The Proud CEO

The days passed. Slowly. Carefully.

Eliana returned to work with her head high, her heels higher, and her heart locked behind layers of resolve. Adrian was respectful. Distant. No secret glances, no quiet texts. Just meetings, memos, and professionalism.

It was excruciating.

Worse, it was exactly what she asked for.

And yet—every time he entered a room, the air changed. Every time his voice called her name in a meeting, her body reacted before her brain could catch up.

She was unraveling. Quietly. Completely.

Adrian wasn't faring much better.

He had built a reputation on control. Precision. Power.

But Eliana had exposed something he didn't know he was hiding.

A weakness for her.

He watched her from his glass office, admired the way she commanded attention with words, how she disarmed arrogance without raising her voice.

And he hated that he had to pretend he didn't care.

Because he did.

More than he should.

The breaking point came on a rainy Thursday.

Eliana was in the elevator, arms full of files, soaked despite her umbrella. As the doors started to close, Adrian slipped in.

Silence.

She didn't look at him.

But he looked at her.

"You're avoiding me," he said.

"I'm working."

"You're hiding behind it."

She met his eyes, tired but fierce. "What do you want from me, Adrian?"

"I want the truth. From you. From me. From us."

"There is no us anymore."

Cracks in the Armor

The days passed. Slowly. Carefully.

Eliana returned to work with her head high, her heels higher, and her heart locked behind layers of resolve. Adrian was respectful. Distant. No secret glances, no quiet texts. Just meetings, memos, and professionalism.

It was excruciating.

Worse, it was exactly what she asked for.

And yet—every time he entered a room, the air changed. Every time his voice called her name in a meeting, her body reacted before her brain could catch up.

She was unraveling. Quietly. Completely.

Adrian wasn't faring much better.

He had built a reputation on control. Precision. Power.

But Eliana had exposed something he didn't know he was hiding.

A weakness for her.

He watched her from his glass office, admired the way she commanded attention with words, how she disarmed arrogance without raising her voice.

And he hated that he had to pretend he didn't care.

Because he did.

More than he should.

The breaking point came on a rainy Thursday.

Eliana was in the elevator, arms full of files, soaked despite her umbrella. As the doors started to close, Adrian slipped in.

Silence.

She didn't look at him.

But he looked at her.

"You're avoiding me," he said.

"I'm working."

"You're hiding behind it."

She met his eyes, tired but fierce. "What do you want from me, Adrian?"

"I want the truth. From you. From me. From us."

"There is no us anymore."

A pause.

Then, softly, "That's not true. And you know it."

The elevator stopped. She stepped out. He didn't follow.

Later that night, her phone rang.

Not a text.

A call.

His name lit up the screen. She hesitated, then answered.

"Eliana."

His voice was rough. Tired. Real.

"I'm not okay pretending," he said.

She closed her eyes. "Neither am I."

"Then let's stop."