Scene 4 (:-------------_-<3
The Unopened Truth
The gleam of the velvet box finally caught Sarah's attention. It was lavender — her favorite color. Medium-sized. Elegant. On top, engraved in golden lettering: S.J.
Her breath hitched.
Sarah looked up at Andrew, eyes clouded with confusion, then back down at the box.
"What is this?" she asked softly, hesitant but curious.
Silence.
The only sound was the ticking of the old grandfather clock in the corner. Each tick sounded louder, stretching seconds into hours.
The scent of his cologne still lingered in the room — woody, addictive, almost comforting.
Sarah's fingers hovered over the box, not touching it yet. The air between them thickened with unsaid words, hidden truths, and emotional static.
Then — Andrew did something he had never done before. Not in front of anyone. Not in his life.
He slowly knelt.
One knee touched the cold marble floor.
Sarah froze.
He looked up at her. His hands trembled ever so slightly as he lifted the velvet box and placed it gently into her hands.
Her breath caught in her throat.
She took it slowly — trembling not out of fear, but from something else. Something... unsaid. Something deeper.
"You want me to open it?" she whispered, still not meeting his eyes.
Andrew leaned in a little, his voice barely audible, meant for her ears only.
> "It doesn't matter if I want you to. It only matters if you want to."
Her heartbeat suddenly raced — a panicked flutter in her chest.
Her inner voice screamed:
> Should I? Or not...? What's inside? Why now...?
She held the box close, her gaze flickering between Andrew's face and the lavender lid.
Her fingers found the edge.
She was just about to lift the lid...
SLAM!
The door burst open with a crash.
Sam strode in, holding his phone high.
"ANDREW! Emergency board meeting — Dubai merger. It's critical. No way out of it."
Sarah gasped slightly, the shock making her drop the box onto the table.
It landed softly — still closed. Still unopened.
Andrew stood up abruptly. His eyes shifted — from Sarah to Sam.
He cleared his throat, adjusted his cuffs, smoothed his suit jacket, and avoided her eyes.
Sam noticed the tension in the air and grinned.
> "Ooooo was that a near confession? My bad! Should've knocked."
He winked at Sarah, then turned to Andrew.
"But seriously, it's urgent."
Andrew's voice came out tight, clipped.
> "What's the matter, Sam?"
Their conversation turned into business-speak — something about stocks, Dubai, percentages — a blur Sarah couldn't focus on.
Sam exited first, gesturing for Andrew to follow. Andrew turned back to glance at Sarah — once. Just once. His expression unreadable.
Then he walked out the door...
…leaving it open behind him.
Sarah sat there — breathless, the box untouched on the table.
Her hands still trembling.
Her heart still unsure.
Her thoughts spiraling.
The scent of his cologne remained in the air, wrapping around her like a whisper, like a ghost of something that almost happened — but didn't.
The box sat there — unopened.
Like the truth between them.
Still waiting.
[End of Scene 4]
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