26

Adrian reached for the water jug, his movements smooth and practiced as he poured a glass and set it in front of her. Valeria watched him carefully, a peculiar feeling gnawing at the back of her mind. ‘There is something about him—something familiar but I don’t know what?’

She picked up her fork as Adrian placed a serving of pasta onto her plate. The steam curled upward, carrying the scent of garlic and fresh herbs, but her mind wasn’t on the food anymore.

Instead, she found herself tilting her head, eyes narrowing slightly as she studied him. “Adrian…be honest with me.” she began slowly, twirling the fork between her fingers. “Have we met before?” His hand stilled mid-motion. It was brief, almost imperceptible, but Valeria caught it.

Adrian recovered quickly, placing the serving spoon down before leaning back against the counter. He crossed his arms, his usual confident smirk slipping into place, but something flickered in his eyes—something guarded. “We went to the same college,” he admitted, voice even.

Valeria frowned. “We did? Really?” He gave a small shrug. “Yeah. Different majors, though. You probably don’t remember me which is why I wasn’t telling you this.”

She blinked, her mind racing through old memories, trying to place him. It felt strange—like a puzzle piece that almost fit but not quite. “Were we… friends?” she asked hesitantly.

Adrian chuckled, though it sounded forced. “Well, you could say that we crossed paths.” Something about the way he said it made her pause. There was more to the story—she could feel it—but Adrian wasn’t offering anything else.

She looked down at her plate, poking at the pasta as a strange unease settled over her. ‘If we had gone to the same college… Why can’t I remember him? And why does it feel like Adrian is holding something back?’

Valeria sighed, setting her fork down as an apologetic expression crossed her face. "We weren’t friends, were we?" she asked quietly, almost as if she already knew the answer.

Adrian leaned against the counter, a knowing smirk playing at his lips. "Not exactly." Valeria realised something sure had happened else why would he remember her when she doesn’t. She winced. "Did I treat you badly?"

Adrian chuckled, though there was something unreadable in his eyes. "You were the queen bee of the college, Valeria. It was expected that you wouldn’t even remember me." Valeria’s brows furrowed as she stared at him, guilt creeping into her chest. 

She had vague memories of her college years—of being surrounded by admiration, whispers following her down the hallways, of the pedestal people placed her on. Back then, she had been different—confident, untouchable.

She sighed again, rubbing her temple. "I’m sorry if I ever treated you unfairly. Those were good times but at the same time things were bad too. I was a horrible person. Maybe that is why karma is hitting me." she murmured, looking at him with sincerity.

Adrian tilted his head, watching her with something unreadable in his expression. "People change, Valeria. We improve and become better." he said after a moment. "I don’t hold it against you."

Valeria searched his face, trying to decipher the meaning behind his words. There was a flicker of something—nostalgia, maybe. ‘He is certainly hiding something.’ But also something deeper, something he wasn’t saying.

Picking up her fork again, she forced a small smile. "Well, since you went through the trouble of making this, I should at least enjoy it, right?"

Adrian’s smirk softened, and he pulled out a chair, settling across from her. "That would be nice. I’d hate for my cooking skills to go to waste."

As they ate, an odd tension lingered between them—something unresolved, something unsaid. Valeria twirled her fork in the pasta absentmindedly, her gaze flickering to Adrian as he casually leaned back in his chair. 

Now that she was really looking at him, something clicked in her memory—flashes of a shy boy with oversized glasses, always tucked away in the corner of the library, dressed in baggy clothes that swallowed his lean frame.

Her eyes widened slightly as the realization settled in. "Wait…" she murmured, tilting her head as she studied him. "You—" Valeria nearly laughed at the recollection, hiding her face with her hand as she giggled.

Adrian raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of his water. "Me…?" She shook her head in disbelief. "I remember you now. You were the guy in those baggy hoodies and glasses, always buried in books. You barely spoke to anyone."

Adrian let out a short chuckle, his lips curling into an amused smirk. "Guilty as charged." Valeria stared at him, still trying to reconcile the image of the quiet, nerdy student with the confident, sharply dressed man sitting in front of her now. 

His chiseled jawline, the effortless charm, the expensive watch on his wrist—it was a complete transformation. "You…" she trailed off, narrowing her eyes playfully. "You really changed a lot."

Adrian leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "So did you," he countered, his gaze lingering on her in a way that made her stomach flutter. "You’re not the same girl who ruled the college halls."

Valeria let out a small laugh, shaking her head. "Yeah, life has a way of humbling people." His expression turned thoughtful, almost like he wanted to say something more. But instead, he just smiled. "Well, I’d like to think I’ve upgraded a little," he teased.

Valeria rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help the small smile tugging at her lips. "A little? Adrian, you went from bookworm to…" She gestured vaguely at him. "Corporate heartthrob."

Adrian chuckled, shaking his head. "I’ll take that as a compliment." Valeria bit her lip, studying him once more. "Why didn’t you tell me earlier?"

He shrugged. "Figured you wouldn’t remember. And even if you did, it doesn’t change anything, does it?" She hesitated, something about his words making her chest tighten. "Maybe it does," she said softly. For a moment, there was silence. A heavy, unspoken history between them.

Then Adrian smiled again, this time softer. "Well, in that case… I guess I should formally reintroduce myself." He extended his hand across the table, his dark eyes glinting with something unreadable.

"Adrian Reed. Former nerd, current CEO, and your new boss." He laughed while taking a bite. Valeria stared at his outstretched hand before slowly placing hers in his. "Valeria Moreno," she murmured. "Former queen bee, current… disaster, I guess?"

Adrian chuckled, shaking her hand firmly. "I wouldn’t call you that." She tilted her head. "Then what would you call me?" He smirked, his grip lingering for a second before letting go. "A work in progress,is the better one."

Valeria exhaled, shaking her head with a small laugh. She had a feeling Adrian Reed was going to be a bigger part of her life than she had anticipated. Unknown to her, he also had some other plans for her.