On the drive back to the office, neither of them spoke at first. The steady rhythm of the tires on the road filled the quiet between them. Elara sat in the passenger seat, hands folded neatly on her lap, staring out the window at the passing cityscape.
Adrian kept his eyes on the road, his expression unreadable. But his thoughts lingered on lunch, how easily his mother had spoken with Elara, how her laughter had come so naturally. It had been years since he'd seen his mother so at ease with anyone.
After several minutes, he finally broke the silence. "I didn't know you were so close to my mother."
Elara blinked, caught off guard. "Yes… we met at the hospital a few years ago," she said softly. It was the simplest truth she could offer without revealing everything.
Adrian nodded slightly, his tone thoughtful. "This is the first time I've seen her talk so much to a young woman. Even with Luna, she was never this warm."
Elara smiled faintly. "That's because we're good friends. Your mother is easy to talk to."
He glanced at her briefly before returning his gaze to the road. "One day she'll insist I bring you to dinner. Tell me when you're free."
Her heart skipped. "All right," she said quietly.
When they reached the underground car park, Adrian parked the car and switched off the engine.
They stepped out together and entered the elevator. The doors closed, and to Elara's surprise, no one else entered. It was just the two of them.
The quiet felt heavier in the small space.
Adrian stood beside her, hands in his pockets, his posture relaxed yet tense in a way she couldn't quite read. Elara kept to her side, clutching her bag, reminding herself to breathe normally.
Halfway up, his voice broke the silence.
"Elara."
She straightened. "Yes, Mr. Vale?"
He looked ahead, not at her. "Are you and Eric… seeing each other?"
Elara blinked, stunned. "What?"
"Eric from Marketing," he said calmly. "This morning I saw you two talking and I heard him asking you to have lunch with him."
Her heartbeat jumped. She had not expected him to bring this up.
"We knew each other," she said gently. "That is all."
Adrian's jaw tightened slightly. "He likes you."
She swallowed. "Maybe. I am not sure."
"My real question is…," Adrian said. His tone was even, but his eyes lowered to her briefly. "Are you interested in him?"
Elara's breath caught. For a moment she forgot how to speak.
"No," she finally said, short and simple. "I am not."
Adrian turned his head slightly, just enough to look at her. His eyes met hers and the moment their gazes locked, Elara felt her heartbeat skip painfully in her chest.
The elevator hummed softly, the only sound between them.
Adrian took a small step closer. Not enough to crowd her, but enough that she felt the warmth of his presence. Her back brushed lightly against the elevator wall, and she inhaled sharply without meaning to.
"So you are not interested in him," he repeated, his voice quieter this time.
Elara nodded, unable to trust her voice.
His eyes lowered for a moment, as if he were searching for something in her expression.
"Elara," he said softly, "then why did you look nervous when I asked?"
Her breath faltered.
"I… I wasn't," she lied.
He took another half-step closer. Their bodies weren't touching, but the space between them felt charged, too narrow, too warm.
"You were," he murmured.
Her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag. She could smell the faint cologne on him, a scent that made her chest tighten with memories he didn't even know he was triggering.
Adrian's gaze drifted from her eyes to her lips for a heartbeat, just long enough for heat to flood her cheeks before he looked away again, exhaling slowly.
The elevator dinged, breaking the moment.
The doors opened.
Adrian didn't move right away. Neither did she.
Finally, he stepped back just slightly and said in a low voice, "Let's go."
Elara followed, her heart still pounding, her knees nearly weak. Though nothing happened, the charged silence between them felt more intimate than a touch.
And she knew Adrian felt it too.
As they walked out of the elevator, neither spoke. Their footsteps echoed softly through the quiet basement corridor. Every few steps, Adrian glanced sideways at her as if checking whether she was still there, or perhaps searching for something he couldn't name.
Elara kept her eyes forward, though her pulse hadn't settled since the elevator.
"Elara," he said suddenly.
She turned, startled by the softness in his tone. "Yes?"
He hesitated and it was not something Adrian Vale ever did. "When I asked about Eric… you seemed flustered."
She swallowed. "Because it was unexpected."
"Why unexpected?" he pressed gently.
Her fingers twisted around her bag strap. "Because I didn't think my personal life mattered to you."
Adrian stopped walking.
She took two more steps before realizing and turned back. He was watching her carefully, his expression unreadable.
"It does," he said quietly.
Her heart thudded painfully.
Adrian stepped closer, not enough to touch, but close enough that she felt his warmth again. He lowered his voice.
"I don't know why," he said, "but it bothers me."
She blinked, unsure she'd heard him correctly.
"I shouldn't care," he continued, voice lower. "I shouldn't feel anything at all."
Elara's breath hitched. "Mr. Vale…"
"But when I saw him with you today…" His gaze deepened, the faintest tension sharpening his features. "I didn't like it."
