Elion stood by the office window, shoulders stiff and his jaw clenched so hard it seed as if it might crack under the pressure. His silver eyes were sharp and fiery, mirroring the storm raging inside him. He couldn't seem to sit still, pacing the room nonstop since he walked in.
Her words wouldn't leave his mind.
"It doesn't an anything."
His fingers opened and closed at his sides, itching to grab sothing—or soone—to vent his frustration. The cool, collected Elion was gone, replaced by soone with a raw, simring anger that was both alien and unnerving. He wasn't angry at Raelynn, he realized, but at himself. How had he let her words affect him so much? Why did they feel like daggers lodged into his chest?
He stopped pacing, gripping the edge of his desk until the wood groaned in protest. His grip was so tight it left marks on the surface, a sign of how hard he was trying to hold it together.
The sharp sound of a knock broke through his thoughts.
"Co in," he barked, his voice low and rough, more a growl than an invitation.
Normally confident, Kade walked in with more caution than usual, weighed down by the oppressive aura Elion was emitting off. "Am I interrupting sothing?" Kade asked, his eyes alert. He had known Elion long enough to sense when sothing was wrong, and today, everything about him scread wrong.
Elion exhaled slowly, straightening up. "No. Speak."
Kade arched a brow but didn't comnt on the tension that seed to vibrate in the air. He set a folder on the desk and gestured toward it. "These are the reports from the last quarter. They need your review before the eting later today."
Elion didn't respond imdiately. He picked up the folder, flipping through it absently, but his focus was elsewhere. Kade watched him carefully, noting the slight furrow of his brow, the way his silver eyes flickered as if he were lost in thought.
"You seem... off," Kade said after a mont, folding his arms across his chest. "Everything okay?"
Elion's eyes snapped up, locking onto Kade with a glare so sharp it could have sliced through steel. "I'm fine."
Kade smirked, though the expression was tinged with unease. "You're a terrible liar, you know that?"
Elion closed the folder with a sharp snap and placed it on the desk. He leaned back against the edge of the desk, crossing his arms. For a mont, he said nothing, the silence stretching out until it beca almost unbearable.
"If soone dismisses sothing important," Elion began, "is it because they don't see its value or because they're afraid of what it might an?"
Kade blinked, taken aback by the unexpected question. He tilted his head slightly, studying Elion. "That depends," he said slowly, choosing his words carefully. "What are we talking about here?"
Elion didn't answer, his gaze fixed on so invisible point across the room. His fingers drumd against his arm, a rare display of nervous energy. Kade's smirk widened, but there was a knowing glint in his eye now.
"Ah," Kade said, dragging out the word. "This wouldn't have anything to do with Raelynn, would it?"
Elion's reaction was subtle but telling. His shoulders stiffened, and his jaw tightened just enough for Kade to notice. Kade chuckled softly, shaking his head.
"I see," he said, amusent coloring his tone. "You're worked up over her, aren't you?"
Elion shot him a warning glare, his eyes flaring dangerously. "Careful there, Kade."
Kade held up his hands in surrender, though his smile didn't fade. "Hey, I'm just asking."
Elion adjusted his posture, his fra seeming even more intimidating as he looked at Kade. A shadow passed over his face, making the room feel heavier with every second. Even Kade, who had known him for years, felt a shiver run down his spine.
"Enough," Elion said. "Focus on the reports. That's what you're here for."
Kade nodded, though his smirk didn't entirely disappear. He could tell Elion was trying to deflect, but the cracks in his armor were glaringly obvious. Still, he knew better than to push too far.
As the eting approached, Elion's frustration only grew. The boardroom was filled with high-ranking executives, each of them carefully avoiding Elion's gaze. His presence was always intimidating, but today, it was downright terrifying.
When one of the executives hesitated over a minor detail, Elion's patience snapped.
"Of course it matters!" he barked, his voice echoing through the room. "Why wouldn't it matter?"
His sudden outburst left the room dead silent, leaving everyone stunned for a mont. The executive stamred an apology, shrinking under Elion's withering glare. Even Kade, seated near the end of the table, raised an eyebrow in surprise.
He recognized too late that he'd overreacted, but instead of apologizing, he just moved on. He simply sat back and acted like nothing had happened, telling everyone to move on with the eting. The rest of the eting continued in tense silence, everyone too afraid to speak unless absolutely necessary.
After the eting, Kade lingered behind as the others quickly filed out of the room. He approached Elion cautiously, his usual calm had cracked, replaced by genuine concern.
"You want to talk about it?" he asked, leaning against the table.
Elion shook his head, rubbing his temples. "No. It's nothing."
Kade snorted. "You keep saying that, but it's clearly not nothing. Look, I'm not trying to pry, but whatever this is… it's eating you alive."
Elion didn't respond, his gaze fixed on the polished surface of the table. Kade sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Fine," he said, pushing off the table. "But you might want to figure it out sooner rather than later. You're scaring the hell out of everyone, and that's saying sothing."
On his way out, Kade mumbled under his breath, "Wait… No way. Right?"
Kade shook his head, rubbing his temple like he couldn't believe what he was thinking. "Haha. If he's into her, I'll go shave my head."
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