Chapter 66: Regret
The soft click of the door signaled the close of another long day. Ella pulled her sweatshirt tighter around herself, the exhaustion of the shift pressing down on her shoulders like invisible weights. Despite the whispers, the cautious glances, and the lingering awkwardness of her coworkers, she had survived it. Just barely.
Nicholas had stayed the entire time, his presence steady, quiet, unwavering. He hadn’t hovered, hadn’t embarrassed her by making a scene, but he had been there—sitting at the farthest table, nursing a coffee that went cold hours ago. Every time her hands had trembled or the sharp sting of gossip had bitten her ears, all she had to do was glance up, and there he was. Watching. Waiting. Protecting.
Now, the streets were quiet under the weight of the evening. The hush after a storm.
Nicholas adjusted his coat as he pushed open the door for her, his hand settling firmly at the small of her back—a touch both protective and possessive, yet gentle. Ella didn’t resist. She needed that steady warmth grounding her right now.
"Let’s get you home," he murmured.
Ella nodded, eyes heavy. She was too tired to argue anymore, too drained to pretend she didn’t crave the comfort of his space, his warmth, the quiet assurance of his presence when her entire world felt sharp and broken.
They walked side by side down the dimly lit street toward where Nicholas had parked around the corner, away from prying eyes. She didn’t notice the figure in the shadows, standing still as a statue near the alley across from the shop.
But he saw everything.
Adrian stood cloaked in the deepening twilight, his fists clenched at his sides, jaw tight with restrained fury. His perfectly tailored suit felt like a cage on his skin, suddenly suffocating, hot beneath his collar. He hadn’t planned to be here. At least, that’s what he told himself earlier this afternoon as his car idled outside his office and his fingers hovered over his phone, debating whether to look her up.
But curiosity—or something crueler—had driven him here.
Ella.