Chapter 18 Between Work and Heart
Monday Morning
Elena arrived at seven, dreading the moment she'd see Alexander again.
Saturday had been a mistake. A beautiful, terrifying mistake.
Now she had to face him knowing he knew, she feels the same.
She busied herself with coffee, with organizing Victoria's files for her return tomorrow, with anything that kept her hands moving and her mind occupied.
At seven-thirty, the elevator dinged.
Alexander stepped out, suit perfectly pressed, face carefully neutral.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then: "Good morning," he said, voice professional.
"Morning."
He walked past her desk toward his office, then paused. "Can we talk?"
"We're talking."
"I mean—"
"We have a lot to prepare before Victoria gets back. We should focus on that."
Something flickered across his face—hurt? frustration?—but he nodded. "Of course. Professional."
"Professional."
He disappeared into his office, closing the door quietly behind him.
Elena exhaled slowly, gripping the edge of her desk.
This was fine. They'd be professional. Distant. Pretend Saturday never happened.
Except her hands were still shaking.
And she could still feel the ghost of his presence when he'd been close enough to—
Stop.
Work. She needed to focus on work.
The morning passed in careful avoidance.
Alexander stayed in his office. Elena handled emails, calls, the usual controlled chaos. They communicated through messages, brief and businesslike.
Need the Henderson file.
On your desk.
Thanks.
At noon, Natalie appeared. "Lunch?"
"Can't. Too much to do before Victoria's back."
"You've been saying that all week. Come on. Thirty minutes. Fresh air will do you good."
Elena hesitated, then grabbed her jacket. Maybe distance from the office would help her breathe.
They went to the taco truck, but Elena barely tasted her food, she's busy checking her phone.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Natalie asked finally.
"Nothing."
"You've checked your phone six times in ten minutes and you look like you haven't slept."
"I slept fine."
"Elena." Natalie's voice softened. "Talk to me. Did something happen?"
Everything happened. Nothing happened. She didn't know anymore.
"I'm just stressed about Victoria coming back. Making sure everything's perfect."
"Is that all?"
"What else would there be?"
Natalie studied her, unconvinced. "If you say so. But you know I'm here, right? Whatever it is."
"I know. Thank you."
They finished lunch, and Elena felt marginally better having talked to someone, even if she couldn't say what was really wrong.
Walking back to the building, Natalie nudged her. "For what it's worth, I think you're doing great. Victoria's going to be impressed."
"I hope so."
"And whoever's making you look this stressed—he's not worth it."
Elena stopped walking. "What?"
"Come on. I've seen that look before. That 'I have feelings I shouldn't have' look." Natalie smiled gently. "Just be careful, okay? Office romances are complicated."
"There's no romance."
"Good. Keep it that way."
They rode the elevator up in silence, but Natalie's words echoed.
Whoever's making you look this stressed—he's not worth it.
Except he was. That was the problem.
Alexander Thorne was brilliant and vulnerable and looked at her like she mattered.
And she couldn't afford to care.
The afternoon crawled by.
At four, Alexander emerged from his office. "I need to review the quarterly projections one more time before Victoria sees them. Can you stay late tonight? Make sure I haven't missed anything?"
Every instinct screamed to say no.
"How late?"
"Seven? Maybe eight?"
She should refuse. Should maintain boundaries. Protect herself from more moments alone with him.
"Okay," she heard herself say.
"Thank you."
He returned to his office, and Elena texted Mrs. Chen: Can you keep Leo until 8:30? Work running late again.
Of course. He's helping me make dumplings. Take your time.
Guilt twisted in her stomach, but she had no choice.
Or did she? She could have said no to Alexander. Could have sent him the files and left.
But she hadn't.
Because some self-destructive part of her wanted to be near him, even knowing how dangerous it was.
By six, the office had emptied.
Just Elena at her desk and Alexander in his office, door open now, working in focused silence.
At six-thirty, he appeared. "Ready?"
She followed him to the conference room, tablet in hand.
They spread out the projections, started reviewing numbers. Professional. Distant.
But the air between them hummed with everything unsaid.
"This calculation looks off," Alexander said, pointing to a spreadsheet.
Elena leaned in to see. "Where?"
"Here. The revenue projection for Q3."
She checked her notes. "That's correct. It accounts for the seasonal adjustment."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Victoria and I went over it three times."
He studied the numbers, then nodded. "You're right. Sorry."
"It's fine."
They continued working. Elena checked her phone: 7:15.
At 7:30, she checked again.
Alexander noticed. "Do you need to leave?"
"No, I'm fine."
"Elena, you've checked your phone five times in twenty minutes."
"I'm just—it's nothing."
"Is someone waiting for you?"
The question was careful, neutral. But underneath, she heard what he was really asking.
Is there someone else?
"I just have obligations," she said.
"What kind of obligations?"
"The personal kind."
"A boyfriend?"
"That's none of your business."
"You're right. I'm sorry." He stood, pacing to the window. "I'm trying to respect boundaries here, Elena. I'm trying to be professional. But you keep—" He stopped himself.
"I keep what?"
He turned, frustration clear on his face. "You keep looking at me like Saturday meant something. Then you pull away. I don't know what you want from me."
"I want you to leave me alone."
"Do you? Because it doesn't feel like that."
"What it feels like doesn't matter. I work for your sister. You're dating Felicia. This—whatever this is—can't happen."
"I'm not dating Felicia."
Elena's heart stuttered. "What?"
"I took her to one gala because my family demanded it. I've barely spoken to her since." He stepped closer. "There's no one else, Elena. There hasn't been."
