Chapter 626
Chapter 626:
Then, out of the blue, Yelena extended her hand toward him.
Austin froze, his eyes darting to Yelena’s elegant, slender fingers. His thoughts scrambled. What did this mean?
Was she offering a handshake—or something more intimate? Did she want to hold his hand?
Austin’s pulse quickened, drumming loudly in his ears. His body tensed, and for a moment, it felt as though his heart might burst through his chest.
Yelena tilted her head, observing Austin’s hesitation. “Where’s the gift?” she prompted, her voice gently nudging him back to the present.
“Didn’t you say you needed me to deliver the birthday gift to Amanda?” That snapped Austin out of his trance. Right. That was the excuse he’d cooked up to see Yelena today. He had nearly let it slip his mind.
He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and passed her the bag. “I had John put this together on the fly. Honestly, I don’t even know what’s in it. Just make sure it gets to her, will you p>
“Sure,” Yelena replied, taking the bag from Austin.
As Yelena reached for the bag, her hand accidentally grazed Austin’s. In that fleeting moment, a spark of electricity zipped through her, racing from her fingertips to the crown of her head, leaving her tingling and momentarily dazed.
It seemed like Austin’s movement paused for a brief moment too. Yet, Yelena couldn’t tell if she had imagined it or if it had truly happened.
Before she could decide, the sharp trill of a ringtone shattered the fragile silence between them. Austin frowned, retrieving his phone from his pocket. His expression darkened when he glanced at the screen. “Sonny, I’ve got to take this,” he said, his voice low but edged with regret.
Yelena gave a faint nod, her voice calm as she spoke. “It’s fine. Go ahead p>
With a quick nod, Austin turned and disappeared into the crowd, phone pressed to his ear.
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 g⍺𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘴﹐ⅽ𝗈𝗺
Yelena stood rooted to the spot, her gaze lingering on his retreating figure until he melted into the sea of bustling strangers. A swirl of emotions she couldn’t quite name threatened to spill over, but she shoved them back with a deep breath.
Clutching the bag a little tighter, she stepped into the Harris Group building, her heels clicking softly against the polished floor.
As the elevator rose, its slow ascent mirrored the way her thoughts floated further and further, lost in reflection.
She lingered on every detail from their lunch earlier—a glance at Austin’s smile, his thoughtfulness, and the quiet exchanges that seemed to linger in her mind. Each moment stirred a strange, unfamiliar warmth within her.
As the elevator doors slid open, Yelena returned to her desk. Tessa greeted her with a friendly smile and, after a moment, commented, “Your face looks a bit flushed. Are you feeling alright p>
Tessa gently touched Yelena’s face, noting how warm it was.
Yelena’s eyes flickered, quickly dodging Tessa’s hand. “Oh, it’s nothing. It must have been the AC from the restaurant I had lunch at,” she explained hastily.
“Oh, I get it. Was the food good?” Tessa inquired.
Yelena paused, her mind briefly drifting back. “It was… quite enjoyable,” she responded, her voice softer this time.
She hurried back to her desk and settled in, trying to regain her focus. Tessa watched Yelena quietly, puzzled by how different she looked after just having lunch.
Yelena, maintaining a composed exterior, opened her computer, but it was hard to keep her thoughts from drifting. The work seemed distant, ungraspable, as if her mind was entirely elsewhere.
It was Amanda’s birthday bash that evening, and naturally, Bella had secured an invitation.
Determined to be the center of attention, Bella left work early, clearing her schedule for some serious self-preparation.