Act 5, Scene 5 - Her Fear
Sarah sat inside, staring at the lavender velvet box, still there... unopened.
The lingering scent of his cologne-addictive-now choked her. Not out of
hatred or fear, but something else she couldn't shake off.
The way he made her feel seen-like never before-terrified her.
She didn't know someone could make her feel that way... and worse, she
needed it. But she wasn't used to this. The proximity. The tension. The care
she never got before... never felt before.
She didn't even realize it yet, but she had already given a piece of herself to him.
She wasn't scared of him. She was scared of the wall she'd built over years-cracking.
Shattering. That she wouldn't be able to stop liking him.
Her fingers dug into the velvet box with the restraint of something deep... and aching.
The box was lighter than she expected, but in her trembling hands, it felt
heavier than anything she'd ever held.
She slowly began to lift the lid. Just a sliver.
A voice cut through the silence.
Lian: "Ms. Sarah."
She slammed it shut. Her heart thundered in her chest.
Lian stood at the door-face unreadable.
Lian: "Lord Andrew asked me to drop you home. He won't be able to
accompany you to the mansion tonight. He'll be late."
A pause.
Sarah asked, hesitantly, "Why?"
Lian's jaw twitched.
Lian: "It's the Dubai merger. Urgent."
-
Meanwhile, in the boardroom... Andrew sat still, stiff and composed. But his
mind was anything but.
Thoughts, fears, what-ifs-swirling inside him.
His fingers tapped nervously on his lap beneath the table. The other hand
lay still on the wood.
Only one person understood what he was hiding-Sam. Sitting beside him.
Sam leaned in and whispered, only for Andrew to hear.
Sam (with a faint smirk): "Bro... you literally broke three pens in an hour.
You clenched them so hard they snapped. Look at their faces."
(He motioned to the board members across the table.)
"They look pale. Like they've seen a ghost."
Andrew didn't reply. His eyes were unreadable.
Sam (quietly): "I know this Dubai merger isn't more important than her. But
give her time. Let her choose, Andrew. Your desperation won't help."
He glanced sideways.
"And I know she feels something for you. I saw that smile she tried to hide
when she saw her favorite fruits on the table. You set that up, didn't you?"
He winked, then leaned back, refocusing on the meeting.
Andrew didn't move.
The voices, the discussions, the slides... they blurred into a haze.
He was there... but his mind was somewhere else.
His mind was on her.
---
To Be Continued...
What's inside the velvet box?
Will Sarah open it again-or will fear hold her back?
And how long can Andrew fight his growing desperation before he breaks?
Next: Part 2
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