Not what we planned

Not what we planned
“What are you staring at?” Diego asked, his voice cold and sharp enough to snap me out of my thoughts instantly.

My breath caught, and I bit down on my lip, heat rushing to my face before I could stop it. Embarrassment flooded through me so quickly it felt overwhelming, like my whole body had betrayed me at once. I could feel it in the way my cheeks burned and in the tightness of my chest as I struggled to pull myself together.

I couldn’t look at him.

For a moment, I just stood there, my mind completely blank, as if every word I knew had suddenly disappeared. His presence alone was enough to make me lose whatever composure I thought I had.

I lowered my head immediately, my fingers curling slightly at my sides as I tried to steady myself.

“Sir… you called me?” I asked quietly, my voice barely above a whisper, careful not to meet his gaze.

Even then, I kept my eyes fixed on the floor, hoping he wouldn’t notice just how flustered I really was.

He leaned back in his chair, spinning it slowly as though he had all the time in the world, his eyes never leaving mine.

My throat felt dry, and I lowered my gaze, trying to steady myself.

“Yes,” he replied simply, his tone calm and unreadable.

Then he continued, “I called you to inform you to get ready. We are leaving for Singapore soon.”

Singapore.

The moment the word left his lips, something inside me shifted.

My heart skipped.

It wasn’t the first time I was hearing it, yet it still affected me the same way every single time. There was something about Singapore that unsettled me, something I couldn’t fully explain, but it always left me feeling uneasy, like I was being pulled into something I wouldn’t be able to escape from.

Before I could process it any further, he opened his drawer, pulled out a file, and extended it toward me.

I hesitated for a brief second before stepping forward.

As I reached for the file, a wave of tension tightened in my chest. The fear came slowly this time, creeping into my lungs until breathing felt slightly difficult. Leaving with him, traveling that far, staying close to him… I wasn’t sure I was ready for any of it.

I wasn’t even sure I had a choice.

And somehow, my thoughts drifted to Ellie.

Everything always led back to her.

A quiet anger stirred within me, mixed with regret. Ellie had dragged me into this life, into this mess I could no longer walk away from. She was manipulative, calculating, and dangerously calm when she wanted something. I should have known better. I should have refused her from the beginning.

But I didn’t.

Now I was here.

I took the file from him, my fingers slightly unsteady.

Our hands brushed.

It was brief, almost accidental, yet it sent a sharp jolt through my body. I froze immediately, my breath catching as warmth spread from my fingertips down to my feet. My heart began to pound, fast and uncontrollable, like it was trying to escape my chest.

I pulled my hand back quickly, lowering my gaze as if that would somehow hide everything I was feeling.

Even without looking at him, I could feel his presence, strong and overwhelming, filling every space around me.

And that only made things worse.

I opened the file he handed to me, hoping it would distract my thoughts and ease the tension in the air. It was a poor attempt, because even as I flipped it open, my mind was still stuck on that brief touch.

Why did it feel like that?

I swallowed, trying to push the thought away, but it lingered stubbornly, refusing to fade. And worse, I could feel his gaze on me. It was heavy, steady, and impossible to ignore, even though I tried my best to act like I didn’t notice.

I forced myself to focus on the document.

At the top of the page was a bold heading:

Schedule and Breakdown of Activities in Singapore.

My brows lifted slightly.

He had planned everything.

As I scanned through the pages, I saw detailed schedules, business meetings, time allocations, and appointments with different companies. Everything was precise, organized down to the smallest detail. It was impressive… and at the same time, a little overwhelming.

I didn’t realize I had been staring for too long until I found myself turning toward him.

“Sir… are we going to do all of this in Singapore?” I asked, my voice quieter than usual.

He lifted his eyes slowly to meet mine, his expression calm but firm.

“Yes,” he said. “We are going to do everything in Singapore.”

I nodded faintly and looked back down at the file, continuing to flip through the pages.

Then I saw it.

Duration: 13 days.

My fingers froze on the page.

For a moment, it felt like all the warmth in my body drained away, leaving behind something heavy and suffocating.

Thirteen days.

The number echoed in my mind, louder than it should have been.

Thirteen days… with him.

My chest tightened instantly. Even a few minutes around him already made me feel restless and overwhelmed. I didn’t know how I was supposed to survive thirteen full days in the same space with him, breathing the same air, constantly aware of his presence.

It felt suffocating just thinking about it.

With slightly shaky hands, I lifted my head to look at him again.

“Sir… are we… are we going to stay there for thirteen days?” I asked carefully, my voice almost uncertain.

He looked at me, completely unfazed.

“Yes, Lyla,” he said, his tone steady. “We’ll be spending thirteen days in Singapore together.”

Together.

The word settled heavily in my chest, making it even harder to breathe.

This had to be a joke.

There was no way this was real. This wasn’t what Ellie and I had planned. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen.

My heart began to race so fast it felt like it was trying to break out of my chest. Each breath came harder than the last, my lungs tightening as panic slowly crept in.

How was I going to survive this?

No… no, I can’t go.

The thought echoed loudly in my head, repeating over and over again.

“Is there anything wrong, Miss Lyla?” Diego’s voice cut through my spiraling thoughts.

I froze.

For a moment, I couldn’t speak. My throat felt dry, my mind blank, and all I could do was stare for a second before forcing myself to respond. I nodded instinctively, then quickly shook my head.

“No… everything is fine,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady, even though I knew it wasn’t. “Can I go now?”

“Yes,” he replied.

I turned immediately, almost in a hurry, clutching the file in my hands. I was about to drop it on the table, but his voice stopped me again.

“Take it with you. Study it properly.”

I paused, then nodded slightly.

“Okay, sir.”

Gripping the file tighter, I walked out of the room, closing the door behind me.

The moment I stepped into the hallway, my pace quickened. My steps grew faster and faster until it felt less like walking and more like I was trying to run away from something I couldn’t escape.

My chest was still tight, my thoughts still in chaos.

A
fter a few seconds, I stopped abruptly, looking around the long hallway.

Where was Ellie’s room?

I needed to see her.

I needed to talk to her right now.