of Damon's teasing from yesterday still lingered in the corners of her mind—especially the way he had taken her coffee with that smug little smile.
Around mid-morning, just as Arabella had finished updating a data visualization module, a shadow fell across her desk. She glanced up to see Adrian, a pleasant smile on his face, holding a folder loosely at his side.
"Hey," he said casually. "Mind if I interrupt for a second?"
Arabella blinked, a little startled but polite. "Um, hi... no, it's okay."
"I just came by the tech floor to drop this off for a colleague," he explained, gesturing to the folder. "Figured I'd say hello. You still buried in code?"
She gave a soft smile, "As always."
Adrian chuckled. "So… any chance you're free this weekend? Thought we could catch up. A lot's changed since the orphanage."
Arabella hesitated, fingers brushing over the edge of her keyboard. "I… I have a few things lined up. Maybe some other time."
He nodded, still cheerful. "Sure. Just thought I'd ask."
What neither of them noticed was the sharp gaze watching them from across the room.
Damon stood near the corridor entrance, his hands in his pockets, jaw clenched slightly as he observed the two. Arabella's soft voice, her slight smile—he didn't like seeing it directed at someone else. Especially not him.
His eyes didn't leave them until a familiar voice broke through the moment.
"Mr. Kingsley," Mr. Caldwell greeted, approaching with his usual polite enthusiasm. "Would you like to head to the project office now? I've got the progress reports ready."
Damon nodded, forcing his attention away. "Yes. Let's go."
As he walked with Caldwell toward the glass-paneled office space, his eyes lingered one last time on Arabella's desk. Almost like she could feel it, Arabella looked up at that exact moment. Their eyes met. Damon paused in his step, gaze locked onto hers for a brief beat—long enough to make her breath catch—before he turned away, his expression unreadable.
Arabella stared after him, something cold and curious stirring in her chest. Why did that look feel different? It was as if something was not right.
"Hey," Adrian said beside her, snapping her out of it. "Where'd you go?"
"Oh, sorry. Nothing," she muttered, glancing back toward the hallway.
Just then, Lydia approached with a grin. "Hey, Arabella. Who's your visitor?"
"This is Adrian," Arabella said softly. "We… knew each other before. From the orphanage."
Adrian smiled and extended a hand. "Nice to meet you."
"You too," Lydia returned, always easygoing. "Arabella doesn't tell us much about her past. I'm curious now."
Arabella blushed faintly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
A little while later, Arabella excused herself to the washroom, and Lydia followed her after finishing a call. While they were gone, Damon emerged from Caldwell's office. He walked toward Arabella's desk, only to find it empty. His eyes flicked across the tech floor, jaw tightening again before he turned sharply toward the elevator. The faint flicker of frustration in his eyes didn't go unnoticed by Mr. Caldwell, who trailed behind him.
As the elevator doors closed behind him, Arabella returned, coffee in hand, chatting quietly with Lydia. She glanced toward the corridor and saw Mr. Caldwell standing near the elevators, still on a call.
"Do you think… Mr. Kingsley already left?" Arabella asked, more to herself than to Lydia.
Lydia shrugged. "Maybe. Why?"
"No reason," she said quickly, shaking her head as she sat down again. But her mind, again, was elsewhere. Something about his gaze… the quiet tension in the air… something had changed.