Arec’s POV:
As I ca out of the rest room, I was imdiately struck by the sight of Ella, standing frozen in front of a man and woman who were clearly taking pleasure in making her uncomfortable.
My eyes narrowed as I took in the scene, the man’s smug expression and the woman’s sneering smile. I was still a few steps away, but I could hear the words they were hurling at her as if they were right beside .
"You’re pathetic, you know that?" the woman spat, her voice dripping with contempt. "Thinking you could keep soone like Klaus interested. You’re nothing but a joke, a sad little girl who can’t let go."
Mira. That’s Mira, my godfather’s niece. And the man - Klaus. The na rang a bell. So he’s the loser behind Ella’s heartbreak that morable night, the one she’s trying move on from.
For reasons I didn’t fully understand, a surge of protectiveness rose within . I didn’t like how they were talking to her, didn’t like the way they were treating her, not because she was my assistant, but because sothing deeper, sothing possessive, was flaring up inside . I couldn’t stand the sight of her being hurt, not by anyone, and especially not by these two.
Ella stood there, her shoulders tense, her expression tight as she tried to keep her composure. But I could see the pain in her eyes, the way she was struggling to hold herself together while they tore her down. And Klaus, he was enjoying this, feeding off her discomfort like it was so kind of twisted ga.
I couldn’t watch it any longer.
"What is going on here?" I asked, my voice cutting through the air like a blade.
The words had barely left my mouth before all eyes were on . I could see Ella’s shoulders relax just a fraction when she saw , like she was holding on to the edge of a cliff and I was the rope that had just been thrown to her.
I walked up beside her, standing close enough to let Klaus and Mira know that whatever they were doing, it was going to stop now.
Mira’s face shifted as she recognized . Of course, she did. She knew who I was, and she knew the influence I held. I could see the gears turning in her head as she plastered on a fake smile, trying to smooth things over.
"It’s nothing," she said, waving a dismissive hand. "My boyfriend here was just catching up with an old friend."
"Yes, just catching up with an old friend," Klaus stuttered, his voice betraying the nervousness he was trying to hide.
But I wasn’t fooled. My eyes flicked to Ella, taking in the tension in her posture, the tightness around her mouth. She was trying so hard to keep it together, but I could see right through the mask. I turned back to Klaus, my voice dropping to a dangerously low tone.
"It didn’t sound like a friendly conversation to ."
Silence fell between us, thick and heavy. Klaus shifted uncomfortably under my gaze, struggling to maintain his composure. Finally, he forced a laugh, but it was hollow, empty of the confidence he had displayed monts before.
"Just a misunderstanding, really," he said, though he sounded far from convincing.
I didn’t respond imdiately, letting the tension hang in the air for a mont longer. I wanted him to feel it, to understand that I wasn’t soone who would let this slide.
Then, without a word, I stepped closer to Ella, placing a gentle but firm hand on her shoulder. I could feel the tension in her muscles, the way she was holding everything inside.
"Let’s go, Ella," I said quietly, my voice calm but leaving no room for argunt.
Ella didn’t hesitate, allowing to guide her away from Klaus and Mira. As we walked back to our table, I kept my hand on her shoulder, a silent reassurance that she wasn’t alone in this. I could feel the eyes of the other patrons on us, but I didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was getting her away from those two.
When we reached our table, I pulled out a chair for her, my expression softening as I looked at her. "Are you alright?" I asked, my voice filled with concern.
Ella nodded, but it was a hesitant, uncertain movent. I could tell the encounter had shaken her more than she was letting on. "Thank you," she murmured, her voice barely a whisper.
"You don’t have to thank , Ella," I said gently, leaning forward slightly. "But if you ever need soone to talk to... I’m here."
For a mont, her eyes widened in surprise at the sincerity in my voice. She quickly schooled her expression.
The rest of our lunch was spent in relative silence, the conversation kept light and impersonal. I tried to draw her out, asking her about the food, but she just forced a smile and gave vague, non-committal answers. I could see her mind was elsewhere, probably still replaying the encounter with Klaus and Mira over and over again.
And I hated it. I hated the way she seed so lost in her thoughts, the way she was clearly still affected by her ex. The idea that she might still have feelings for Klaus didn’t sit well with at all, though I couldn’t quite understand why. I shouldn’t care about her personal life, she was my assistant, after all. But there was sothing more to it, sothing that made feel... possessive.
As the lunch drew to a close, I paid the bill, and we both left the restaurant. My driver was already waiting for us outside, and we slipped into the car, the ride back to the office passing in the sa tense silence that had settled over us during lunch.
When we arrived back at Denco Group, we stepped out of the car, and I was just about to say sothing, anything to break the awkwardness, when I saw her.
"Hi, handso! How are you doing?" The voice was bright, cheerful, and completely out of place.
I turned to see Joanne, practically running toward , her arms outstretched. I was so shocked to see her here that I almost didn’t react in ti as she threw herself into my arms.
"Joanne?" I managed to say, still processing the fact that she was here. We had just seen each other last night at the ball, what was she doing at my office?
I barely had ti to glance at Ella, but when I did, I saw the flash of sothing in her eyes, sothing that looked an awful lot like hurt, before she quickly composed herself, stepping back and mumbling an excuse about getting back to work. Joanne watched her go, a curious look on her face as she turned back to .
"Who’s that?" she asked, tilting her head.
"She’s my assistant," I replied, trying to keep my tone casual.
Joanne’s lips curved into a teasing smile. "She’s beautiful."
I couldn’t help but chuckle at that, playing along with her usual banter. "And you are more than beautiful," I teased back, which brought a bright smile to Joanne’s face.
But even as I said the words, a part of couldn’t help but think that nobody was more beautiful than Ella. It was a thought I quickly shoved aside as Joanne raised the flask she had brought with her, beaming up at .
"What are you doing here, Joanne? " I asked.
"I ca to feed you lunch, of course," she said, shaking the flask playfully.
I laughed, though my mind was still partially focused on the hurt expression I thought I saw on Ella’s face.
Was I mistaken?
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