Chapter 3 Longing

Just then, Mr. Scott walked into the room.

He has dressed for work, and he wears a dark blue suit, looking as sharp and focused as always. But when he saw her, he stopped.

"Morning, baby girl," he said gently.

"Morning Dad," she replied quietly, forcing a smile.

He walked over to the table and looked at her more closely.

"You didn't sleep, did you?"

"I'm okay," she said, not meeting his eyes.

"You don't look okay." Mr Scott sat across from her and poured himself a cup of coffee. He stirred it slowly, still watching her.

"You've looked like this since last night. You didn't say much when we got home."

She shrugged. "I just felt tired".

"Ella," he said, his voice calm but serious. "You've been to many of these events. Last night was different. Something's bothering you."

She was quiet for a long moment.

He pulled out a chair and sat beside her. "Was the party that exhausting?"

She gave a small nod, not meeting his eyes. "Something like that."

He studied her carefully. "You went quiet the moment you came back from the restroom. Was it someone you saw?"

She hesitated, then gave a quiet "Dad!"

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Who?"

She didn't answer.

"Elio Wilson was there," he said, watching her reaction.

Her hands froze on the cup.

"I figured you two never really spoke. Considering the history between his father and me..."

She nodded quickly like she wanted the conversation to end. "We don't."

Mr. Scott exhaled, leaning back in his chair. "Still, you looked... uneasy. Did that boy say something to you? Did he do anything?"

Isabella cut her dad off and tried to keep her voice calm. "Dad, look her dad in the eyes, assuring him that he did nothing to her; he just brings up things I'd rather not think about."

Mr. Scott nodded slowly. "Good. Keep it that way. His father and I have been enemies for years. The last thing I want is you anywhere near that family."

"I know," she murmured, her eyes falling to the table.

"I'm not saying he's like his father, but you've worked too hard to let anything be between you two that pulls you into trouble." her father stated

"I understand, Dad," she said quickly.

He stood, adjusting the cuffs of his suit. "I've got a meeting to attend, but I'll be back later this afternoon."

He paused at the door and looked at her once more. "Ella, you know I always want the best for you, right? And I doubt his father will support anything involving you two."

She smiled faintly. "I know."

He gave her a nod, then left.

Elio's penthouse

Elio sat at the edge of his bed, shirtless, elbows resting on his knees, head in his hands.

He hadn't slept well, not because of work or deadlines.

He could still see Isabella's face from the night before, still hear her voice when she said his name like it hurt to speak it. She had barely looked at him, but that brief conversation in the hallway... had shaken something loose in him. And then she vanished, leaving the party before he could say anything more.

His phone buzzed beside him with morning updates, emails, meetings, and calls, but he ignored them. For once, he didn't care about contracts or reports, he stood and walked to the window, pulling the curtain back slightly.

He remembered the moment he saw her with her father last night, standing tall and beautiful, like time hadn't touched her; that urge to touch her came rushing back, and he sighed. Then pulled on his shirt and grabbed his blazer, pausing by the mirror.

His phone buzzed sharply beside him, breaking the silence.

He picked it up, voice low and rough. "Yeah?"

"Good morning, sir," came the voice of his personal assistant. "TX & Co representatives just arrived at the company. They're waiting to see you, sir; said it was urgent."

Elio frowned, "But I wasn't expecting them until next week."

"Yes, sir. They came unannounced, said they were passing through, and wanted to take the opportunity."

He sighed, "Tell them I'll be there in an hour. Bring them coffee. Make sure they're comfortable."

"Yes, sir."

He ended the call, tossing the phone onto the bed. As he moved toward the bathroom, grabbed his razor looked at his reflection shaved, and prepared for work

He finished dressing, sliding his watch onto his wrist, then ran his hand through his hair to set it back. He grabbed his briefcase, stepped into the private elevator of his penthouse, and rode down in silence.

His chauffeur was already waiting outside, engine running. Elio slid into the back seat, exhaled, and said simply, "To the office."

On arriving at the company, Elio stepped out of his car; the receptionist at the company gave him a polite smile as he walked through the glass doors and into the lobby.

"Good morning, sir. They are waiting in Conference Room 3."

Elio gave a short nod. "Coffee. Black. Bring it in."

He headed toward the conference room, straightening his cuffs. His mind was still clouded, but work was the only thing that grounded him.

Inside, three men in suits stood as he walked in. The eldest among them extended a hand.

"Mr Wilson," the man said with a smile. "It's good to finally meet you in person. I'm Gerald Lane, CEO of TX Corporation. Thank you for seeing us.

Elio shook his hand. "Let's get to the point then, Mr. Lane. What brings you here so early"

"We are sorry, Mr Wilson, but I've talked to your mother. She said she will inform you about my coming," said Mr Wilson.

Elio sighed, "we've talked about it but she hasn't informed me about your coming"

"We are deeply sorry about that, I talked to your mother about it in a meeting we attended together yesterday. She advised us to speak to you directly," stated Mr Gerald.

"Hmmm, okay let me see the proposal"

They had just handed over the proposal for the Greenline Development contract.

As Elio flipped through the neatly bound document, the door opened quietly.

His secretary stepped in, heels soft against the floor, holding a black tray with a single cup.

"Your coffee, sir," she said gently, setting it beside him, dark, strong, exactly how he liked it.

Elio gave a quick nod without looking up. "Thank you."

She exited just as quietly.

