Chapter Eight

After the lunch was delivered and the tension eased a bit, Peter sat back in his chair, the silence heavy around him. He had seen her earlier, but he couldn't bring himself to face her just yet. What could he possibly say? The betrayal weighed on his heart like a leaden stone, and despite the work piling on his desk, his thoughts kept returning to her.

Magnus entered, a polite knock on the door signalling his arrival. The usual professional detachment in his gaze was gone, replaced by something closer to concern.

'Sir,' Magnus began, voice careful. 'I... took the lunch to Stella.'

Peter didn't raise his eyes from the file in front of him, but he nodded. He'd been expecting this. He'd been half-waiting for Magnus's thoughts on what had just transpired. Was she angry? Had she cried? Was she even eating?

Magnus paused, studying the CEO for a moment before speaking again, more tentatively now. 'She seemed... upset. I think she's still processing everything.' He paused, chewing on the words before adding, 'But she took the food.'

Peter's gaze remained on his desk, his fingers gripping the edges as if steadying himself. 'Did she say anything?'

'No.' Magnus shook his head slowly. 'She didn't say much. But when I left, she seemed calmer, though... still distant.' He hesitated before asking, 'Do you want me to talk to her? I can help... with the situation.'

Peter's fingers tightened around the desk's surface, his jaw tightening as he forced the words out. 'No, Magnus. She's not ready for that... not yet. I'll handle it.'

Magnus nodded, but he couldn't shake the feeling that the situation was far from over. 'All right, sir.'

The room fell into a quiet, heavy silence. Magnus lingered for a moment, sensing that Peter and Stella must have known each other before now. Perhaps they had a relationship, or at the very least, were close in some way. He knew Peter to be someone who rarely glanced at any woman; he was always focused, always composed. But here he was, visibly concerned about Stella. Even a child could notice something was going on.

Peter, however, couldn't escape the gnawing guilt. He had hurt her. And no matter what Magnus did or didn't say, it was going to take more than lunch to fix it.