Chapter 101 Lingering Tension
Chapter One Hundred and One
Stefan’s POV~
I stood in the bedroom, staring at the folder Valenticia had left on the coffee table. Natasha had handed it to me after her shower, saying, “Valenticia dropped this off. Said it’s urgent for your signature.” Her voice was casual, but I saw a flicker of curiosity in her eyes. My stomach twisted, knowing Valenticia had come to my house last night, seen Natasha in her robe, and left quickly. I wanted to explain, to tell Natasha it was just work, but before I could, she waved a hand.
“No problem,” she said, brushing it off. “She looked in a rush. You signing it now?”
“Yeah,” I said, opening the folder. The sensor prototype papers stared back, but my mind was on Valenticia—her quick exit, the way she avoided my eyes at meetings lately. Had she seen something in Natasha’s appearance that hurt her? I felt a little bit of guilt, remembering the intimate moment with Natasha last night. We’d kissed, her hands pulling me close, but when I said Valenticia’s name by mistake, I froze. I lied about having an email to check, and though Natasha pulled me back to bed, I couldn’t go further. I chickened out, my mind stuck on Valenticia, and we just fell asleep after she turned off the light.
“Looks important,” Natasha said, glancing at the papers. “You okay? You seem off.”
“Just tired,” I lied, grabbing a pen. “I’ll sign and send it to the office.” I wanted to tell her about Valenticia, how seeing her stirred old feelings, but Natasha’s easy smile stopped me. She didn’t need to know. I signed the papers, my mind racing with what Valenticia must have thought, seeing Natasha half-dressed.
I called Rachel, my secretary, from my phone. “Hey, I’ve got signed prototype papers,” I said. Valenticia dropped them off. Can you pick them up this morning?”
“Sure thing,” Rachel said. “I’ll swing by in an hour. You feeling better?”
“Yeah, just needed rest,” I said, keeping it vague. I’d called in sick yesterday, overwhelmed after the engagement announcement and the tension with Valenticia. “Get these to Clawford by noon.”
“Done,” she said, hanging up. I set the phone down, staring at the folder. I wondered if Valenticia was okay, if she was hurt by what she saw. The image of her at the signing event, her forced smile when I told her about Natasha, kept replaying in my head. I’d chosen Natasha for stability, for Helix, but last night’s hesitation made me question it all. I couldn’t shake Valenticia’s face, her laugh from our safehouse days, her trust in me.
At work later, the tension with Valenticia hit a peak. We had a joint meeting at Clawford’s office, the room packed with both teams. I stood at the projector, showing delivery schedules. “We need the next batch by March 1,” I said, looking around. “Valenticia, any updates from your side?”
She sat across the table, her eyes on her notes. “Production’s on schedule,” she said, her voice cold. “We’ll hit the deadline.” She didn’t look at me, just flipped a page, and I felt the distance like a wall.
“Good,” I said, moving on. “Rachel’s coordinating quality checks.” I glanced at her again, hoping for a sign, but she kept her head down, writing. The meeting dragged on, and I noticed her leave early, muttering something to Mark about a call. Her coldness stung, and I wondered if she knew about last night, if she sensed my hesitation with Natasha.
After the meeting, I tried to catch her in the hallway. “Valenticia, got a minute?” I called, but she kept walking.
“Busy,” she said over her shoulder. “Email me.” Her tone was sharp, and I stopped, letting her go. The rejection hit hard, and I wondered if she was pulling away because of Natasha’s ring or because she saw her at my house.
Back at my office, I called her for a one-on-one update on the demo. “Valenticia, is everything okay?” I asked, keeping my voice neutral.
“Just business, Stefan,” she said, her voice flat through the phone. “Demo’s ready. I’ll send specs tonight.”
“Thanks,” I said, but she hung up before I could say more. I set the phone down, staring at my desk. Her distance made it clear that she was shutting me out. I thought about last night again, how close I’d come with Natasha, her hands on me, her whisper, “You feel so right.” But when Valenticia’s name slipped out, everything stopped. I couldn’t go through with it, my mind stuck on her, on our past. I’d lied to Natasha, said it was work, but the truth was I wasn’t ready. I didn’t know if I’d ever be.
The day went on with more calls and emails, but Valenticia’s cold replies stayed with me. In another meeting, she sat far from me, answering questions without looking my way. “We’ve tested the sensors,” she said to Rachel. “Data’s in the report.”
“Great,” Rachel said. “I’ll loop in our team.”
Valenticia nodded, then stood. “I’ve got another call,” she said, leaving before I could speak. Her quick exits were becoming a pattern, and I wondered if she suspected something about last night. Did she think I’d been with Natasha when she came by? The thought made my chest tight. I wanted to explain, to tell her nothing happened, but how could I without making it worse?
At lunch, I sat with Rachel in the break room. “Valenticia’s off today,” she said, eating a sandwich. “Everything okay with you two?”
“Just work stress,” I said, avoiding her eyes. “Big project.”
She nodded, not pushing. I ate in silence, my mind on Valenticia. Our contract marriage had been intense, mostly filled with hiding from danger, planning together, her hand brushing mine. It felt real, even if it started fake. Now, she was a stranger, and I hated it. Natasha was my future, but last night showed me I wasn’t all in. I’d stopped short, unable to cross that line, and it left me confused.
That evening, I went home to Natasha. She was cooking dinner, humming as she stirred the sauce. “Hey, you’re back,” she said, smiling. “Pasta tonight. Sound good?”
“Perfect,” I said, kissing her cheek. But my heart wasn’t in it. We ate, talking about work and wedding plans. “Invitations go out next week,” she said, showing me a sample. “Silver, like you wanted.”
“Looks great,” I said, forcing a smile. She didn’t notice my mood, chatting about venues. I nodded along, but my mind was elsewhere. I thought about Valenticia’s coldness, her quick exits. I wanted to fix things, but every step felt wrong. Natasha was here, planning our life, but I couldn’t shake the regret creeping in.
After dinner, I sat on the couch, Natasha’s ring box on the table. She’d left it out, the diamond glinting in the light. I opened it, staring at the ring. It was beautiful, perfect for her. We’d built something good, through work, dinners, and a future. But last night’s hesitation, and my mentioning of Valenticia’s name on my lips, told me I wasn’t sure.
Her distant behavior at work only made it worse, and I wondered if she was hurting, if she knew more than she let on.