He took a sip, eyes still on the document.

He flipped through the document. Everything was clear, detailed, and well-researched, numbers added up. The timeline was realistic, but it was tight work.

"Your numbers are clean," he said after a pause, "and you've clearly done your homework. This proposal isn't rushed."

Mr. Gerald smiled. "We know E. I Enterprise doesn't deal with guesswork, and we believe we're a perfect fit for this project; we came ready."

Elio closed the file slowly, leaned back, and nodded. "You've got the contract."

The TX team exhaled, smiling. Mr. Gerald stood to shake his hand. "Thank you, Mr. Wilson. We won't let you down."

"You'd better not," Elio said, calm but serious.

Elio stepped out of the conference room alongside the TX team. They exchanged a few last words and a handshake as he walked them toward the elevator.

"Expect the official paperwork by noon," Elio said, his tone firm but polite.

"Looking forward to it," Mr. Gerald replied, clearly pleased.

As the elevator doors closed behind them, Elio turned, adjusting his cuffs, and headed down the hallway toward his office.

Halfway there, his assistant, James approached quickly with a tablet.

"Sir," James said, matching his pace. "The legal team is ready for your 11 a.m. briefing, and Mrs. Wilson left a message. She's asking for a callback."

Elio raised an eyebrow. "About TX Corporation?"

"Most likely. She didn't say anything directly." James said.

"She'll find out I signed the deal eventually." Elio replied walking towards his office.

James gave a small nod "Yes, sir."

Elio entered his office, cool, modern, and commanding. The skyline framed the floor-to-ceiling windows behind his desk.

He stood in silence for a moment, the door closing quietly behind him.

But his mind... was still with Isabella.

He then just settled his chair, fingers tapping lightly on the armrest when the door opened again.

James stepped in, holding a slim folder.

"These are the revised contracts from legal, sir. And your next meeting starts in ten minutes, a conference call with the Singapore branch."

Elio took the folder without looking up. "Thanks."

As James turned to leave, Elio's phone buzzed on the desk.

"Mum."

He sighed quietly, picked it up, and answered.

"Son," came Mrs.Lila Wilson's warm but firm voice. "I heard TX corporation showed up this morning."

"They did," Elio replied calmly. "You didn't mention you spoke to them."

"I wanted to see if they had the guts to show up prepared. And?" his mother said, smiling.

"Yeah, they came prepared. So I gave them the contract."

A short pause.

"Good," she said, then softened. "I knew you'd see what I saw. They're solid."Thank you for not brushing them off."

Elio leaned back. "That was because we've talked about it before."

She smiles "I know you don't like surprises, but you handle them well," she teased gently.

He gave a dry chuckle. "Anything else?"

There was a pause, and then her tone shifted.

"I also heard Isabella attended the party last night."

Elio's expression changed slightly. He closed the folder slowly.

"She did."

"Did you two talk?"

His jaw tightened. "Mother... I don't want to talk about that right now."

"Alright," she said gently. "I just wondered. That's all."

"I have a meeting," he said, already standing.

"I'll let you go. Talk later, darling."

He hung up just as James stepped in.

"Your call is ready, sir."

Elio nodded, voice low "Let's begin."

He took a deep breath and turned his attention to the conference call with the Singapore branch. The time difference meant it was already evening there, and the team was eager for updates. As he connected, he greeted the team, "Good morning, everyone. Let's get started."

The meeting was intense, with discussions about project timelines, budget allocations, and potential challenges. Elio listened attentively, offering insights and making quick decisions. Despite his focus, thoughts of Isabella lingered in the back of his mind, distracting him momentarily.

Once the call concluded, James entered the office with a stack of documents. "Sir, your next meeting is in ten minutes," he informed Elio. Nodding, Elio reviewed the paperwork, preparing for the upcoming discussion.

The day continued in a blur of meetings, emails, and phone calls. Each task demanded his full attention, yet Isabella's face kept appearing in his thoughts. By late afternoon, Elio felt the weight of the day pressing down on him. He rubbed his temples, trying to shake off the fatigue.

After a long day of back-to-back meetings and a mind that wouldn't stop circling back to Isabella, Elio finally wrapped things up. He stood in his office, staring out at the city skyline glowing beneath the soft descent of night. His jaw tightened as he pulled out his phone.

"James," he said without turning. "Tell my chauffeur he can head home. I'm driving myself tonight."

There was a pause, and then his assistant replied, "Yes, sir. Will you be needing anything else?"

"No." With that, he grabbed his keys, left his office, and descended to the private garage beneath E.I Enterprise. He reached for his keys, opened the car door, slid into the driver's seat, shut the door, and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

No destination is entered into the GPS. He didn't need one.

He already knew where he was going.

He drove through the city streets with the windows partially down. The night air was cool against his skin, and for a moment, the silence of being alone in his car felt like a small relief. But then her face came back to him, Isabella's distant eyes, her reserved smile, the way she looked away too quickly at the party.

He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated.

"Why couldn't he just let it go?"

Pulling up in front of an exclusive nightclub he used to frequent, discreet enough to avoid attention, Elio parked the car. He stepped out and walked toward the entrance.

As Elio stepped through the doors of the club, the scent of expensive liquor and rich perfume greeted him like a familiar memory. One of the club's staff instantly recognized him and approached with a polite smile.

"Mr. Wilson," she said, giving a small nod. "Your usual spot?"