Always You ✔

12 Chapter

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Sebrina’s P.O.V.

Sitting in my cabin, one thought kept running through my mind: I hate my job. No, seriously—hate it. If God exists, now would be the perfect time to send someone, anyone, to rescue me from this hellhole of bad decisions and worse relationships. Because if I have to witness one more minute of Austin and Valeria’s low-budget soap opera, I might actually gouge my eyes out.

From my desk, I could see them through the glass wall of Austin’s office. And yes, they were still at it. Oh great, they're in the middle of another episode of "Will They, Won't They (But They Definitely Shouldn’t)." My inner voice was screaming, please, for the love of all things holy, just stop. But nope, I couldn't escape until I finished rearranging the chaos that someone caused by canceling a project meeting. Thanks, Austin.

I attempted to focus on my work, but the sound of Valeria's shrill giggle pierced my soul. After what felt like a century, they finally left the office. Thank you, sweet baby Jesus. I exhaled deeply and dove into my work, relishing the silence.

Lunch rolled around, but because of Austin's brilliant decision to reschedule, I had to skip it. Just when I thought I could finally breathe, he strolled into my cabin—without knocking, as usual. Seriously, dude, boundaries?

"Why’d you skip lunch?" he asked, like a concerned mother who just caught her kid hiding broccoli under the table.

I mentally rolled my eyes. Because of you, obviously, Captain Clueless. Instead, I smiled sweetly. "Oh, just had to rearrange everything since someone canceled the project meeting," I said, dripping sarcasm like honey.

He blinked, clearly not picking up on my tone. "Right. Okay, let’s go."

I stared at him, baffled. "Go where?"

He sighed, as if I were the slow one here. "I don’t want you to starve to death. Let’s get food."

Well, how could I resist that heartfelt invitation? Oh wait, I totally could. But I grabbed my purse and followed him out the door anyway. We headed to my favorite restaurant. He held the door for me and even pulled out my chair like he was auditioning for The Bachelor. Wow, someone must've read a "How to be a Gentleman for Dummies" book.

A waiter appeared, and I ordered pasta, while Austin went for something suspiciously raw. As we waited, I could feel him staring at me.

"Why are you staring at me?" I finally asked, meeting his gaze.

He smirked, like he’d been waiting for the question. "Admiring beauty."

I choked on the water I was sipping. Oh please. I turned away to hide the grin creeping onto my face.

When the food arrived, I focused on eating to avoid conversation, but Austin apparently wasn’t done with his interrogation. "You didn’t tell me Ander was your boyfriend."

I froze mid-bite. Seriously? I narrowed my eyes at him. "Why would I? We’re not friends, remember?"

He leaned back, his eyebrows quirking up like I’d just solved a mystery. "So, you admit Ander was your boyfriend."

"Ex-boyfriend," I corrected him sharply.

"Funny, I never heard about you two. I thought you guys were just friends." Why was he digging into my past like it was the most interesting thing in the world?

I sighed, already exhausted by the conversation. "We didn’t exactly broadcast it. Only Nadia knew."

Austin hummed in response, clearly not satisfied. "So, why’d you ditch me yesterday and go to dinner with him?"

Oh, now we’re getting to the root of it. I raised an eyebrow. "Wait, are you mad I rejected your ride offer, or is this about seeing me with Ander?"

"Neither," he said coolly. "Just… curious."

Yeah, right. I decided to let it go, and we ate in relative silence. Once we finished, he insisted on paying the bill. Whatever, I wasn’t about to argue. As we walked back to the office, curiosity got the best of me.

"So, who’s she—girlfriend or fling?" I asked casually, though my eyes were already rolling internally.

He raised an eyebrow. "Why do you care?"

"I don't," I shot back, "but since I had to share my tragic love life, it’s only fair you tell me about your latest drama."

Austin leaned in closer, a smirk playing on his lips. "What? Interested in me now?"

I rolled my eyes so hard I was afraid they'd get stuck. "Please, you wish. I’m just curious. In college, you were always this nerdy guy, buried in your books. Now you're—well, whatever this is." I gestured to him vaguely.

He shrugged. "It’s a secret relationship. She’s a model, doesn’t want the scandal, and I agreed. We’re just dating. Nothing serious."

Of course she’s a model. I hummed noncommittally. "Well, good for you."

Once we got back to the office, I was about to finally finish my work when I remembered Mr. Kai wanted to see me. Just as I headed out, Austin stopped me again.

"Where are you going?" He asked, like some overly possessive detective.

I gave him a look. "Mr. Kai wanted to see me."

He frowned, clearly confused, then waved me off. Okay, Sherlock, let me do my job. I headed to Mr. Kai's office, knocked, and entered when he called me in.

"Ms. Flores," he greeted, "how’s the project going? Did Austin give permission to proceed?"

I stared at him, wondering why he didn’t just ask Austin directly. They’re brothers—do they even talk?

"He, uh, canceled the meeting," I said, feeling awkward.

Kai’s eyes narrowed. "Why?"

How do I explain this without mentioning Valeria’s PDA extravaganza? I cleared my throat. "He was busy… with a friend."

Kai gave me a knowing look. "You mean Valeria?"

I nodded, trying not to look too guilty. He asked, "Did you see anything suspicious? Anything… out of line?"

Oh god, did I? I mean, yeah, they were doing more than he probably imagined, but I wasn’t about to be the whistleblower.

"I didn’t see anything inappropriate," I lied, keeping my expression neutral. "And honestly, it’s not my place to comment on my boss’s personal life."

He nodded, seeming satisfied with my response, and dismissed me. Crisis averted. As I headed back to my desk, Austin intercepted me for the third time that day.

"So, what did Kai want?" He asked, his eyes narrowing.

Why don’t you ask him yourself, genius? I thought but kept it professional. "He just wanted to know about the project."

Austin nodded, but I could tell something was brewing beneath the surface. I didn’t stick around to find out what.

Something was definitely up. Both brothers were acting weird, and I was pretty sure it had everything to do with Valeria. Whatever they were hiding, it was big. And, judging by the tension in the air, I was about to get caught in the middle of it.

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Till then Adios mi amor<3