Allea

thirty-three

"Did you see his face, that's what he deserves, that piece of shit Alex."

"Do you know him, like personally?"

"Yup, in Business School, he was my senior and...ex-boyfriend."

"Still, you shouldn't have mocked him, he was with Salvadge and we have good relation with Mr. Nicholas Salvadge."

"Puh-lease, Boss would have reprimanded me if she found it out of line, so it's all cool, Ben."

My eyes were fixed on the iPhone in my hand, reading the texts from Elijah, but I could still hear the whispers Ben and Olivia were sharing as I followed them walking toward the elevator. Neither minding their words nor concerning myself with their never-ending bickering, I raised my eyes toward them while stepping inside the elevator, for a moment they both turned still and the second I faced away, again resumed their murmurs where Ben was reprimanding Olivia that she shouldn't have directed her words toward Aris Salvadge side, it's better for her if he had not taken any offense.

The second Ben's words came to halt, the closing door of our elevator was interrupted by a hand. The opening door gave me a clear view of the man, but my eyes didn't last long on him, as the man beside him stepped ahead and my gaze met the darker one. Not showing any signs, of uncertainty and watchfulness, I easily stepped aside, to give space to the men. But only Aris Salvadge entered the elevator, and I could perceive that not once his eyes shifted from my face while I looked away.

He was dressed in a royal blue suit, quintessential from head to toe. With the same tranquillity, he stepped inside and stood beside me, an unexpected uncomfortable reticence fell in the elevator when the door closed, from the silence behind me it felt like Olivia and Ben weren't even there.

I kept my eyes on my iPhone, replying to Elijah, not making any attempt to start any kind of conversation. Besides, I know that he hates when people talk to him unnecessarily, and bother him with extra words. So, I would admit that I was a little cautious when he was the one to break the silence.

"Long I have heard about your work Miss Ciarve, it was a pleasure to have a glimpse of it."

His low and rough voice seemed too near to my ear, I glimpsed at his face and noticed that his eyes were still on me, not wasting another second, I returned in as much as civility I could muster up, "This coming from an accomplished man like yourself, means a lot."

My fabricated tone and words were quite easy to distinguish, they always are because I don't hide, he did too but when he resumed like he didn't mind my manner, I too continued my act.

"The minor things that we overlooked, you caught up to that. No wonder, Carlocles chose you."

Somehow the word 'minor things' itched my ear, and I could feel the traces of annoyance building inside me. In a minute he said more words, my whole past existence ever could hear. On one strand, it was making me wonder why he was talking to me, on the other, I continued my voice blank and responded well, "You're all politeness, Mr. Salvadge."

A pause of taciturnity once again fell, this time I did not attempt to peek at the man beside me whose muscular scent mixed with his pleasantly strong cologne continued pushing inside my nostrils, somewhat bothering me to limits in quite an irritating way. 

Here he's standing beside me, in all his mighty glory, with such composure and quietness. I have no reason to be hostile toward him, and I shouldn't be. My hostility toward him isn't because of the past, I think what he did was right, a girl like me surely didn't deserve his attention. I'm hostile because I don't trust his intentions, even though I'm not aware of them. I may not know him personally, but the little I know about him isn't comforting to convince myself to associate with him again. 

"It's almost lunchtime, I hope, you won't have trouble having it with me?"

For the first time, my brows were raised a little at his unexpected words. The man who hates to waste a single second of his life on things that are not beneficial to him, how's he willingly standing here, wasting his words in talking to me, and asked so easily about lunch. The thought that he wants something from me, was the first, and then came the curiosity -what's it that Aris Salvadge wants from me- along with a whole lot of ridicule at this odd turn of events.

If not for the man in front of me, I would have gladly laughed out loud at the irony of life.

When you are fallen no one wants the waste, but if you're of worth, the worth you made yourself, they see you as something of desirability. But is it true? Can people truly change themselves entirely, I tried, even trying for years but still can't kill some things the past-Allea was. Or is it just that people convince themselves and others that everything has changed, unaware of the reality that inside all remains the same, and it's only the façade that changes.

Lost in thoughts, it took me a little time to reject his offer, I turned my head toward him, and held his gaze with his usually stoic face, and flashed my pretended smile, "I excuse Mr. Salvadge, I already have plans."

Like on cue, the elevator dinged, and the door opened for us to step outside. I turned my eyes away from him and walked out of the elevator, he too followed my steps. So, one last time I turned to face him the little further in the lobby, "I hope you don't mind."

From his face, it didn't look like my refusal bothered him like he expected this because his impassive face remained the same even I could see the almost inconspicuous curve his lips were curled in.

"Not at all," I heard him say.

"But," His deep voice continued, I titled my head further toward him at his willingness to continue the conversation and acutely hear the words he was going to say. The next minute, his assistants came forward leaving the second elevator and took their position behind him, he stretched his hand toward one of them, in response, he handed back an exquisite enveloped card, "I expect you won't decline this, last time my invitation didn't reach you properly."

He extended the card toward me, for a second I stared at him, if I continued to decline his offers, it would no longer be in the line of politeness, and make it look like I have some personal grudge with him or I'm deliberately avoiding him. Even though these things were the least hassle for me, what made me took the card with an inward deride smile was the intrusiveness that his unusual interest was poking inside me -I'm looking forward to the reason of him approaching me. 

With an 'I'll try and thank you,' I bid my farewell from the man, telling him that I was getting late for my lunch appointment. Leaving him, I walked away through the curious eyes of the crowd, followed by my assistants.

I knew as long as I'm in the business field I no longer could have avoided him, but him approaching me again was something I never saw coming. It seems like fate has other plans and it likes to persistently mingle with the ones I thought not to. But if this is the route I'm going to face, then continuing to avoid and cowering will be no less than a fool's move, if any of them dared to disrupt my life, I'll meet them head-on.

 I was seated on the back seat of my car, my hands clutched around the card in my grasp, without opening it I just stared at the envelope where a platinum seal was shinning. No matter how much I don't want to think about what has passed, things like this automatically fill my head with it. 

The glistening trace of the name of the club, the Z'nA, was irritating my eyes as well as my mood.

The Z'nA, the term I was too familiar with and later with its owner; Zyair Ahlstrom —the devil-like person and the third friend of Aris Salvadge, the Z'nA is his den.

....

/n:/ 'Mr. Darcy is all politeness.' (Reference: Pride and Prejudice). I don't know why but I just love the way Elizabeth throws this line. So, excuse me for using it./