The morning after the dinner, Alina Ross woke up with a headache that had nothing to do with alcohol or late hours. It was a different kind of headache—a mixture of lingering irritation and… confusion.
She had replayed the dinner in her mind at least a dozen times: the flicker of sincerity in Adrian's eyes, the calmness that had somehow unsettled her, the soft apology that didn't feel forced.
And then there was that flutter.
Alina scowled at her reflection in the mirror. "I do not feel this way," she muttered aloud, but the tightness in her chest disagreed.
Sophie, ever observant, had noticed a subtle change when Alina arrived at the office.
"You're quiet this morning," Sophie said, sliding a cup of coffee onto her desk.
"I'm not," Alina snapped a little too sharply.
Sophie raised a brow, smirking. "Sure. And the little smile when you remembered last night's dinner was… just your imagination."
Alina groaned, grabbing the coffee. "I hate that you notice things like that."
"Love that I notice things like that," Sophie teased.
Alina pinched the bridge of her nose. Focus, Alina. Focus on the work, not… him.
---
The Morning Briefing
Aurora's team gathered for the morning briefing. Reports from the joint event were flooding in: clients impressed, press coverage glowing, and social media buzzing. Everything was a success on paper.
Yet Alina felt strangely distracted. Every thought of Adrian made her pulse quicken. Every image of him at the dinner, leaning back in his chair, composed and confident, stayed in her mind.
Sophie noticed her distraction, scribbling notes quietly.
"Try not to think about him," Sophie whispered under the table.
Alina shot her a glare. "You think it's that obvious?"
Sophie shrugged innocently. "Maybe."
Alina sighed. It's ridiculous. She had spent years hating him, planning to outdo him, to never let him get under her skin again… and yet here she was, thinking about his smile, his voice, and the way he'd finally apologized.
---
An Unexpected Message
Her phone buzzed.
It was a message from Adrian.
> "Morning. I hope I didn't ruin your sleep with my presence last night. Just wanted to thank you again for the dinner. -A"
Alina blinked. She stared at the message, then typed furiously:
> "It's fine. Don't read too much into it."
She hit send before thinking, then immediately regretted it.
Her chest felt tight, and she caught herself imagining how he might be smiling at her phone right now—calm, teasing, unreadable.
---
A Sudden Encounter
Later that day, she walked through the office hallway, clipboard in hand, and bumped straight into him.
"Careful, Ms. Ross," he said, steady as ever, yet with a hint of amusement. "Wouldn't want to get hurt."
Alina frowned. "You could have warned me."
He raised an eyebrow. "And ruin the surprise?"
Her heart skipped. She cursed herself silently. Why do I keep letting him get to me?
---
Flutters and Confusion
Throughout the day, small interactions kept catching her off guard.
He had a soft, approving glance at one of her strategies that made her blush.
He offered a calm suggestion about coordinating with the assistants that was actually helpful—and she noticed it.
A brief touch of hands while moving a stack of documents sent her pulse racing.
By late afternoon, she admitted quietly to Sophie, "I… I don't understand it. I hate him, but…"
Sophie laughed, shaking her head. "That 'but' is everything, boss. That 'but' is exactly the problem."
Alina groaned. "I hate that you're right."
---
A Moment Alone
As the office quieted, Alina stayed late, reviewing notes from the joint event. Adrian's office door was open across the hall. She caught sight of him—a rare moment when he was not perfectly composed. He was adjusting documents, sleeves slightly rolled, a subtle frown of concentration.
For a moment, she simply watched, torn between irritation and… something else.
Her thoughts spiraled.
Why do I feel like this? Why does he make me… uncertain?
The truth was, she wasn't sure anymore. Hating him had been simple. Clear. Strong. But now, after one dinner, one apology, one soft glance… the lines had blurred.
And she hated that as well.
---
The Assistant Notices Everything
Sophie nudged her gently as she left. "You're going to dream about him tonight."
Alina glared, but a faint smile betrayed her. "You're impossible."
Sophie just laughed. "And you're exactly like him—admit it."
Alina huffed but didn't argue further. She knew she wouldn't sleep well tonight. She knew the flutter in her chest wouldn't disappear.
Confusion. Frustration. Something else entirely.
She didn't know what it was yet—but she knew one thing. Adrian Vale was no longer just her rival.
And that scared her.