Days passed.
And something changed again.
But this time—
It wasn't distance.
It was closeness.
Quiet.
Careful.
But real.
Then—
One evening—
"Lina."
She turned.
"…Yes?"
"Stay."
Her heart skipped.
Again.
That same word.
That same moment.
But this time—
No interruptions.
The office was empty.
Still.
Adrian walked toward her.
Step by step.
Until—
There was no distance left.
"I've been… inefficient," he said.
Lina blinked.
"…That's a new one."
"I tried to create distance."
"I noticed."
"It didn't work."
A pause.
Then—
"Because of you."
Her breath caught.
"I don't act like this," Adrian continued. "I don't… feel like this."
His voice was steady.
But his eyes—
Were different.
"I considered every reason this shouldn't happen."
"And?"
"…None of them mattered."
Silence.
Soft.
Heavy.
Real.
"…Lina," he said quietly.
And for the first time—
There was no title.
No "Miss Reyes."
Just her name.
"I like you."
Simple.
Direct.
Honest.
Her heart pounded.
"I don't know how to do this properly," he admitted.
"But I know this much—"
He stepped closer.
Just slightly.
"I don't want distance anymore."
Lina stared at him.
Processing.
Feeling.
Understanding.
And then—
Slowly—
She smiled.
Soft.
Warm.
But still strong.
"…You're really bad at this," she said gently.
"I know."
She took a small step forward.
Closing the space between them.
"But…" she added,
"I like you too."
And just like that—
Everything changed.