Adrian had gone to the United States for corneal transplant surgery, and two weeks had passed. The operation went well, but his vision was still unclear. Elara believed that one day he would see again.
She could not stand waiting with nothing to do, so she asked Rowen for help and began an internship at Vale's sales and marketing department. The work kept her busy. It kept her from thinking too much.
That night, she lay in bed, the quiet pressing close around her as she waited for Adrian's call. Since the day he left, he had phoned her every night. She had grown used to hearing his voice before she slept.
When her phone finally rang, she reached for it at once. His name lit the screen, and she smiled without meaning to.
"Elara," he said, his voice gentle.
"Adrian," she answered softly.
"How was your day?" he asked, the same question he always began with.
"Good," she said. "My teammates are kind. I even helped them at a pop-up booth. How about you? How was the eye check yesterday?"
"Still blurry," he said quietly. "The doctor said it may take time. If there is no improvement, I might need another transplant."
"So you might stay in the States longer," Elara said, her voice small.
"I am not sure," he replied. He could hear the disappointment she tried to hide.
"You know," she said after a pause, "this house feels too big when it's just me. I don't know how you lived like this for so long."
There was silence for a heartbeat. Then he said softly, "I am sorry, Elara."
"No, do not apologize," she said quickly. "I am fine. Really. This is a good chance for me to make new friends and go out more." She tried to laugh lightly. "Who knows, maybe I will even find a boyfriend."
The words hit him like a sudden strike. His grip on the phone tightened. If he kept her waiting, he might lose her.
"Are you trying to make me worry?" Adrian asked, the calm edge of his voice slipping into something sharper.
Elara froze. "I did not mean that. I only didn't want you to feel guilty. I am fine," she said quickly.
"I am hanging up," he said shortly, and the line went dead.
Elara stared at the dark screen, her heart sinking. He had not sounded angry with her in a long time. Tears pricked her eyes before she could stop them.
She turned off the light and pulled the blanket over her head. Then she let the tears come, quiet and helpless, until sleep finally took her.
****
The next morning, Elara went to work with swollen eyes. She had tried to hide them with a touch of makeup, but the redness lingered.
When she reached her desk, Eric glanced up from his computer and frowned. "Elara, are you all right?" he asked softly.
"I'm fine. Don't worry," she said, forcing a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
He hesitated, studying her for a moment. "You look tired," he said. "Rough night?"
"Just couldn't sleep," she replied.
Eric nodded, deciding not to press further. "Are you free tonight? A friend gave me two movie tickets. Would you like to go?"
Elara blinked, surprised.
He smiled, though his voice carried a hint of nervousness. "It's nothing fancy, just a light comedy. I thought you might want a break."
He had liked her since the first day she joined and had finally gathered the courage to ask.
For a moment, she hesitated. Adrian's voice from the night before still echoed in her mind, the cold edge when he hung up. Maybe a distraction would help.
Thinking of that call, she nodded lightly. "All right."
Eric's smile widened, relief softening his features. "Great. I'll pick you up after work."
"All right," she said again, quieter this time, more to herself than to him.
As he returned to his desk, Elara tried to focus on her work, but her thoughts refused to settle. The ache in her chest had not faded. Maybe a movie would help her forget at least for a while.
*****
At the theater, she tried to focus on the movie, but her thoughts kept drifting to Adrian. .
Halfway through, her phone vibrated. Adrian's name appeared on the screen. She had forgotten to tell him she would be out. For a moment, she stared at the call, hesitating. Yesterday's argument still lingered, and she was afraid to make things worse.
When the call ended, she quickly typed a message saying she was watching a film with a coworker. There was no reply.
After the movie, Eric offered to walk her home, but she shook her head.
"Thank you for tonight. Maybe next time we can invite others to join," she said.
"Elara," Eric said, his tone suddenly serious. "I've wanted to ask you out for a while." He swallowed hard. "Would you go out with me this weekend? Just the two of us."
Elara froze, heat rushing to her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I don't see you that way."
"That's all right," Eric said with a small, hopeful smile. "Give me a chance to spend time with you. Get to know me."
Elara hesitated, then nodded lightly. "All right."
He left looking pleased, and she watched him go, telling herself she needed to refocus on her own life and not on Adrian Vale.
On the way home, Elara walked along the quiet street, her thoughts still heavy from the movie. The night air felt cool against her skin.
Her phone suddenly vibrated in her hand. The screen lit up with a name she knew too well. Adrian.
She hesitated. After what happened yesterday, she wasn't sure if he still wanted to talk to her. But her thumb moved on its own, answering the call.
"Hello," she said softly.
"Where are you?" His voice was calm, but something about it felt tighter than usual — controlled, restrained.
"I just finished a movie," she said. "I'm on my way home. Sorry I missed your call earlier."
He was silent for a moment before speaking again. "My gut tells me you were watching it with a man."
The words caught her off guard. "Yes," she said after a pause. "A coworker had an extra ticket and invited me."
Another silence followed, longer this time. She could almost picture his expression, the stillness in his face when he was trying not to reveal what he felt.
When he finally spoke, his tone was low, quiet, but firm. "Be careful on your way home. Text me when you get there."
Her chest tightened at the shift in his voice. It wasn't angry nor cold, but edged with something she couldn't name.
"I will," she said softly.
A faint breath came through the line, like he was about to say more, but instead, he said only, "I'm hanging up."
"Adrian—"
But the line went dead before she could finish.
Elara stopped walking, staring at her phone in the dim light. She had no idea what she had done wrong, only that his voice had sounded different — heavier, almost pained.
She pressed the phone to her chest, took a slow breath, and whispered into the empty street, "Goodnight, Adrian."
Then she slipped the phone back into her bag and kept walking, her heart uneasy and her mind full of questions she couldn't bring herself to ask.
*****
"Who are you on the phone with every day?" Luna asked as she passed by Adrian's room. She had paused at the doorway, hearing the low murmur of his voice through the half-open door.
Adrian turned his head slightly toward her voice, his tone cool. "None of your business."
Luna stepped closer, her hands tightening around the edge of the door. "Can you not forgive me, Adrian? We could start over. I came all this way because I still care."
"I made it clear," he said evenly. "I'm here for treatment, not to get back together with you."
Her face fell, her voice trembling. "You don't have to be so cruel. I've been trying to make things right."
He stood, his posture steady though his expression remained unreadable. "It's not cruelty. It's honesty."
Luna's eyes filled with tears. In a sudden burst of emotion, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. The familiar scent of her perfume lingered between them.
Adrian froze for only a second before pulling her hands away firmly. "Please stop, Luna. There is no future for us."
"Then tell me the truth," she said, her voice breaking. "Have you fallen for someone else?"
There was a long silence. Then he said quietly, "Yes."
Her breath caught. "Who is she?"
"It doesn't matter," he said. "What matters is that I won't stay here any longer. I'm flying home today."
"Adrian, you can't do that!" Luna cried. "The doctor said you still need rest. Don't throw everything away because of her."
He turned slightly toward her voice, his tone calm but unyielding. "Answer me honestly, Luna. If I stayed blind for life, would you still stay with me?"
Her lips parted, but no words came. The silence that followed said more than anything she could have confessed.
Adrian gave a small nod, almost to himself. "That's what I thought."
Without another word, he turned and reached for his suitcase. Luna watched him in stunned silence, her throat tight with regret.
And as he walked past her, she realized she had lost him long before this moment, the day she chose to leave.