Her knees weakened.
He exhaled with a frustrated sound. "I don't understand myself lately."
Elara knew she should step away. She should create distance. She should remind him she was just an assistant.
But she couldn't move.
Adrian lifted a hand slightly as if he almost reached for her, then stopped himself at the last moment.
"Elara," he murmured, voice rawer than she'd ever heard, "tell me something."
She nodded, barely breathing.
"Is there a reason," he asked, eyes fixed on hers, "why do I feel like I've known you far longer than I have?"
Her heart twisted.
She parted her lips but no sound came out.
Before she could answer, the distant sound of footsteps echoed down the corridor, bringing Adrian back into the professional mask he always wore.
He stepped back, looked away and cleared his throat lightly.
"We should return," he said, his tone steadier but still carrying a trace of the intimacy from moments before.
Elara nodded, though her entire body felt unsteady.
As they walked toward the office, one truth pressed painfully, undeniably in her chest:
He was remembering her, even without knowing it. And that terrified her more than anything.
The afternoon felt longer than it should have.
Elara tried to bury herself in work, but every time she looked up, she found his office door closed… yet she felt his gaze through the glass wall.
She tried to ignore the flutter in her chest each time.
Near the end of the day, Rowen walked past her desk with a teasing smile. "Someone looks like she's thinking too much."
She straightened instantly. "I'm fine."
Rowen leaned in a little. "Is Adrian giving you a hard time?"
Her eyes widened. "No. No, nothing like that."
"Well," Rowen said under his breath, "whatever you're doing, it's working. He's been in a better mood these past few days. Less ice. More human."
Elara's cheeks warmed, though she shook her head. "That's not because of me."
Rowen didn't push, just gave her a knowing look before walking off.
But Rowen's words echoed in her mind.
More human.
Because of her?
No.
She couldn't let herself think that and she couldn't let herself hope.
She stayed late, finishing work she hadn't been able to concentrate on earlier. By the time she stood up and gathered her things, the office floor was nearly empty, lights dimmed.
As she passed Adrian's office on her way out, she paused.
His light was still on.
Before she could turn away, she heard his voice.
"Elara."
Her breath caught. She turned slowly. "Yes?"
Adrian stood there, jacket draped over his arm, expression unreadable but eyes unmistakably focused on her.
"You're leaving late," he said.
"I was finishing the meeting files," she explained, holding up the folder. "I didn't want to delay tomorrow's schedule."
He nodded slowly. "Dedicated."
"I just want to do my job well," she replied.
"I'll drive you home," he said simply.
Her eyes widened. "It's all right. I can take the train—"
"It's late," Adrian said, his tone leaving no room for refusal. "You shouldn't go alone."
She hesitated, but the quiet firmness in his voice made her nod.
"All right."
*****
The ride was quiet at first. Soft music played through the speakers, and the glow of passing streetlights brushed over his profile.
Then—
Her stomach let out a loud, unmistakable growl.
Elara froze.
Adrian turned his head slightly, and to her shock, a slow smile curved at the corner of his mouth.
"That was not the engine," he said quietly.
Her face flooded with heat. "I—I."
Before she could respond, he signaled right and turned into a quiet street lined with small restaurants.
"Mr. Vale—"
"Let's eat," he said, already parking at the nearby road filled with restaurants. "I am hungry too."
*****
The restaurant he chose was warm and softly lit. Adrian held the door slightly for her. It was a small gesture that felt far too intimate for her heart to handle.
They ordered simple dishes. For a while, only the soft clatter of cutlery filled the space between them. Elara tried to focus on her food, but her mind kept drifting to the man seated across from her.
Halfway through the meal, Adrian rested his chin lightly on his hand, his gaze fixed on her in a way that made her pulse flutter.
"What?" Elara asked, flustered by his quiet stare.
"You are extremely quiet now," he said after a beat. "Are you nervous when with me?."
She froze for half a second.
Her heart skipped. Her cheeks heated even more, and she quickly took a sip of water to avoid responding.
Adrian laughed softly with a rare, warm sound that stirred something deep inside her. She hadn't heard it since she met him again.
"It's all right," he murmured. "I'm a little nervous too."
Her eyes snapped up to his.
"Why?"
"Maybe because," he said quietly, "I don't quite understand why you matter this much to me."
Her breath trembled at the honesty in his voice.
*****
After dinner, he drove her home. Before she could reach for the door handle, Adrian gently said:
"Elara."
The way he said her name made her breath catch.
She turned toward him, the dim light inside the car outlining the sharp line of his jaw, the faint tiredness in his eyes, the warmth he didn't try to hide.
He leaned slightly closer.
"Tell me again," he said, voice low, careful, almost asking permission. "You really don't like him, that Eric guy?"
"I don't," she said. "I never did."
