Elena walked straight into the private garden without sparing him a glance, her steps steady, controlled but just a fraction sharper than before.
The moment she crossed into space, the soft rustle of leaves and the quiet elegance of the setting surrounded her, carefully arranged to create intimacy, to suggest something warm, something natural… something that didn't exist between them.
She stopped near the table, her fingers brushing lightly against the back of the chair as she took a slow breath, her expression settling back into its usual calm, as if the scene she had just witnessed…. never affected her at all.
Ugh! Why does this day keep on getting worse for me?
Behind her, she could hear his footsteps approaching, slowly, leisurely, as if he had all the time in the world.
Of course he did.
This was a game to him now. She didn't turn immediately, giving herself that one extra second to steady whatever had shifted inside her before she faced him again.
By the time she did, her face was composed, her gaze became clear and unreadable.
"You're late," she said, her tone even, as if nothing unusual had happened.
Alaric stopped a few steps away from her, studying her for a brief moment, his eyes lingering just enough to notice the difference… the slight stiffness in her posture, the faint edge beneath her calm.
"Am I?" He replied casually. "I thought you were early."
Elena didn't respond to that.
Instead, her gaze held his, steady and unflinching. "I didn't realize this meeting included bringing in a partner."
A faint curve touched his lips, not quite a smile, more like quiet amusement. "You mean Helena?" He said, as if it was nothing worth discussing. "She just happened to be here… I did not bring her here."
"Mm." Elena's lips pressed into a polite, almost indifferent line. "She seemed… comfortable earlier with you. Both standing in each other's private space."
There was the slightest pause, just enough to let the meaning settle without stating it outright.
Alaric noticed it.
Of course he did.
"And you didn't like that?" He asked, his voice calm but there was something beneath it now… something probing.
Elena tilted her head slightly, as if considering the question, her expression unchanged. "Whether I like it or not doesn't seem relevant, Mr. Hale," she said smoothly. "You're free to entertain whoever you want but make sure it's done discreetly."
Her words were perfect.
Too perfect.
And that made it obvious.
Alaric's gaze sharpened just slightly. "That's not what it looked like a minute ago."
Something flickered in her eyes… the control she had gone almost instantly.
"What did it look like?" She asked, her voice just as steady as before.
He held her gaze for a moment, as if deciding whether to push further.
Then he did.
"Like you didn't expect it," He said. "Like it bothered you."
A beat passed.
The air between them tightened just enough to be felt.
Elena let out a soft breath, almost amused, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "You're reading too much into it," she replied. "I was simply observing."
"Observing," he repeated, his tone carrying a hint of skepticism.
"Yes." She stepped forward slightly, closing the distance just enough to shift the dynamic, her posture still elegant, still controlled. "After all, if we're expected to play a convincing couple, I should at least know what I'm working with."
That caught him off guard… just a little.
Not her words.
But the way she said them.
Alaric's gaze lingered on her for a moment longer, searching for something beneath the surface, but she gave him nothing.
No hesitation, no visible discomfort… just the same composed expression she had walked in with, as if whatever he had intended earlier hadn't touched her at all.
A faint smirk appeared on his lips. "And what exactly do you think you're working with?"
Elena held his gaze without flinching.
"Someone who enjoys making a point," she said, with her usual calm tone. "Though I'm not entirely sure who you were trying to convince just now. Me… or yourself."
The words settled between them, quiet but deliberate.
For a brief moment, he didn't respond.
Not because he didn't have an answer but because he hadn't expected her to turn it back on him so cleanly.
Interesting. She just knows how to play with words… must be doing this all her life.
He stepped closer, not abruptly but with enough intent to close the distance between them, testing whether she would give way.
She didn't.
Didn't step back.
Didn't shift.
Just stood there, meeting his gaze as if the space between them meant nothing.
"Be careful," he said, his voice lower now, carrying a hint of warning rather than amusement. "You might start assuming things that aren't there."
Elena tilted her head slightly, studying him for a second as if weighing his words, before answering just as quietly, "Then perhaps you shouldn't make it so easy."
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They took their seats across from each other, the table between them suddenly feeling more like a barrier than a setting meant for intimacy.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The quietness between them stretched, not comfortable, not intentional… just uncertain.
It was almost ironic.
They had been told exactly what to do.
And yet… Neither of them moved.
Alaric leaned back slightly, his patience thinning faster than he would have liked, his fingers tapping once against the armrest before stilling.
"Do you even know what we're supposed to do here?" He said at last, his tone edged with irritation. "Because I run a company and I don't have time to waste on things that add no value."
Elena glanced at him, unimpressed, the faintest flicker of annoyance passing through her eyes before settling. She let out a quiet breath, tilting her head slightly as if the answer was obvious.
"Your grandfather wants us to act like a couple meeting in secrecy, there could be someone taking photos of us…" she said, her voice smooth but not particularly warm.
"Which means we're supposed to behave like people who are in love with each other." She paused. Then, just enough edge to it… "Do you understand, or should I simplify it further for you?"
Alaric's jaw tightened just slightly, though a dry scoff escaped him.
"No, thank you. The less you talk, the easier it is to keep my sanity intact." His sharp gaze held hers, trying to test. "But tell me something… do you even know how to behave like someone in love?"
Elena didn't look away. "It's not that difficult," she replied, almost dismissively.
That seemed to amuse him.
Or challenge him.
"Then show me," he said, leaning forward just a fraction, his tone shifting… mocking now, deliberately. "Ms. Vaughn… how exactly would you behave with your man?" He took a brief pause, his lips curving slightly. "The one you love the most in the world."
He exaggerated the last part just enough to make his point clear.
Elena held his gaze for a second longer than necessary, as if weighing whether to entertain him or ignore him entirely.
Then, slowly… she moved.
Not abruptly.
Not dramatically.
Just enough to change the space between them.
She leaned forward, her hand coming to rest lightly over his on the table, her touch gentle, almost careful, as if it belonged there. Her fingers didn't tighten, didn't demand… just settled, warm and comfortably.
Her expression softened. Not completely but enough for convincing anyone in the room.
"Like this," she said quietly.
Alaric stilled.
Not because of the gesture but because of how naturally she did it.
Her thumb brushed lightly against his hand, absent minded, as if it were something she had done countless times before. Her gaze held his but this time there was a subtle shift… less guarded, less sharp, something almost… familiar.
"People in love don't interrogate each other the moment they sit down," she continued, her voice softer now, controlled but different. "They talk. They listen. They make the other person feel… wanted."
The word lingered in his mind.
Her fingers moved slightly, tracing the edge of his knuckles without breaking the contact.
"And they don't look at each other like they're about to start a war," she added, the faintest hint of something unreadable passing through her eyes.
For a brief moment… Alaric forgot to respond because this… this didn't feel like acting.
And that… was unexpected.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if trying to see through it, trying to find the line between performance and truth.
"Not bad," he said after a moment, though his voice had lost a fraction of its earlier sharpness. "You've had practice."
There it was.
The edge returned. He deliberately wanted to mock her because he felt like he's losing his control over the situation.
Elena's expression didn't change.
But something in her gaze did.
Her fingers withdrew from his hand slowly, as if the moment had served its purpose.
"It's just observation," she said lightly. "Nothing more."
The space between them returned but not entirely the same as before. Something had shifted and neither of them could quite ignore it anymore.