Unsettling Reunion

Stella hears the faint sound of footsteps echoing in the grand hallway. Her chest tightens, and she debates whether to slip away before Mathews sees her. But it's too late.

"Stella" his voice cuts through the silence.

She turns, her breath hitching as their eyes meet. He's standing at the other end of the hallway, his broad shoulders illuminated by the soft glow of the chandelier. His expression is unreadable, his brown eyes steady yet distant.

"I didn't expect to see you here" he says, his voice calm but laced with something she can't quite place.

She forces herself to stand tall, though her hands tremble. "I could say the same about you. I thought you left for good"

Mathews steps closer, his gaze fixed on her. For a moment, it seems as though he's about to say something important. Something that will finally address the tension hanging between them. But then, he stops, his lips pressing into a thin line.

"Welcome back" he says flatly, his tone completely detached now. Without waiting for a response, he brushes past her, heading toward the dining room as if she's no more than a passing thought.

Stella feels her chest tighten, confusion mixing with the bitterness she's tried so hard to bury. What was that? Why did he approach her like that only to act like she didn't matter?

She stands frozen in place, replaying the brief encounter in her head, her thoughts spiraling. The way he looked at her, it was almost as if he was about to apologize or explain something. But instead, he'd walked away, leaving her with nothing but questions.

"Stella?" Manang Delia's cheerful voice pulls her out of her thoughts. "Come now, dear, dinner is served. Mathews is also waiting in the dining room."

The mention of his name sends another wave of unease through her, but she forces a polite smile and follows Manang Delia.

When she enters the dining room, Mathews is already seated at the far end of the long table, his posture straight, his expression composed. He doesn't look up as she takes her seat across from him, his focus entirely on the food in front of him.

The silence between them is deafening, and Stella can't help but steal glances at him, hoping to catch some clue in his demeanor. But he remains an enigma, his actions contradictory, his presence both comforting and unnerving.

The clinking of utensils echoed in the dining room, but Stella barely touched her plate. Mathews sat at the far end of the table, his gaze fixed on his food, his demeanor cold and detached.

She tried not to look at him, but her thoughts wandered, pulling her back to their college days-the time when everything felt different.

Back then, Mathews was still the same perfect man, but he wasn't as distant. He wasn't the unreadable figure he was now. No, the Mathews she knew in college was serious but kind, sweet in ways he didn't even realize. He had a way of making people feel seen without trying, and for Stella, it was the smallest things he did that made her fall for him.

She could still picture him sitting in class, effortlessly handsome, his brown eyes scanning through a textbook while every girl in the room stole glances at him. She couldn't blame them. Mathews had a presence that was impossible to ignore. His neatly styled hair, flawless skin, and the way his lips curved into a small grin when he was amused by something.

But what made her heart race the most was his smile. It wasn't something he gave out freely, but when he did, it felt like the sun breaking through the clouds. She remembered how she used to catch herself staring at him during lectures, hoping he wouldn't notice. And when he did catch her, she'd feel a mixture of embarrassment and joy if he smiled or even just nodded in acknowledgment.

Then there were the little moments. How he once brushed a strand of her hair out of her face during a group study session or the time he handed her his notes because she'd missed class. He didn't make a big deal out of it, but those small gestures stayed with her.

Stella smiled faintly, remembering how much effort she used to put into getting his attention. She wrote him little notes, slipped anonymously into his bag, and felt a rush of happiness whenever she saw him reading one, even if he didn't know it was from her. She worked so hard just to make him notice her, and when he laughed or chuckled at something she said, it felt like she'd won a prize.

She loved every side of him his serious focus when studying, his soft chuckle during conversations with friends, even the rare moments when he seemed tired or irritated. Mathews, in her eyes, was flawless.

But then everything changed.

Stella's smile faded as her thoughts shifted to the day their parents announced their marriage. At first, she thought living under the same roof as Mathews might help her get over him. But it had the opposite effect. Seeing him every day, knowing he was now her stepbrother, only made her feelings grow stronger-intensifying to the point that she couldn't think of anything else.