"That's not—Alexander, it doesn't matter—"
"Why not?"
"Because we're from different worlds! Because I'm your sister's assistant and you're a Thorne and this is impossible!"
"So you do feel something."
She'd walked right into that.
"I need to go," she said, gathering her things.
"It's dark out. Let me drive you."
"I take the bus."
"Not at eight o'clock at night. Let me drive you. Please."
She should refuse.
But she was tired and it was late and the idea of a warm car instead of a cold bus stop was too tempting.
"Fine. But just a ride. Nothing else."
"Just a ride."
His car was exactly what she expected—expensive, sleek, leather interior that probably cost more than her monthly rent.
She gave him the address for Mrs. Chen's building, then stared out the window, hyperaware of the enclosed space, the proximity, the intimacy of being in his car.
They drove in silence for several blocks.
Then Alexander spoke. "Can I ask you something?"
"Depends on the question."
"Why do you work so hard?"
"Everyone works hard."
"Not like you. You're here early, stay late, never complain. It's more than just doing a good job."
She watched the city pass by. "I need this job."
"Everyone needs their job. But this feels different."
"What do you want me to say?"
"The truth."
She laughed bitterly. "The truth is that I'm one crisis away from disaster. This job is the only thing keeping me afloat. If I lose it, I lose everything."
The confession surprised her. She hadn't meant to say that much.
Alexander was quiet for a moment. "What happened to you?"
"What do you mean?"
"To make you this scared. This careful. What happened?"
Everything. Her mother dying. Viviana kicking her out. Being pregnant and alone. Struggling to survive.
But she couldn't say any of that.
"Life happened," she said instead. "The kind that doesn't leave room for mistakes."
"Everyone makes mistakes Elena."
"Not everyone can afford to."
He pulled up to Mrs. Chen's building—three stories, worn brick, light spilling from several windows.
"This is your place?" he asked.
"A friend's. She's watching—" Elena stopped herself. "She's helping me with something. You can drop me here."
"I can wait. Drive you home after."
"No. This is good. Thank you for the ride."
She reached for the door handle, but his voice stopped her.
"Elena."
She turned.
His face was serious, intense in the dim light. "Whatever you're running from, whatever you're afraid of—you don't have to do it alone."
Her throat tightened. "Yes, I do."
"Why?"
"Because that's how it's always been."
She got out before he could respond, before she said something else she'd regret.
Walked to Mrs. Chen's door without looking back.
But she felt his gaze following her until she was inside.
Alexander sat in his car, staring at the building Elena had disappeared into.
A friend's place. Helping with something.
Why? was she lying?
Because she was. He could see it in the way she'd hesitated, the careful way she'd phrased everything.
She'd been checking her phone all evening. Rushed to get here by a specific time. And now she was inside this building that clearly wasn't her home, picking up something—or someone—she didn't want him to know about.
A boyfriend? A family member?
Something she was protecting carefully.
He wanted to wait. To see if she came back out. To understand what she was hiding.
But that would cross a line from concerned to creepy.
He'd pushed enough for one night.
With effort, he put the car in gear and drove away.
But his mind wouldn't stop.
What had happened to make her so certain that she had to face everything alone?
And why did he desperately want to prove her wrong?
Elena knocked on Mrs. Chen's door.
She opened it immediately, Leo already in his coat, backpack ready.
"Mama!" He launched himself at her legs.
She scooped him up, inhaling his familiar scent. "Hi, baby. Were you good?"
"So good! We made dumplings and I only dropped two!"
"Only two? That's very impressive."
Mrs. Chen handed her Leo's backpack, eyes knowing. "Everything okay at work?"
"Fine."
"You look stressed."
"It's been a long day."
"And the man in the expensive car who dropped you off? Is he part of the long day?"
Elena's stomach dropped. "You saw that?"
"I was looking out the window. He waited until you were inside before driving away. Very gentlemanly."
"It was just my boss's brother. He gave me a ride because it was late."
"Your boss's brother." Mrs. Chen's tone suggested she didn't believe that was the whole story. "Be careful, Elena."
"Nothing's happening."
"Maybe not yet. But I see how you look lately. Like you're standing on the edge of something." She touched Elena's arm gently. "Just remember—you have more than yourself to think about now."
"I know."
She did know. Leo was everything. She couldn't risk him for feelings she shouldn't have for a man she couldn't have.
They walked home through the cold night, Leo chattering about dumplings and the cat and something funny that happened.
Elena listened and nodded and tried not to think about Alexander's words.
But she did.
She always had.
And letting herself believe anything else was the most dangerous thing she could do.
That night, after Leo was asleep, her phone buzzed.
Unknown number: Did you get home safely?
Her heart jumped. She stared at the message, knowing who it was, knowing she shouldn't respond.
She texted back: How did you get my number?
I asked Jenna for it. For work purposes.
This isn't work.
No. It's not. But I needed to know you were safe.
She hesitate then type: I'm safe. Goodnight, Alexander.
Three dots appeared. Disappeared. Appeared again.
Finally: Goodnight, Elena.
She set down her phone and stared at the ceiling.
This was getting out of control.
Tomorrow, Victoria would be back. Reality would return. The week alone with Alexander would end.
She just had to survive one more day.
One more day of pretending she didn't feel what she felt of lying to him and herself about what was happening between them.
Then it would be over.
It had to be.
Because the alternative—letting this continue, letting herself fall—would destroy everything.
And she'd survived too much to let that happen now.
Even if her traitorous heart wished otherwise.