Between the Lines

The night unfolded in a series of calculated interactions, each one layered with unsaid things.

Elena moved through the symposium like she always did—with purpose, confidence, and an effortless ability to command attention. She shook hands with developers, exchanged sharp-witted remarks with industry veterans, and smiled just enough to make people lean in, wanting more.

Alex watched her the way he studied a structure before a redesign—analyzing angles, looking for weak points, anticipating movements before they happened.

She was good at this. She had always been good at this.

But she wasn't as unaffected as she wanted people to believe.

He saw it in the way her fingers tapped lightly against the stem of her wine glass when she thought no one was looking. In the way her gaze flickered toward him whenever she thought he wasn't paying attention.

She was aware of him.

The way he was aware of her.

And that was a dangerous thing.

"Interesting panel discussion."

Elena turned at the sound of Alex's voice, unsurprised to find him standing beside her as the evening's final presentation wrapped up. The crowd around them was dispersing, conversations shifting from architecture to dinner reservations, but she knew this wasn't an accident.

He had sought her out.

She took a slow sip of her wine before responding. "I'd say the same, but I noticed you checking your watch twice. Not exactly a sign of being engaged."

Alex smirked. "What can I say? Some speakers just love the sound of their own voice."

"And you don't?" she countered smoothly.

His eyes glinted with amusement. "Only when I have something worth saying."

She huffed a quiet laugh, shaking her head. "So, what is it, Alex? Did you come over just to critique the panel, or did you actually want something?"

He studied her for a moment before answering. "I have a question."

Elena arched a brow. "Just one?"

"For now."

She tilted her chin slightly, intrigued despite herself. "Go on."

His expression shifted—subtle, but she caught it. The teasing edge softened, replaced by something steadier, something that made her pulse tick up just slightly.

"Why did you walk away from that project?"

For a second, she didn't react.

She had expected a lot of things from Alex Carter. A sharp remark, a veiled challenge, even a carefully calculated flirtation.

She hadn't expected that.

The project.

The one that had changed everything.

Her fingers tightened around her glass, but she forced her expression to remain neutral. "I didn't walk away."

Alex didn't look convinced. "That's not how I remember it."

"Then maybe you don't remember as clearly as you think."

Something flickered in his gaze. "Try me."

Elena exhaled, feeling the weight of the past pressing in around them. Seven years ago, they had both been up for the same high-profile commission—a landmark redevelopment project that would have cemented their careers.

She had won.

Or at least, that's what the industry had believed.

But behind closed doors, things had been more complicated.

And now, standing here, Alex was looking at her like he wanted an answer.

One she wasn't sure she was ready to give.

Alex had always been a man who trusted his instincts.

And right now, every instinct was telling him that Elena Murphy wasn't giving him the full story.

Seven years ago, he had watched as she secured that contract, had told himself it was just business, that she had outplayed him fair and square. He had accepted it. Moved on.

Or at least, he thought he had.

But seeing her hesitate now? That changed things.

"You never took credit for that project," he said, his voice measured. "Your name was on the initial designs, but when the final plans were approved, you were nowhere in the press releases. No interviews, no features. That's not like you."

Elena's jaw tightened. "Not everything needs to be a headline, Alex."

"True," he conceded. "But when someone walks away from a career-defining project without explanation, people notice."

Her gaze darkened. "And you've been wondering about this for seven years?"

"Not wondering," he corrected. "But now that we're here, I'm curious."

She let out a quiet, humorless laugh. "Curiosity is a dangerous thing."

Alex took a slow sip of his whiskey, eyes never leaving hers. "Only when you don't like the answers."

Another silence stretched between them, thick with the weight of the past.

Then, Elena set her glass down with a quiet clink.

"You want the truth?" she asked, her voice softer now, lower.

Alex inclined his head, waiting.

She exhaled. "I didn't walk away."

His brows pulled together slightly. "Then what—"

"I was pushed out."

The words hung in the air between them, stark and unapologetic.

Alex felt something shift in his chest—something sharp, something unexpected.

He hadn't seen that coming.

Elena had always been one of the most relentless architects he had ever known. Strategic, fiercely intelligent, unwilling to bend for anyone. The idea that someone had forced her out of a project she had rightfully won?

That didn't sit right.

And worse—

She had never said a word about it.

"Who?" The question was out before he could stop it.

Elena's lips pressed together. "Does it matter?"

"Yes," he said, without hesitation.

For a second, she looked at him like she wasn't sure if she believed him.

Then, finally, she shook her head. "It was a long time ago, Alex. And I handled it."

But that wasn't enough.

Not for him.

Because if she had really handled it, she wouldn't have hesitated just now. Wouldn't have looked away when she said it.

This wasn't over.

Not by a long shot.

Elena might have been ready to leave the past behind.

But Alex?

He had just found a reason to start digging.