Andre and Gabriel drove through the city streets in a tense silence. The café incident replayed in Andre's mind, relentlessly. He kept his hands lightly on the wheel, but his thoughts were tangled in ways he couldn't have anticipated. Selina ... the tiny, defiant woman who had dared to confront him—kept coming back to him. No one had ever stood up to him like that. Not a flirt, not a subordinate, not anyone who had known his reputation. And yet, she had.
Gabriel broke the silence, chuckling slowly. "Man… I'm surprised. You've dealt with a lot of people, plenty of women who try to get close… but someone actually stood her ground. And she's not just anyone, Andre. She's… different."
Andre didn't reply immediately, jaw tightening as his thoughts ran wild. "Different…" he muttered under his breath, almost to himself. He glanced at Gabriel, but his friend was smirking knowingly, clearly enjoying the rare moment of Andre's uncertainty.
Gabriel leaned back in his seat, smirking. "Honestly, I didn't think anyone could match your energy, your… presence. Most people fold instantly. But not her. She spoke back to you. Boldly. Without hesitation. And funny enough, not like someone trying to flirt or… you know…" He trailed off, raising his eyebrows.
Andre exhaled slowly, eyes fixed on the road. "She… wasn't afraid," he said quietly, his voice low, almost imperceptible. The memory of her defiance, the fire in her eyes, burned inside him. Normally, he didn't care. Normally, no one dared. But Selina… Selina had a spark. Something he couldn't ignore.
Gabriel chuckled again. "Exactly. That's what makes her… interesting. Most people aren't bold enough. Most people are scared of you. But she… she's tiny, and yet she stood her ground. I've got to hand it to her."
Andre's fingers drummed lightly on the steering wheel. "Interesting…" he repeated, voice barely audible. He didn't know why he was unsettled. He had money, power, charm… he could have almost anyone, anytime. But Selina had a fire that made all that feel meaningless. A tiny, defiant spark that refused to bow, refused to falter.
........
Selina walked into her small apartment, the door clicking shut behind her. The weight of the day pressed down on her shoulders like a heavy, unyielding blanket. Fired. Just like that. After all the effort, after standing her ground, after… him. Her chest tightened at the memory of Andre Vale's piercing eyes, the way he had loomed over her, the controlled fury simmering beneath his polished exterior.
She set her bag down, hands trembling slightly, and sank onto the couch. The room was quiet, almost painfully so. "Selina… your mouth… you always make mistakes with this," she whispered under her breath. But today was different. Today, she hadn't backed down. She had faced him and survived. Somehow, that tiny spark of pride made the sting of humiliation a little less sharp.
There was a knock at her door. She hesitated, unsure if she wanted company—or if she even had the strength to face anyone. When she opened it, Elena, her friend, stood there, holding a neatly folded coat.
"I… I thought you might need this," Elena said softly. "I know the café… What happened? I'm sorry, Selina. I just…" Her voice trailed off, uncertain.
Selina blinked, taking in the gesture. The coat smelled faintly of lavender and reassurance. "It's… it's okay," she said, voice low but steady. "It's been a painful morning, but… it's okay. Really."
Elena gave her a small smile and stepped inside. "You don't have to explain everything. I just wanted to make sure you're… alright."
Selina nodded, letting herself take a deep breath. For a moment, the apartment felt lighter. Small, quiet acts of kindness held more weight than grand gestures. She hung the coat on a chair and sat down again, her mind spinning with thoughts of what to do next. Bills, applications, her father's endless grumbling—all pressed down on her, heavier than any jacket or humiliation.
.........
Meanwhile, Andre didn't return home that evening. Instead, he stayed at Vels Corporation, pacing his office, shuffling papers, staring at his computer without focus. The encounter in the café had unsettled him in a way he couldn't quite admit, even to himself. Normally, no one dared challenge him. No one confronted him and walked away with their head held high. But Selina… Selina had done exactly that.
The employees noticed immediately. There was a sharpness in his gaze, a tension in the way he moved. Even his personal assistant, normally composed and unflappable, flinched slightly as he entered. The aura of calm authority he usually exuded was gone, replaced with something more dangerous, more unpredictable.
Andre leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping absently against the polished surface of his desk. He reviewed reports, scrolled through contracts, but his mind kept drifting back to Selina. Her audacity, her fire, her courage—things he could usually dismiss, he found himself replaying over and over.
.........
Selina sat on her couch, laptop open, scrolling through job postings. Secretary roles, nanny positions, clerical work—anything that could keep her afloat. Each application she submitted felt like a small victory, but also a reminder of her vulnerability. Fired. Alone. Responsible for her own survival.
She paused, staring out the window at the city lights. I can do this, she whispered to herself. I have to. She typed quickly, fingers trembling slightly, determined to take control of the chaos that had erupted in her life that morning.
She called her best friend, Mia, her voice tight with worry. "I… I've been fired," she admitted. "And I don't know what to do. My dad… he's just…" Her voice cracked slightly, weighed down by frustration and worry.
......
Andre stared out the office window, the city sprawling beneath him. He didn't leave. He couldn't. The café encounter had sparked something inside him he didn't yet understand. Selina, tiny and defiant, had challenged him in a way no one else had. And for the first time in a long while, he wasn't sure how to respond.
Employees moved carefully around him, whispering behind their hands, stealing glances at the usually unshakable CEO who now seemed… different. Even his personal assistant lingered at a distance, wary of the tension radiating from him. The shift in his mood was subtle but palpable: fascination, irritation, curiosity, and perhaps something more that he wouldn't admit to anyone.
The evening deepened. Both Selina, in her small apartment, and Andre, in his vast office, felt the weight of the encounter differently—but undeniably. Pride, regret, fascination, and worry hung in the air, unresolved, electric, alive.