Diana avoided him.
Not intentionally.
At least… that's what she told herself.
But the truth was
She didn't trust herself around him anymore.
The kiss hadn't been soft.
It hadn't been accidental.
And worst of all
It hadn't been one-sided.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the cup of coffee in her hand as she stood by the window, staring out at nothing in particular.
Her mind replayed it anyway.
The way he pulled her closer.
The way his voice dropped before it happened.
The way he didn't stop
Not until he forced himself to.
Her breath came out slower this time.
Controlled.
But not calm.
"This is bad," she whispered.
Not because it happened.
But because she wanted it to happen again.
And that
That was the real problem.
"Thinking about something interesting?"
Diana froze.
That voice.
Adriana.
Of course.
She turned slowly.
Adriana stood a few steps away, dressed as perfectly as ever, like she belonged anywhere she decided to stand.
Her gaze was sharp.
Observant.
Dangerously aware.
"I didn't hear you come in," Diana said.
"That's because you weren't paying attention," Adriana replied smoothly.
Her eyes lingered.
Studying.
"You look distracted," she added.
Diana forced a small, controlled smile. "I'm not."
Adriana stepped closer.
Slow.
Measured.
"You are," she said softly. "And I think I know why."
Diana's chest tightened slightly.
But her expression didn't change.
"Oh?" she said. "Enlighten me."
Adriana's gaze dropped
Briefly.
To Diana's lips.
Then back up.
And that was enough.
Diana felt it.
That flicker of awareness.
That silent accusation.
"Something changed," Adriana continued. "You carry yourself differently today."
Diana let out a quiet breath.
"You're reading too much into nothing."
Adriana smiled.
Slow.
Knowing.
"I've never misread him," she said.
That name wasn't said.
But it didn't need to be.
Victor.
"And I've definitely never misread a woman after she's been kissed like that."
Silence.
Sharp.
Unavoidable.
Diana didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Didn't react.
But inside
Everything tightened.
"You're assuming a lot," she said calmly.
Adriana tilted her head slightly.
"No," she replied. "I'm observing."
A pause.
Then
"And you're confirming it."
Diana's grip on the cup tightened slightly.
But before she could respond
"Adriana."
Victor's voice.
Both women turned.
He stood at the entrance.
Composed.
Controlled.
As always.
But Diana noticed it instantly
The brief flicker in his eyes when they landed on her.
Recognition.
Memory.
The kiss.
And then
It was gone.
Just like that.
"Shouldn't you be on that call?" Adriana asked casually.
Victor walked in fully now.
"Yes."
But he didn't leave.
His gaze shifted between them.
Calculating.
"Yet here you are," Adriana added.
Victor ignored that.
Instead
He looked at Diana.
"You didn't come down for breakfast."
The normalcy of the statement threw her off.
"I wasn't hungry," she said.
A lie.
Victor studied her for a moment.
Long enough to make her aware of it.
"You should eat," he said.
There it was again.
That quiet control.
That subtle concern.
And somehow
That made everything worse.
"I'll eat later," she replied.
A pause.
Then Adriana spoke again.
"She's not distracted by food."
Victor's eyes shifted to her.
"Then what is she distracted by?" he asked.
The question was calm.
Neutral.
But the air changed instantly.
Adriana smiled.
"You."
Silence.
Diana's heart skipped.
Victor didn't react.
At least—
Not visibly.
But Diana saw it.
That slight tension in his jaw.
"That's an assumption," he said.
Adriana stepped closer.
Not to him.
To Diana.
"Is it?" she murmured.
Diana held her ground.
"Yes."
Adriana leaned in slightly.
Close enough for her voice to lower.
"Then look at him," she whispered.
Diana's breath caught.
"Go on."
Silence stretched.
Slowly
Against her better judgment
Diana looked at Victor.
And that was her mistake.
Because he was already looking at her.
Not casually.
Not distantly.
Intensely.
Like he was remembering it too.
The kiss.
Her breath faltered.
Just slightly.
But it was enough.
Adriana saw everything.
"There it is," she said softly.
Victor's expression hardened slightly.
"That's enough, Adriana."
But this time
She didn't stop.
"No," she said calmly. "This is exactly what I came to see."
Diana tore her gaze away.
Frustrated.
Exposed.
"This is ridiculous," she said. "You're creating drama out of nothing."
Adriana smiled faintly.
"Then prove me wrong."
Diana's brows furrowed. "How?"
Adriana's eyes gleamed slightly.
"Say it didn't happen."
Silence.
The room went still.
Diana's mind blanked for half a second.
Say it didn't happen.
Simple.
Easy.
Logical.
And yet
She couldn't.
Because it had.
And worse
She didn't regret it.
"That's what I thought," Adriana said softly.
Victor stepped forward then.
This time
There was no patience left.
"That's enough," he repeated.
His tone was final.
Adriana held his gaze.
Then—
Slowly—
She stepped back.
But she was smiling.
"Now I understand," she said quietly.
Victor's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Understand what?"
Adriana glanced at Diana one last time.
"Why you're hesitating."
That hit.
Victor didn't respond.
And that silence
Confirmed it.
Adriana's smile deepened slightly.
"Careful," she said. "Hesitation isn't something you're good at."
And with that
She turned and walked away.
Again.
But this time
She left something behind.
Truth.
Silence filled the room.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Diana exhaled slowly.
"This is getting out of hand."
Victor didn't respond immediately.
When he did—
His voice was lower.
"You shouldn't have engaged her."
Diana turned to him sharply. "Oh, so this is my fault?"
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to."
A pause.
Then—
"You're avoiding the real issue," he added.
Diana's chest tightened.
"And what is that?" she asked.
Victor stepped closer.
"Why you couldn't deny it."
Silence.
There it was.
No escape now.
Diana met his gaze.
Steady.
"Because I'm not a liar," she said.
Victor's eyes darkened slightly
"That's not the reason."
Her breath caught.
"Then what is?"
A pause.
Then
"Because you felt it," he said quietly.
Her heart slammed against her chest.
"And so did I."
Silence.
Everything stopped.
Diana swallowed slowly.
"Then why are you acting like it didn't matter?" she asked.
Victor's jaw tightened.
"Because it does."
A beat.
Then
"And that's the problem."
Diana's breath faltered.
"Why?"
Victor looked at her.
Really looked this time.
"Because the moment it matters," he said, his voice low, controlled, "it stops being something I can walk away from."
Her chest tightened.
"And you want to walk away?" she asked softly.
Silence.
Too long.
Then
"Yes."
The word landed hard.
Diana nodded slowly.
"Then you should."
But neither of them moved.
And that
That was the real truth.
They couldn't.