Chapter 433: Whispers and judgment
Nora and Demitri strolled hand in hand through the bustling market, their fingers gently intertwined together.
"Let’s get our pictures clicked in that booth," Demitri said, gesturing toward a cozy photo booth where a couple had just stepped out, laughing as they held their photo strip.
Nora’s eyes lit up. "Let’s go!" she said eagerly, tugging him along.
Inside, the curtain fell shut behind them. Demitri tapped a few buttons on the screen. "Alright, let’s try some fun poses," he grinned.
They leaned close, faces touching, then pulled funny expressions, and in the final shot, Demitri turned his head and kissed Nora on the cheek, making her eyes widen in surprise and delight.
The machine whirred and printed their photos. Demitri grabbed the strip and showed it to her with a gentle smile.
"Look," he said softly, holding it up. "We look so good together."
Nora smiled, her gaze lingering on the last photo. "Yes. They turned out beautiful," she whispered. Exiting the photo booth, Demitri contemplated whether he should ask her if things were good at work for her or not. Last time he did ask and Nora simply brushed it off saying everything was going well.
"Demitri, let’s eat Gelato," she excitedly said as her feet halted before a street stall, where many people were present. "I’ll buy two." She was quick to take out the wallet from her purse and paid for it before taking two gelatos.
They sat near a fountain bench and began eating. Demitri looked at her and felt she appeared to be more relaxed. They finished their respective gelatos.
"Nora, you shouldn’t hide anything from me. If your colleagues are not good with you, then you must tell me," Demitri said.
"They still think I’m not a match for you," Nora said softly, her eyes meeting his for a moment before drifting away. "But honestly, I don’t care anymore. Still, I’ve decided to apply for a job at another company."
Demitri’s expression shifted. "What? You’re doing this because I work there, aren’t you?" he asked, a hint of hurt in his voice. "Please don’t hide it from me."
Nora sighed, shaking her head. "It’s not just that. I don’t think it’s wise for me to keep working there in the long run. I can’t go around explaining our relationship to everyone, and frankly, I’m tired of the whispers and judgment. I need a fresh start."
"You don’t have to go through all that. Stay," Demitri urged. "You worked so hard to land that job, let me be the one to leave. I’ll find the job in another company."
"No," she said firmly. "You don’t have to do that, Demitri. This is about me, too. I want to explore more in my career. Maybe this is the push I needed."
He nodded slightly. He had made his feelings for Nora public, thinking love shouldn’t be hidden. ’I need to find a solution for it,’ he thought.
~~~~~
Zayne shut the desktop and stared blankly at the screem.
"Hey! Let’s go grab some drinks!" one of his colleagues called out.
"No, I’ll pass this time," Zayne said without looking back. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he walked out of the station.
He reached his car, slid into the driver’s seat, and fastened the seatbelt. With a deep breath, he turned on the engine.
While driving through the dusky streets, Zayne’s phone suddenly rang. Glancing at the caller ID, his brows furrowed. It was Lucius.
He immediately pulled over to the side of the road to answer the call.
"Boss? Is everything alright?" Zayne asked with worry.
"Yes, everything’s fine," Lucius assured calmly. "Where are you right now? Layla and I are waiting for you at Rosmarino & Co."
Zayne blinked in surprise. "Wait, what?"
Lucius chuckled softly on the other end. "We want you to join us for dinner. You’re not tied up with anything, are you?"
"No... I just wrapped up at the station," Zayne replied, still a little startled. "I’ll head there now."
"Good. We’ll be waiting," Lucius said before the line went dead.
Zayne slid his phone into the console and restarted the engine as he drove toward the restaurant.
After parking his car, Zayne took out his phone and dialed Lucius.
"Where exactly are you, Boss?" he asked once the call connected.
"Come up to the fourth floor," Lucius replied. "You’ll spot me right away."
"Got it," Zayne said, ending the call and slipping the phone into his pocket.
He stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the fourth floor.
As the elevator doors slid open, Zayne stepped out and immediately saw Lucius waiting near the entrance to the rooftop section. The evening sky behind him was tinged with hues of gold and violet.
"Boss," Zayne greeted, quickly walking over to him.
Lucius gave him a nod and a slight smile. "Layla planned this last minute," he said with a small sigh. "And you know I can’t say no to her."
He gestured for Zayne to follow as he turned, leading him toward the softly lit dining area.
"Zayne’s here," Lucius said as they approached the table.
Layla looked up from her phone and smiled brightly. "Hey, Zayne!"
"Hey, Layla!" he greeted, waving back.
She rose from her seat, and they shared a warm hug before sitting down.
"Sorry for the last-minute invitation," Layla said as she settled back in her chair.
"Don’t apologize," Zayne replied with a smile. "Honestly, I’m just glad I don’t have to eat alone tonight."
"Well, tonight’s dinner is all about you," Layla grinned, handing him the menu. "So pick whatever you’re craving. We’ll go with your choice."
"Alright," Zayne said, opening the menu and scanning through the options available.
Zayne told the waiter, who jotted the orders on the notepad. After he left, Zayne asked, "How’s your pregnancy journey going?"
"Smooth. Wait! I’ll show the photo of our baby," Layla said, opening the gallery of her phone. She forwarded it to him so that he could take a better look.
Zayne saw the image and instantly his smile widened. "That’s nice. I hope baby is growing well."
"Yes," Layla replied with a smile, taking back the phone from him.
"We were thinking to shift back to our mansion next month. I want you to move in with us. Lucius considers you as his younger brother and it would be nice if you share the same roof as us," Layla suggested, waiting for his reply.