Arec's POV
I've never been one to doubt myself. Control has always been my strongest suit, my armor against the chaos of life. Every move, every decision, meticulously calculated to ensure the outcome I desire.
But as I sat alone in my office, staring at the pristine contract that now seemed nothing more than a mockery, I felt an unfamiliar sensation creeping into my chest, something raw, unsettling, and entirely foreign to me.
Rejection.
Ella had turned me down. Politely, but firmly. I replayed the conversation in my head, the way her eyes had widened in surprise when I first presented the idea, how her voice had trembled slightly as she found the words to refuse me. She was hesitant, almost apologetic, but resolute nonetheless.
I had been prepared for negotiation, even for resistance, but not for this. Not for the way she had looked at me, as if I had shattered some unspoken understanding between us.
