Chapter 105 Small Gestures
Chapter One Hundred and Five
Stefan’s POV~
The dinner at Bella’s haunted me for days. Seeing Valenticia with Dimitri, laughing across the restaurant, stirred something I couldn’t shake. Natasha and I barely talked on the drive home; she remained silent as she stared out the window. “That was awkward,” she said finally, her voice tight. “You and Valenticia seemed cozy.”
“We were just talking,” I said, gripping the wheel. “Old stories, that’s all.”
She nodded, but her arms stayed crossed against her chest. “Felt like more,” she muttered, then dropped it. At home, she went straight to bed, leaving me on the couch, staring at the ceiling. Valenticia’s laugh, the way she smiled at my pizza story, played in my mind. It felt like old times, before Natasha, before the engagement. I wondered if she felt it too, or if I was reading too much into it. Natasha was my fiancée, but that night made me question everything.
The next week at work, I noticed small things. During a sensor project meeting at Clawford, Valenticia’s phone buzzed on the table. She glanced at it, smiled, and typed a quick reply. “Everything okay?” I asked, keeping my tone professional.
“Yeah,” she said, not looking up. “Just a quick text.” Her smile lingered, and I wondered who it was. Later, as we reviewed production schedules, Mark said, “Val, your coffee’s here.” A delivery guy dropped off a cup with a note taped to it. She read it, her cheeks pink, and tucked it away.
“Who’s that from?” Rachel asked, teasing.
“Just a friend,” Valenticia said, focusing on her notes. But I saw the note’s neat handwriting, with a small “D” signed at the bottom. Dimitri. My stomach twisted. Was he sending her coffee now? I tried to focus on the meeting, but her smile stayed with me.
“Stefan, your team’s timeline?” Valenticia asked, her voice all business.
“On track,” I said, flipping through papers. “We’ll need your specs by Friday.”
“Done,” she said, her eyes avoiding mine. The meeting ended, and she left quickly, with her phone buzzing again. I watched her go, feeling a strange feeling I couldn’t name. Natasha’s ring felt heavy in my pocket, where I kept the box sometimes. I’d chosen her, so why did seeing Valenticia smile at a text hurt so much?
At home that night, Natasha was planning wedding details, her laptop open to venue photos. “What about this one?” she asked, showing me a garden setting. “Good for spring?”
“Yeah, looks nice,” I said, barely glancing at her. My mind was on Valenticia, on that coffee note. Natasha didn’t notice my mood, talking about guest lists. I nodded along, but my thoughts drifted to our safehouse days, which were all about Valenticia’s trust, her laugh when we messed up a plan. I missed that ease, and seeing her with Dimitri made me wonder if I’d lost it forever.
A few days later, I overheard Valenticia on a call in the Clawford break room. I’d stopped by for a meeting, grabbing coffee while she sat at a table, phone to her ear. “Yeah, dinner was fun,” she said, laughing. “You’re terrible at directions, Dimitri.” Her voice was light, happy, and it hit me hard. She was talking to him, and she sounded different and happier than she did with me now.
I poured my coffee, pretending not to listen. “Okay, call me later,” she said, hanging up. She saw me and nodded, her smile fading. “Stefan, you need something?”
“Just coffee,” I said, lifting my cup. “Meeting’s soon, right?”
“Yeah, in ten,” she said, grabbing her things and leaving. Her quick exit stung, and I wondered if she was avoiding me because of Dimitri. I headed to the meeting, my mind stuck on her laugh, how it wasn’t for me anymore.
The joint work event that Friday made it worse. We held a demo for clients at a conference center, showing off the sensors. Valenticia presented to Clawford, her voice steady as she explained the tech. I watched from the side, impressed but distracted. After the demo, as we mingled with clients, I saw Dimitri walk in. He wore a jacket, carrying a small bag, and headed straight for Valenticia.
“Hey, Val,” he said, kissing her cheek. “Thought I’d surprise you. Dinner after?”
She smiled, touching his arm. “You’re sweet. Yeah, let’s do it.”
I stood frozen, a client was talking to me about specs, but I barely heard him. Dimitri’s kiss and her smile hurt. I nodded at the client, muttering, “We’ll follow up,” and stepped away. Natasha was across the room, chatting with Rachel, but I couldn’t focus. Valenticia and Dimitri left together, his hand on her back, and I felt jealousy twist in my chest. She looked happy, and I wasn’t part of it.
Back home, Natasha sensed my mood. “You’ve been quiet,” she said, setting out dinner plates. “Work stress?”
“Yeah,” I lied, helping with the salad. “Big project.” But it didn’t work. It was Valenticia, moving on with Dimitri, while I was stuck questioning my engagement. Natasha was great, smart, fun, and steady. We’d planned a future, picked a ring, set a date. So why did I feel like I’d made a mistake?
I thought about our night together, how I’d stopped short when Valenticia’s name slipped out of my lips by accident. I couldn’t go through with it, my mind on her instead of Natasha. Now, seeing Valenticia with Dimitri, the coffee deliveries, phone calls, and kisses made it clear that she was building something new. I wanted to be happy for her, but it hurt. I wondered if she still thought about me, about our past, or if she’d let it go.
At work the next day, I tried to focus. In a meeting, Valenticia shared updates, her tone cold. “Production’s on schedule,” she said, looking at her notes. “We’ll ship by March.”
“Good,” I said, trying to catch her eye. “Can we discuss the demo feedback?”
“Email me,” she said, standing. “I’ve got another call.” She left, and I sat there, feeling the distance grow. I wanted to talk, to ask about Dimitri, but her quick exits stopped me. Was she happy with him? Did she feel the same pull I did?
Natasha called me that afternoon. “Dinner tonight?” she asked. “Just us, no work.”
“Sure,” I said, but my heart wasn’t in it. We met at a small diner, and she talked about wedding plans—flowers, music. I nodded, eating fries, but my mind was on Valenticia. I saw her smile in my head, the one she gave Dimitri, not me.
“You okay?” Natasha asked, touching my hand. “You’re somewhere else.”
“Just tired,” I said, forcing a smile. “Work’s a lot.”
She nodded, but her eyes narrowed. “You sure it’s just work?”
“Yeah,” I lied, hating myself for it. We finished dinner, but the conversation that we had during it felt flat. Valenticia’s happiness with Dimitri, her laugh, and all of his gestures made me question everything. Had I chosen the wrong path?