The restaurant glowed softly under golden chandeliers, its atmosphere hushed and intimate. Every table was adorned with flickering candles and vases of white roses — elegant, quiet, timeless, much like the man waiting for her.
Caelum stood when Caliste arrived. He was effortlessly charming in a navy suit, the kind that drew attention not for its luxury but for the grace of the man wearing it. His smile reached his eyes as he pulled out her chair.
"You look beautiful," he said warmly, his voice a deep baritone that made her heart stumble for reasons she didn't want to name.
"Thank you," Caliste replied softly, taking her seat. "You look… well-prepared for a casual dinner."
He chuckled, leaning back slightly. "I wanted to make a good impression. You don't exactly make it easy, Miss Winslow."
That earned him a small, reluctant smile.
They began their meal, talking about work, society events, and their shared projects with the Velmore Foundation. The conversation flowed easily — Caelum had that rare gift of making silence comfortable, of easing tension without trying too hard.
But beneath the light exchanges, Caliste could feel his eyes studying her — searching, reading, remembering.
When dessert came, Caelum set down his fork and spoke with quiet sincerity.
"I know you've been through a lot, Caliste. And I know you're probably not ready for… complications. But I meant what I said before."
She looked up, meeting his gaze. "What do you mean?"
"That I admired you — even before everything that happened between you and Lucian." His tone held no bitterness, only honesty. "You were the only one who ever challenged him. The only one who never looked at our family with fear or greed."
Her chest tightened. "Caelum…"
"I'm not saying this to make things harder," he continued gently. "I just want you to know that my feelings aren't out of pity or rivalry. I want to pursue you — properly this time. If you'd let me."
Caliste froze, her breath catching. The words were soft, but they landed like a storm in her chest.
Pursue her?
Just last night, she had been in Lucian's arms, losing herself in a love she thought she had buried. And now, sitting before her, was Caelum — earnest, kind, offering a new beginning she didn't think she deserved.
She swallowed hard, forcing her voice steady. "Caelum, I… don't know what to say."
"Then don't say anything yet," he replied with a gentle smile. "Just let me take you to dinner. Talk to you. Make you smile. That's all I want for now."
He reached across the table, brushing his fingers lightly against hers — not demanding, not claiming, simply asking.
And for the first time in a long while, Caliste didn't pull away.
A quiet peace settled over her. Maybe this was what she needed — something simple, something steady. Someone who wasn't haunted by the same past she was trying to escape.
But later that night, as Caelum drove her home and kissed her hand goodnight, Caliste caught her reflection in the car window — and behind her calm smile, she saw a flicker of guilt she couldn't erase.
Because no matter how hard she tried to silence it, one truth remained:
Lucian's touch still burned in her memory.
-----
The morning sun spilled through the glass walls of Velmore Tower, but to Lucian, it felt like just another gray day. He sat behind his desk, scrolling through financial reports, pretending to read them, though his mind had been elsewhere.
A knock came at the door. His assistant, Elias, stepped in hesitantly.
"Sir, there's something you might want to see," he said, placing a tablet on the desk.
Lucian didn't look up immediately. "If it's another proposal from the Board, tell them I'll review it later."
"It's… not business, sir."
Something in Elias's tone made Lucian finally glance up. He tapped the screen, and the tablet came alive — a news column from one of the elite society blogs.
> 'Caelum Vellaria spotted dining with Caliste Winslow — sources say the two looked comfortable and deeply engrossed in conversation. Could romance be brewing between the charming heir and Lucian Velmore's ex-wife?'
Lucian froze. His grip on the tablet tightened, his thumb whitening from the pressure.
For a moment, he said nothing. Only the faint hum of the office air conditioner filled the silence.
"Who sent this?" His voice was calm — too calm.
"It's circulating on several private social channels, sir. The media's starting to pick it up. Should I—?"
Lucian raised a hand, silencing him. His expression gave nothing away, but the tension in the air thickened.
"That won't be necessary," he said curtly. "You may leave."
When the door clicked shut, Lucian leaned back in his chair and exhaled slowly — the breath heavy, bitter.
Dinner?
Caelum took her out for dinner.
He ran a hand through his hair, jaw clenching tighter by the second. Of all people — his cousin, the man the media once compared to him in every possible way.
Lucian wasn't a fool. He knew Caelum's charm, his clean reputation, the easy warmth that drew people in. The opposite of Lucian's cold precision.
He slammed the tablet down on the desk, the screen flickering.
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath.
He told himself he had no right to be angry. He had let her go years ago.
He was the one who ruined things. He was the one who let pride crush what they once had.
And yet… the thought of Caelum touching her, making her laugh, seeing that soft smile — the one that used to belong only to him — was unbearable.
Lucian stood and walked to the window, his reflection merging with the skyline below. The city stretched endlessly — powerful, indifferent, much like he had trained himself to be.
But even power couldn't suppress the ache tightening in his chest.
He remembered how Caliste used to bring him coffee at the office, how she would lean against his desk, teasing him about working too hard.
How she would kiss him goodbye before every meeting.
How her laughter once filled this same building with warmth.
Now she was back — in the same company, the same orbit — but walking further away from him every day.
Lucian pressed his palm against the cold glass.
"Caelum," he whispered to himself. "You really think I'll let you have her that easily?"
The thought surprised even him.
He wasn't sure if it was love speaking — or the sharp sting of possession.
But one thing was certain.
The moment he saw her again, he would make her remember — not through words, but through everything they once were.
Because deep down, Lucian knew:
Caliste was still his unfinished story.