Chapter 42 The Ceiling Between Us
It happened again.
The noise.
The same low, muffled rhythm that had dragged me straight out of sleep last night - only now it was louder. Bolder.
At first, I tried to ignore it. Rolled over. Pulled the pillow over my head. But the sound crawled through the ceiling, uninvited - a breath, a laugh, a moan that sliced through the quiet like silk on skin.
I cursed under my breath and sat up, dragging a hand through my hair.
"This is insane," I muttered.
I shouldn't care who she was with.
I shouldn't even know who she was with.
And yet, when the voice upstairs groaned - deep, male - I felt something dark twist in my stomach.
I hated that it made me think of her.
I hated that it still mattered.
By the time the noise stopped, it was nearly three a.m. I didn't sleep after that.
By Monday morning, I was a walking ghost - perfectly dressed, clean-shaven, and quietly furious.
The office was already awake by the time I arrived. Laughter in the hall, phones ringing, heels clicking on marble floors. Just another start to another week at Cross & Grant - except today, the board had scheduled an "important announcement."
A new hire.
I couldn't care less.
All I wanted was caffeine, silence, and maybe a ceiling that didn't echo other people's pleasure.
As I stepped into the elevator, a hand stopped the doors from closing - and then she walked in.
Elena.
Hair pulled into a low bun, navy skirt, coffee in one hand, phone in the other. Effortless. Composed. Completely unaware that I'd spent the night listening to the ghost of her voice through a ceiling.
Our eyes met in the mirrored walls.
For a moment, everything in me went still.
She pressed the button for the top floor, her reflection catching mine. "Morning," she said, smooth as ever.
"Morning."
Silence.
The kind that feels heavy, like both of you are pretending it's not there.
The elevator hummed quietly.
And then I said, before I could stop myself, "You know, the walls-or ceilings, technically-aren't soundproof."
Her brows lifted slightly. "Excuse me?"
I turned toward her, casual. "Just a heads-up. Some of us enjoy sleep."
For a second, her expression didn't change. Then, slowly, a teasing smile curved her lips.
"Did it keep you up?" she asked lightly.
I met her gaze in the reflection. "Among other things."
She laughed under her breath, soft and dangerous. "Well," she said, stepping closer, "if you could hear it, then maybe you should invest in noise-canceling headphones."
"Or maybe," I said, my voice lower, "you could try being quieter."
Her smile widened - and then she leaned in, close enough that her perfume brushed against my collar.
"Why?" she murmured. "Do you miss the sound?"
My throat tightened.
For one reckless second, I forgot to breathe.
Her tone was playful, but there was something deliberate in her eyes - a flicker of satisfaction, a test.
The elevator chimed before I could answer.
She stepped out first, tossing me a look over her shoulder. "See you in the meeting, Mr. Cross."
I exhaled through my teeth. "Can't wait."
The boardroom was already filling up when I walked in.
Everyone was talking, smiling, shaking hands - business as usual. Except Elena sat across the table, calm as a queen, pretending last night didn't exist.
And then, the door opened again.
"Everyone, meet Lucas Hart," announced the chairman. "Our new Head of Legal Affairs."
Lucas stepped in, tailored suit, confident stride, and that same easy grin I'd heard through my ceiling.
My stomach dropped.
Of course it was him.
Elena looked perfectly composed, not even flinching as he shook her hand - too casually, too comfortably.
I clenched my jaw, forcing a polite nod.
"Mr. Cross," Lucas said warmly, extending a hand. "It's an honor to work with you. I've heard a lot."
"Likewise," I said coolly, shaking it once. "I'm sure we'll have... plenty to discuss."
He smiled. "Looking forward to it."
I bet you are, I thought darkly.
The meeting started - numbers, projections, legal terms - but all I could hear was the echo of her laugh from last night and the sound of his voice tangled with it.
When Elena leaned forward to pass Lucas a document, their fingers brushed - just briefly.
It shouldn't have meant anything. But it did.
Because I saw the look in her eyes - not guilt, not apology. Amusement.
She knew I'd figured it out.
And she was enjoying it.
After the meeting, people filtered out until it was just the three of us again - me, Elena, and Lucas.
Lucas was talking about a new client, oblivious to the storm brewing in silence.
"I'll draft the preliminary paperwork," he said to Elena. "We can review it later tonight?"
"Tonight works," she said, smiling.
Something in my chest snapped, quiet and clean.
Lucas excused himself a moment later, leaving his briefcase behind.
As soon as the door shut, Elena gathered her files. I stayed seated, arms crossed, watching her.
"You look tired," she said without looking up.
"Didn't sleep well," I replied. "Noisy neighbors."
She paused, then smiled faintly. "You really should move."
"Or you should stop pretending you're not the problem."
Her head tilted, amused. "If you think I'm going to apologize for having a life, Damian-"
"I don't want an apology," I cut in. "Just maybe a warning next time before you start redecorating the ceiling."
Her laugh was soft, short. "You really can't stand that it's not you anymore, can you?"
I met her gaze, unflinching. "If I wanted to hear you, Elena, I wouldn't need a ceiling between us."
Her smile faltered for just a second - the tiniest crack - before she smoothed it away.
"Good thing that ceiling's there, then," she said quietly, walking out.
The door clicked shut behind her.
And for a moment, all I could do was sit there, the echo of her words hanging in the silence, heavier than the noise from last night.