Something inside Adrian softened. He leaned in a little more, close enough that she could feel his breath.
"Elara," he said quietly, "you're making it very hard for me to stay composed around you."
Her heart hammered.
"Mr. Vale… we should not—"
He cut her off softly. Not with words but with a kiss.
His lips brushed hers gently at first, as if testing a memory he couldn't grasp then deepened when she didn't pull away.
Elara clutched his jacket, melting into the familiar warmth she had tried so hard to forget.
The kiss grew deeper, slower, full of a longing neither of them understood but both felt. His hand rose to cup her cheek with a tenderness that shattered her.
When they finally parted, breath unsteady, Adrian remained close, forehead nearly touching hers.
"Elara," he whispered, voice rough with emotion he didn't fully understand, "I don't know what this is… but I don't want to stop."
Her heart fluttered helplessly.
"Adrian…" she breathed, his name slipping out before she could catch it.
He stilled.
A flicker of recognition, longing and confusion passed through his eyes.
"You've never called me that," he said softly.
Elara's lips trembled. "I'm sorry… it slipped."
His thumb brushed her cheek, slow and tender.
"Say it again."
She swallowed, breath shaking as she held his gaze.
"Adrian."
His eyes darkened with something dangerously close to desire and something heartbreakingly close to remembrance.
"Elara…" he murmured, voice dropping even lower, "I feel like I've wanted to hear you say my name for a very long time."
Her heart ached at the truth he didn't know he was speaking.
Adrian leaned in as though to steady himself but instead of stopping at her forehead, his lips found hers again.
This kiss was different.
Slow at first… then gradually deepening as though something inside him had finally snapped into place. Elara gasped softly, her fingers tightening in his jacket. He drew her closer, his hand sliding from her cheek to the curve of her jaw, tracing her gently as if memorizing the shape of her.
Her breath shivered against his mouth.
Adrian inhaled sharply, feeling the warmth of her body pressed to his, the faint tremor in her hands, the soft way she leaned into him. His other hand moved instinctively to her waist that made her entire body heat.
"Elara…" he whispered against her lips, the sound raw.
She shivered.
He kissed her again, deeper this time, his thumb stroking the side of her face in a slow, deliberate caress. Every touch felt like he was rediscovering something he had once held close. Something precious. Something he wasn't ready to let slip away again.
When he finally drew back, their lips still brushing faintly, his breath came unsteady.
"I don't know why…" His fingers tightened lightly at her waist. "But I feel like I've wanted to hold you like this for a long time."
Elara's heart fluttered helplessly.
Adrian's eyes darkened, his hand sliding up to cradle the back of her head in a way both protective and intimate.
"Elara," he breathed, "I don't want this moment to end."
Elara's breath hitched, and suddenly the reality of what they were doing crashed over her.
She pulled back quickly, her hand flying to her lips as if trying to steady her racing heartbeat.
Adrian froze, surprised by the abrupt distance.
"Elara?" he said softly.
"I–I'm sorry," she whispered, shaking her head. "We shouldn't… I shouldn't…"
Her pulse was erratic, her chest rising and falling too fast. The warmth of his hands still lingered on her skin, the taste of him still on her lips. She couldn't think. And she couldn't breathe.
Adrian reached out, fingers brushing hers gently.
"Elara, what's wrong?"
"I can't do this," she said, stepping back further until her shoulder hit the car door. "This isn't right…"
His brows knit together. "Why? Because I'm your boss?"
"That's part of it," she whispered, panic rising. "But it's not just that…"
He waited, searching her expression.
"Elara… look at me."
She couldn't. If she looked at him, she knew she would fall apart.
Her voice trembled. "I'm scared, Adrian."
A flicker crossed his face, a mix of concern, frustration, and hurt.
"Scared of me?"
"No," she said quickly. "It's not like that."
"Then what are you afraid of?"
Her throat tightened.
Because of the memories he no longer had, the truth she was still hiding, and the fear that she might lose him all over again if even one wrong word slipped out. The weight of it pressed against her ribs, stealing her breath. She wanted to tell him everything, to reach for him the way she once had, but the words lodged painfully in her chest.
So she whispered the only thing she could manage.
"Please… not tonight. I need to go home."
"Elara," he said, voice low, "I won't force you. But don't run from me."
Her fingers curled tightly in her lap, trembling.
"I'm not running," she lied softly. "I just… need time."
He didn't answer, but the way he looked at her, careful and questioning and wanting, made her heart ache.
Elara closed her eyes, trying to steady herself.
"Good night, Mr. Vale," she whispered, barely able to speak.
She opened the door and stepped out before she lost control completely.
Adrian watched her walk away, his fingers still tingling from the feel of her skin.
He leaned back in his seat, exhaling shakily.
"What are you doing to me, Elara Quinn…" he murmured to the empty car.