Flashbacks -Chapter 3

Ella - POV

"Are you engaged?" Mr. Miller's voice rose, brimming with a mix of fury and jealousy. His firm grip on my hand tightened. I wriggled, trying to break free, but his grasp was unyielding.

"Mr. Miller, are you blind? Can't you see the ring on my finger? Of course, I'm engaged," I retorted. His eyes widened at my response, and the hazel color of his irises flickered to a golden tint. Was it just a trick of the light, or had I imagined it? I gasped. The sudden shift in the room's atmosphere took me aback. Releasing my hand abruptly, Mr. Miller stood up, adjusted his suit, and spoke with feigned normalcy.

"Congratulations, Miss Hart." His words echoed in the room as he made his way out, leaving me alone to ponder his strange behavior.

"What was that all about?" I muttered to myself. The enigma that was Mr. Miller was beginning to become too complicated. I thought the time might have changed Darcus Miller, but it seemed like he was still the same arrogant person. I slumped into the chair, my mind wandering back to the day I first met this insufferable man.

---

{Flashback - The First Encounter between Darcus Miller and Ella Hart}

Our first encounter happened in a rush to the campus canteen. I was scrambling to grab an energy bar before my class started when I accidentally spilled my hot coffee on someone, slipping on the spillage and landing hard on the cold ground. Around me, students giggled at my clumsiness.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled from the floor, gathering my scattered books, unaware of who the coffee-soaked victim was. In the frenzy of picking up my books, my hand brushed against someone else's. I looked up and met the handsome face of none other than Darcus Miller, the coffee stains on his white shirt making me gasp.

"Darcus, I'm so sorry," I apologized again.

"No problem. Here are your books. You should hurry to class; you're already late," Darcus replied, his tone solemn.

"Dude, you've got a meeting with the principal in a few minutes," Zac chimed in. 

He and Darcus had just been elected as the college's president and vice president, respectively. Zac glanced at Darcus's stained clothes, a smirk playing on his face.

"I'm sorry about your clothes; it was entirely my fault," I reiterated, feeling a knot of guilt in my stomach.

"Don't worry about the stains; I've got a change of clothes in my locker. And Ella," Darcus's gaze swept the area, landing on the students who were shamelessly staring at us, "you guys should head to class, too. The warning bell has already rung, and the show's over!" Just like that, the crowd dispersed, shuffling off to their respective classes.

"How did you know my name? I'm nowhere near as famous as you," I asked, my voice reflecting my confusion. A soft chuckle escaped from Darcus, while Zac shot me a quizzical look.

"Who says you're not famous? You're the second highest scorer on campus this year," Darcus answered, an amused twinkle in his hazel eyes.

"Ugh… but people don't usually remember the runners-up," I mumbled, my cheeks flushing. The warning bell rang again, breaking our conversation. With a last look at Darcus and Zac, I darted off, yelling over my shoulder, "I'm really sorry about the mess, Darcus."

"Ella, are you paying attention?" The

 sound of Avery's voice jolted me back to the present. "What were you thinking?"

"Just work stuff. Should I be taking the meeting minutes?" I asked Avery, trying to regain my focus. Sofia ushered the clients into the conference room, one of whom was Zac. His eyes widened slightly in surprise when he saw me but he quickly masked it with a composed expression. 

A few minutes later, Mr. Miller entered the room, and the meeting began. I learned during the discussion that Zac was now the CEO of Game-gem Software. Sofia threw me occasional glances as I took notes, a small smirk playing on her lips. It was annoying, but I brushed it off, focusing on the task at hand.

After the meeting concluded, Mr. Miller was the first to leave, followed by Avery and Sofia, who escorted the two clients out. Zac stayed back in the room, a bemused expression on his face. I paid it no mind, getting ready to leave myself.

"What are you doing here, Ella?" Zac's voice echoed in the now almost empty room. I turned around to meet his ocean-blue eyes.

"I work here," I replied, a hint of irritation creeping into my voice.

"Are you back to win over Darcus?" Zac asked, a smirk playing on his lips. I shot him an annoyed look.

"For your information, I couldn't care less about Mr. Miller. And just so you know, I'm engaged to be married soon," I retorted, holding up my hand to show my engagement ring.

"So you're telling the truth," Zac murmured, his smirk fading.

"Unlike you and Mr. Miller, I don't have a habit of lying, Mr. Zac Evans. I hope that's clear to you," I responded coolly. Zac's smirk was replaced by a sincere look of regret.

"I'm sorry for lying to you, Ella. Darcus was cheating on you, and I should've told you," Zac confessed. I could feel an old wound being pried open but forced my eyes to remain steady, scrutinizing Zac's expression. It was clear that he was not genuinely remorseful, but rather, dredging up the past for his own amusement.

"I know you're not sorry, and I don't care about the past," I responded calmly, watching Zac's reaction closely. As I moved to leave the room, I couldn't help but feel a pang of relief as the physical distance between us widened.

As I ended my shift, I realized a torrential downpour had started outside. Without an umbrella, I took shelter under a bus stop canopy, waiting for a taxi. After about half an hour of fruitless attempts to book a cab, a sleek black car pulled up in front of me. The window rolled down to reveal Mr. Miller, his hazel eyes meeting mine.

"You can get in the car, and I'll drop you off," he offered, his voice devoid of any warmth.

"No, thank you, Mr. Miller. I'm okay; my taxi will be here soon. You can go on," I replied, unwilling to accept his help.

"In that case, I'll wait until your taxi arrives," he responded, stepping out of the car, an umbrella in hand. Despite the tension between us, I couldn't deny that his unexpected gesture was a relief in the pouring rain.