21. DAYDREAMING

Caelan knew deep in his heart that Alina wasn’t his lost love. The woman who once cradled his face in her soft, warm palms was gone—lost to the cruel, unforgiving flames that had consumed her and the life they’d shared. The pain of that loss had buried itself so deeply within him that he’d never thought he’d feel anything again. Yet, there was something about Alina, something inexplicable, that pulled him toward her. It wasn’t the same as before, but it was there, a yearning that gnawed at his soul, making it ache every time he had to look away from her.

His eyes drifted around the office, desperate to find something—anything—that would give him a reason to see her again. They finally landed on the stack of books she’d borrowed, sitting idly on the table, and without giving it much thought, he reached for his phone. He hesitated for just a moment before dialing a familiar number.

The phone rang twice before a warm, chirpy voice answered, “Caelan, dear! What a pleasant surprise! How have you been?”

He cleared his throat, trying to suppress the nervousness that threatened to creep into his voice. “Mrs. Lawrence, I—well, I was hoping you could help me with something.”

“Oh, of course, dear! What do you need? More of those cookies you liked? I just baked a fresh batch,” she offered, her tone filled with the kind of affection that always caught Caelan off guard.

“Thank you, but no,” he began, feeling foolish for what he was about to ask. “Actually, it’s about the books Alina borrowed from me. I was wondering if you could let her know I need them back.”

There was a brief pause, then Mrs. Lawrence’s laughter echoed through the phone, light and full of amusement. “Oh, Caelan, you could’ve just called her directly, you know! But I see what you’re doing,” she teased, her voice laced with playful mischief. “Don’t worry, I’ll let her know. But you owe me for playing matchmaker!”

Caelan’s face grew hot with embarrassment, a flush spreading across his cheeks. “I’m not—” he started to protest, but Mrs. Lawrence’s laughter cut him off.

“Don’t be shy now, dear. It’s about time you had someone special in your life again. I’ll tell Alina, don’t you worry. And who knows? Maybe this will be the start of something beautiful,” she said, her tone softening to a tenderness that touched something deep inside him.

“Thank you, Mrs. Lawrence,” Caelan finally managed, his voice quieter now, as though the warmth in his chest had taken the edge off his usually stern demeanor.

“Oh, and Caelan?”

“Yes?” he responded, still feeling a bit flustered.

“Try to smile more. It suits you.” With that, she hung up, leaving Caelan holding the phone to his ear, a small, involuntary smile slowly tugging at his lips.

For a moment, he just stood there, lost in the afterglow of the conversation. His mind wandered, imagining Alina standing at his door, her presence filling his cold, empty home with a light he hadn’t felt in years. The thought sent a warmth through him, like the first rays of sunlight breaking through the clouds after a long, dark storm.

It wasn’t until a faint shuffle broke through his reverie that Caelan remembered he wasn’t alone. Turning his head slightly, he noticed his two assistants, Will and Hope, hovering near the door. They seemed hesitant, exchanging furtive glances as though unsure of how to proceed. Their usual efficiency had given way to uncertainty, and for a brief moment, Caelan wondered if he’d missed something important.

But he was still too caught up in his thoughts of Alina to care much about what they were doing. Instead, he returned to his daydreaming, letting the possibility of her presence wrap around him like a comforting blanket.

Meanwhile, Will and Hope stood in awkward silence, trying to make sense of what they’d just witnessed. Will leaned closer to Hope, his voice barely above a whisper. “Did you see that?”

“See what?” Hope whispered back, though she knew exactly what he meant. The image of their usually stoic boss smiling—actually smiling—was something neither of them had ever seen before.

“Caelan… he’s smiling,” Will repeated, still in disbelief. “That’s… not normal.”

Hope nodded, her eyes never leaving Caelan as he stood there, seemingly lost in a world of his own. “I know. It’s like we’re in some kind of alternate universe. He’s always so… cold.”

Will glanced at her, lowering his voice even more. “Do you think something’s wrong? I mean, it’s kind of creepy, right? He never smiles like that.”

“I don’t know,” Hope murmured, trying to piece together the puzzle. “But I noticed something earlier. When Mrs. Lawrence mentioned Alina’s name, he reacted. It was subtle, but I saw it.”

Will’s brow furrowed. “You think it has something to do with her? But why? He’s always been so detached, like nothing gets to him.”

Hope sighed softly, her mind racing as she tried to make sense of it all. “Maybe she reminds him of someone, or maybe she’s just different. I’ve seen him watching her a few times, almost like he’s trying to figure something out.”

Will frowned, still uneasy. “If it is about Alina, then we need to be careful. If he’s really developing feelings… that could change everything around here. He’s not exactly the type to handle emotions well.”

“Tell me about it,” Hope muttered, crossing her arms. “But what can we do? It’s not like we can just walk up to him and ask, ‘Hey, Caelan, are you in love or something?’”

Will snorted, the thought alone making him cringe. “Yeah, I don’t think that would go over too well. But maybe we should just keep an eye on him, you know? Make sure he’s okay, and that he doesn’t do anything… irrational.”

Hope nodded in agreement, though a small part of her couldn’t help but feel a flicker of hope. “Yeah, let’s keep an eye on him. And on Alina too. If she’s the one making him smile like that… maybe she’s more important than we realize.”

With that, they both fell silent, casting one last glance at Caelan, who was still gazing out the window, his thoughts clearly far from the office. His mind was a world away, lost in the imagined warmth of Alina’s presence, the possibility of something he’d long thought lost.

As Will and Hope returned to their tasks, a sense of quiet anticipation hung in the air. They couldn’t quite shake the feeling that something was about to change—something that could shift the balance of their carefully structured world. And they couldn’t help but wonder if that change would be for the better, or if it would bring chaos into the life of the man they both respected and feared.