And Mathews? He didn't seem to feel the same. If anything, he resented the situation. Stella never understood why, but he made it clear that he didn't approve of her father marrying his mother. He kept his distance, his once-kind demeanor replaced by a cold, unapproachable attitude.

The carefree Mathews she once knew had become a stranger and more serious, more reserved, and far more unpredictable.

Stella glanced at him across the table, her appetite gone. He still looked perfect, even now, but the warmth she'd once associated with him was missing. She couldn't help but wonder what had changed so much in him? Was it just their family situation, or was there something deeper she didn't understand?

Mathews suddenly looked up, catching her staring. Her breath hitched, but he didn't smile or nod like he used to. Instead, he held her gaze for a moment, his expression unreadable, before looking away.

Stella's heart sank. The Mathews she loved.

The one who once smiled at her, touched her hair, and shared quiet conversations was gone.

And yet, she couldn't stop loving him.

Stella sat in silence, forcing herself to eat even though her appetite had long disappeared. Across the table, Mathews appeared as calm as ever, cutting his food with precision, as though she didn't exist in the room.

The air between them was suffocating, thick with unspoken words. She tried to focus on anything else the soft clinking of silverware, the distant hum of the housekeeper moving but her mind kept circling back to him.

Then, suddenly, his phone buzzed on the table.

Mathews glanced at the screen and, without hesitation, picked it up. Stella didn't expect him to answer it right there, but he did.

"Hello" he said, his deep voice steady and smooth.

He leaned back slightly in his chair, his posture relaxed.

"Yeah, I'll be free later" Mathews continued, his tone shifting to something softer. There was a faint warmth in his voice, a contrast to the cold detachment he'd shown her.

Stella's fork froze mid-air. She didn't want to listen, but she couldn't look away.

"Of course" he said, a small smile tugging at his lips

"I'll meet you at the usual place"

Her chest tightened. It wasn't hard to guess who was on the other end of the line. The memories came flooding back, raw and vivid, of the night she first learned about her

It was during their third year in college when rumors spread like wildfire. Mathews Windsor, the perfect, unattainable man, was engaged. Stella hadn't wanted to believe it. Not until she'd overheard his friends talking about it, casually mentioning the name of his fiancée like it was common knowledge.

She remembered confronting him that night, cornering him after class, her heart pounding with a mix of anger and desperation.

"Is it true?" she had asked, her voice trembling. "Are you... engaged?"

Mathews had simply stood there, his expression unreadable. He didn't deny it. He didn't confirm it, either.

Instead, he'd looked at her straight into her eyes without a shred of emotion. His silence said everything and nothing all at once.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she'd pressed, her voice breaking.

"We were...' she couldn't finish

"I thought I mattered to you"

Still, no answer. His calm demeanor, the way he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, was maddening.

That same unreadable look was in his eyes now, as he ended the call and placed his phone back on the table.

Stella felt her pulse quicken, the bitterness rising in her chest. He didn't even glance at her. It was as if she were invisible.

"You seem bothered" Mathews said suddenly, his voice breaking the silence.

She flinched, startled that he'd noticed. His tone wasn't concerned, though it was more like a casual observation, detached and impersonal.

"I'm not" she replied quickly, her voice tighter than she intended.

Mathews raised an eyebrow, but he didn't press further. Instead, he stood, pushing his chair back with an air of finality.

"Dinner was pleasant" he said, his tone flat. "Enjoy the rest of your evening"

Without waiting for a response, he walked out of the room, leaving her alone with her swirling thoughts.

Stella sat there, her hands clenched into fists. She remembered the pain of that night so vividly. The way he'd looked at her, not with malice but with indifference, as if her feelings didn't matter.

Her gaze fell to his empty chair, and she exhaled shakily.

She thought she'd buried those memories, but Mathews had a way of dragging everything back to the surface every painful moment, every unanswered question, and every piece of her heart he'd unknowingly shattered.