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Michael’s thoughts were preoccupied with Eva as he scanned the room, half-listening to the ongoing conversations. He tried to keep up with the discussion around him, but his mind kept drifting back to the unanswered message he had sent earlier. It was rare for Eva to not respond, and it irked him more than he cared to admit.
“Cold-hearted,” he muttered under his breath, staring at the screen of his phone, his fingers hovering over it as if debating whether to send another message. He quickly dismissed the thought, not wanting to come off as too eager.
Vivian, seated across from him, was keenly aware of the changes in Michael’s demeanor. She noticed how his usual calm was now tinged with something else—an almost imperceptible tension, especially when his eyes occasionally flickered toward the door. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that he was waiting for someone. She could feel the shift in the atmosphere, and it made her feel oddly out of place. Despite her usual confidence, Michael’s presence had a way of unsettling her now.
It wasn’t just the subtle shift in his behavior either. Michael had always been someone she admired from afar, but this time, he seemed different—more distant, almost cold. When he’d greeted her earlier, there had been no warmth in his tone, no spark of recognition beyond the formalities. It made her question her own understanding of their past.
“I thought we were friends,” Vivian whispered to herself, her eyes lingering on Michael as she tried to read him. She had been waiting for a connection, a glimpse of the old Michael, but he was now a stranger in front of her.
Meanwhile, Eva and Adrian were still on their way. Eva had spent the last several minutes in the car, staring out the window, lost in her thoughts. Adrian had noticed her silence, but he didn’t press her to speak. It wasn’t until they arrived at the gathering that he finally broke the quiet, his voice warm but slightly concerned.
“You okay?” Adrian asked, glancing over at her.
Eva turned her head slowly, her gaze soft but guarded. “Yeah. Just… thinking.”
Adrian didn’t push her for more details. He had learned by now that Eva needed her space when something was on her mind. As they entered the private room, the chatter immediately quieted, and all eyes turned to them. Eva felt a wave of discomfort wash over her, but she kept her composure, walking beside Adrian with a calm expression.
Her eyes swept across the room and landed on Michael, who was sitting at the far end, surrounded by a few people. His gaze immediately locked onto hers, and for a split second, she saw something flicker in his eyes—a look that almost seemed like surprise, or perhaps disappointment. She wasn’t sure which, but it unsettled her nonetheless.
Adrian, noticing the shift in the atmosphere, placed a reassuring hand on Eva’s back. “Don’t worry about them,” he murmured, leaning in just enough for her to hear. “They’ll get over it.”
Eva gave him a small smile, grateful for his support, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to unravel. The air between her and Michael had always been complicated, and now, with the growing tension between them, it felt like everything was teetering on the edge.
Michael stood up when they entered, his eyes never leaving Eva’s, and for a brief moment, the entire room seemed to hold its breath. Adrian, ever the confident figure, took charge and led Eva to an empty seat next to him, his presence a shield against whatever Michael might throw their way.
“Eva,” Michael finally spoke, his voice quieter than usual, almost guarded. “It’s been a while.”
Eva met his gaze, her expression neutral, but inside, a storm was brewing. “It has,” she replied, her voice steady but lacking the warmth it once held. She wasn’t sure what had changed, or when it had happened, but something between them had shifted.
The tension in the room was palpable, and the rest of the gathering continued in strained conversations, with people stealing glances at the growing drama. Michael, despite his usual charm and poise, seemed distant, his focus elsewhere, on someone who wasn’t responding to him as she once did.
Vivian, sitting nearby, couldn’t help but notice the dynamic between them. There was something unspoken, a history lingering in the air. She had always seen Adrian as the obstacle between her and Michael, but now it seemed like it was something deeper, something that even Adrian’s presence couldn’t diffuse.
As the night stretched on, the conversation became a blur. Michael’s thoughts kept drifting back to Eva, to the coldness in her eyes that he hadn’t seen before. He had been expecting to reclaim something tonight, a piece of the past, but it seemed that it was slipping through his fingers.
