Last Elysium

A new flame

The air intertwined with the fragrance of blooming flowers that seemed to dance in the morning breeze. As the sun ascended, its golden fingers brushed the world with a tender embrace, casting a radiant glow upon everything it touched.

The sound of the car engine suppressed the deafening silence inside the vehicle, Damien's gaze was fixated on the road ahead, his hand was firmly holding the steering wheel while the other was on the gear lever. Y/n glanced at him before looking away and stared out the car window. The streets are busy at this time of the day. Many locals are walking around, and the majority of people are office workers, this city is known as a great place to establish a business. Many high-rise buildings surround this city and many wealthy business individuals live here, and this place is also famous for its nightlife.

Damien's voice interrupted you and you turned your head towards his direction and he had a smile plastered on his face before he spoke. "Enjoying the view, eh?", he asked and you slightly nodded. After a while, he turned off the engine and stepped out of the car. You followed him from behind and you were surprised to see a restaurant. He walked ahead of you and held the door open before gesturing for you to enter first. "Ladies first", he said briefly. Y/n entered the place and was dazzled by the interior of the restaurant. It had a modern yet elegant style, and the tables and chairs were perfectly arranged. A huge chandelier was attached to the ceiling and it was dangling at the center of the place. You could hear the faint mellow music playing in the background, the staff were cordial towards their customers with ceaseless smiles on their faces. It had a tranquil ambiance and the appetizing smell of the food from the kitchen filled your nostrils which made you starve already. The people inside are very stylish, and they turn their attention to you with their scrutinizing stares. You looked away and felt as if you were being judged to the core, you almost thought that your outfit was tacky for them but you decided to ignore them.

The staff escorted the both of you to your designated table, Damien pulled out a chair for you and you gave him a smile to acknowledge his chivalrous behavior. The waiter approached you and placed the menu on the table. Y/n picked it up and read the vast selection of cuisines indicated on the menu. You placed the menu down and told the waiter about your order and Damien did the same thing, the man wrote down every detail on his notepad before he took the menu and left your table to prepare your food. You sighed softly and your gaze fell upon Damien. He was adjusting the sleeve of his suit and you couldn't help but stare at him in awe, you flushed a bit as he locked his eyes with yours. A smirk could be seen across his face, and the way he acted towards you gave off a nostalgic feeling just like how Adrian treated you in the past but you decided to ignore those thoughts and focus on the present.

Y/n looked back at Damien and stared at each other before he spoke as he gently put his hand on top of yours. "Do you like this place so far?", he asked waiting for your response. "I-uh...I like it, very much, this place is great", you stuttered a bit after you snapped back out of your trance and you gave him a timid smile. "Glad to hear that, anyway I like the way you're looking right now, and I almost forgot, I hope you enjoyed your time with me last night", he added with a hint of playful tone in his voice and you blushed at his remark. "Uh...I did...q-quite enjoy it", you said in a hushed tone but he heard it. "Did I hear it right? You liked it?", he asked again. Y/n nodded slightly and he chuckled as he saw your reaction. The food soon arrived and he thanked the waiter, he grabbed the cutlery and you did the same, you both started to eat while continuing the conversation. Damien noticed that you're starting to feel comfortable around him and he seemed proud of himself. You finished up your plate as you took a napkin and wiped the corners of your mouth, your lipstick stained the napkin a bit, your husband was staring at you, and he couldn't help but admire your beauty. You looked tempting and he wanted to kiss you right now but he stopped himself and continued eating, you put down the napkin and got up to excuse yourself to the bathroom.

You asked one of the staff for the location of the restroom, and the woman guided you before leaving you alone. You entered a cubicle and finished your business before you stepped out and looked into the mirror while washing your hands then dried your hands afterward. You retouched your makeup and fixed your hair. Upon exiting the restroom, you noticed a familiar face from the crowd, you recognized the person as Michael and gasped in surprise when you realized that he was with someone. Michael and Clara were also at the restaurant, they seemed to be absorbed in their conversation, and a serious expression was painted on their faces as they both sat there across from each other. Having a casual lunch at this fancy restaurant, they hadn't noticed you just yet and you decided to avoid them and returned to your seat, Damien noticed you and asked. "Are you alright? You looked pale as if you've just seen a ghost", he said with concern in his tone. You smiled at him and responded. "Yeah, I'm fine don't worry", you dismissed it by reassuring him and he stopped asking further, he paid the bills and he got up before extending his hand for you to take. You took his hand as the both of you left the establishment, you glanced back at the restaurant and saw that the both of them were still talking to each other in a serious manner.

You entered the car and sat down before closing the door behind you, sighing softly as you leaned against your seat while thinking. "What was that about? Why are they together? And for goodness sake, why does it have to be Clara and Michael out of all people?", you asked yourself, a flood of thoughts coursing through your mind as you tried to understand the situation, you seemed lost at that moment as Damien started the car and drove away not paying attention to you at the moment as he focused on the road ahead of him.