Chapter 11

She was staring at my phone with wide eyes, her finger hovering over the screen. “You need to see this,” she said, excitement lacing her tone. She turned the phone towards me, and I instantly regretted looking.

There, in all its glory, was a picture of Dino, shirtless, his abs defined and glistening under the sun. The background was a beach, waves crashing softly behind him. The photo looked recent, Dino standing tall with his arms crossed, a slight smirk on his face as though he knew the effect it would have on anyone who saw it.

“What?” I managed to choke out, my voice barely a whisper. “No way.”

Jessica looked at me with a teasing grin. “Sorry to say it, but Dino Alessandro is a hot guy.” She giggled, then with a mischievous glint in her eye, she tapped the like button on the photo.

My jaw dropped. “Jessica, no! Don’t! What are you doing?” I reached for the phone, but she pulled it away just out of my grasp.

“Oh, relax. What’s the worst that can happen?” she said, clearly enjoying this way too much.

I couldn’t believe it. The one thing I swore I would never do, stalk Dino’s I*******m had already gotten out of hand. And now Jessica had just liked his photo. “What if he sees it?” I asked, suddenly panicking.

She smirked, unbothered. “Oh, come on. He’s probably seen worse. And besides, we’re just two girls enjoying a little eye candy.”

I rolled my eyes and leaned back in my seat. “This is a disaster.”

Jessica, sensing my distress, turned the phone back to herself. “It’s fine. Besides, you know he’s probably used to this by now. Look at him. The man has a fan club.”

I stared at the screen for a moment longer, taking in the photo of Dino, his broad shoulders, his confident stance, the way the sunlight reflected off his skin. It made my heart race, and not in the way I wanted it to. Was I really still this affected by him?

I forced my gaze away from the screen and looked out the window. “You’re right, I need to stop. I need to focus on my own life.”

Jessica put the phone down and nudged me playfully. “Just admit it. You’re still drawn to him. And that’s okay. You don’t have to fight it forever.”

I shook my head, trying to ignore the heat in my cheeks. “No, Jess. I can’t.”

Jessica raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. “We’ll see about that.”

After we finished our meal, Jessica drove me back home. The car ride was filled with her usual chatter, but my responses were minimal, my mind elsewhere. She noticed, of course, but didn’t press further.

“Call me if you need me,” Jessica said as I got out of the car. “And remember, deep breaths, Eloise. You’ll figure it out.”

“Thanks, Jess,” I replied with a small smile before heading into the house.

The rest of the evening was a blur. I paced around my room, replaying everything in my mind, Dino, the job offer, the memories from high school I had tried so hard to bury. My thoughts spiraled until I forced myself to sit down and breathe.

I was startled out of my thoughts when I heard the door click downstairs.

“Eloise, I’m home!” Mom’s voice rang out.

I walked down the stairs to see her setting her purse on the table.

“Jess was here,” I said, leaning against the railing.

“Oh, I’ve missed her,” Mom said with a warm smile. “How’s she doing?”

“She’s good,” I replied. “We had lunch and talked about... stuff.”

Mom raised an eyebrow, picking up on the hesitation in my tone. “Stuff?”

“It’s nothing,” I said quickly, not ready to dive into the mess of my emotions just yet.

Mom didn’t push, thankfully. Instead, she motioned toward the kitchen. “Well, I’m starving. Care to join me for a late snack?”

I shook my head. “I’m full, but I’ll sit with you.”

We sat in the kitchen, Mom nibbling on a sandwich while I sipped a glass of water.

“So, have you made any decisions about the job yet?” she asked casually, though her gaze was curious.

I hesitated, my fingers tracing the rim of my glass. “I haven’t started yet. But... it’s going to be challenging.”

Mom nodded. “That’s normal with any new position. You’ll adjust.”

If only she knew the real reason why it was going to be difficult.

“By the way,” she said, changing the subject, “Mr. Alessandro called earlier. There’s a charity gala this weekend, and he invited us to attend.”

My stomach dropped. “A gala?”

“Yes, he said it’s an annual event for Alessandro Corporation. It’s for a good cause, and he thought it would be nice if we came.”

Of course he did. Which meant Dino would be there.

“That sounds... fun,” I said weakly.

Mom smiled. “It’ll be good to get out, Eloise. Besides, I’m sure it’ll be an amazing event.”

I forced a smile, but inside, I was already dreading it.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed, pulling me out of my thoughts. I glanced at the screen, and my heart nearly stopped.

I*******m Notification: Dino Alessandro followed you.

I stared at the message, my hand frozen mid-air. Of all the people in the world, why was he following me now? Did Jessica’s little stunt of liking his photo tip him off? Or had he already noticed me stalking his profile?

A part of me wanted to throw my phone across the room, but another part ,a much smaller, quieter part was curious. Why would he follow me? Was this another one of his games?

“No way,” I muttered to myself, locking my phone and setting it face down on the table.

Mom’s voice interrupted my spiraling thoughts. “Everything okay, Eloise?”

“Yeah,” I said quickly, plastering on a smile. “Just a random notification.”

She didn’t seem convinced but didn’t press further.

For the rest of the evening, my mind kept drifting back to the notification. The temptation to check his profile again or worse, follow him back was almost unbearable.

But no, I couldn’t do it.

I couldn’t give Dino Alessandro that kind of satisfaction, not after everything.

So instead, I left my phone untouched for the rest of the night.

What was he playing at now?