His name was Nathaniel

51

Adaliya stepped out of the car in front of Nathaniel's sleek, modern penthouse building. They had just returned from the art exhibition, and Nathaniel had received a call about an urgent matter at work. He had to swing by the office, but promised it would only take a few minutes.

"You can head up without me. I'll be quick," he had said before getting back into the car, leaving Adaliya with the keys to his penthouse.

The elevator ride up was quiet, but her mind buzzed with thoughts. The day had been wonderful—Nathaniel had opened up to her more than he had before, sharing things about his family and their estranged relationships. There were still a few things she didn't know about him, but she felt they were slowly building something. Trust, maybe.

When she stepped into the penthouse, she was immediately greeted by the familiar spaciousness of his luxurious home. But something felt different this time.

As she walked deeper into the living area, she noticed something that made her pause. There were a few feminine belongings scattered around—makeup on the vanity, a silk scarf draped over the back of a chair, a designer purse on the kitchen counter. These definitely hadn't been here before.

Confusion settled in her stomach like a heavy weight. She took another step, hearing the faint sound of water running from the direction of the bathroom. Then, to her shock, she heard a female voice singing in the shower.

Adaliya's heart dropped. All of a sudden, everything felt wrong. A sickening thought crossed her mind—was Nathaniel seeing someone else?

Before she could even process what she was feeling, the bathroom door swung open. A woman, tall and elegant, stepped out, wearing only a bathrobe and toweling off her wet hair. She froze the moment she saw Adaliya standing in the living room, her eyes widening slightly in surprise.

"Oh," the woman said, a smile playing on her lips as she surveyed Adaliya. "I didn't realize Nathaniel had company."

Adaliya felt her throat tighten. Her heart raced as a wave of hurt and confusion crashed over her. "I'm sorry, who are you?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady but failing to hide the tremor.

The woman chuckled lightly. "I'm Violet," she said casually, as if that explained everything. She walked further into the room, picking up her scarf and tossing it over her shoulder. "I wouldn't have come over if I knew Nathaniel had somebody over."

The way she spoke, so casually and at ease in Nathaniel's home, sent a stab of jealousy through Adaliya. Was this woman... involved with him? Her chest tightened painfully. Had she been wrong about everything? The time they spent together, the things he had shared—had it all been just some kind of game to him?

"Are you... are you staying here?" Adaliya asked, her voice barely a whisper now, but the weight of her question hung heavy in the air.

Violet raised an eyebrow, seemingly amused by Adaliya's discomfort. "I come by from time to time," she said vaguely, adding to Adaliya's torment. "It's nothing new."

Adaliya felt the ground shift beneath her. She couldn't breathe. The thought that Nathaniel had another woman—this woman—so comfortable in his space made her want to run out of the penthouse and never look back. The pieces clicked into place, and she felt stupid for not seeing it earlier. Her chest burned with a mixture of anger and heartbreak.

As she took a step toward the door, the penthouse elevator dinged, signaling Nathaniel's return. He stepped inside, his face lighting up when he saw Adaliya, but his expression quickly shifted to one of confusion when he saw the tension in the room.

His eyes flicked from Adaliya's distressed face to Violet, standing nonchalantly in the middle of the room.

"Adaliya, what's going on?" Nathaniel asked, stepping closer to her, his voice laced with concern.

Adaliya looked at him, her eyes swimming with unshed tears. "Nathaniel... who is she?" Her voice cracked, betraying her emotions. "Why is she here?"

Nathaniel's heart sank as he realized what must have happened. "Wait, you think...?" He glanced at Violet, who was standing off to the side with an amused expression oblivious to Adaliyas inner turmoil. "Adaliya, this isn't what you think. Violet is my cousin."

Adaliya blinked, confused. "Cousin?"

"Yes, my aunts daughter," Nathaniel clarified, his voice urgent, his hands reaching out to gently hold her arms, as if afraid she would bolt at any moment. "Sometimes she comes to visit me for the weekends. I swear, there's nothing going on here. You're the only one I—" He stopped himself, his words stumbling over the intensity of his feelings.

Adaliya's breath hitched as the realization sank in, but the embarrassment of her assumption left her feeling hollow and unsure. "I... I thought—"

"I know what it must've looked like," Nathaniel said quickly, his grip on her arms tightening slightly, his tone soft and pleading. "But trust me, I would never do that to you. Please don't leave."

Violet, sensing the tension, finally decided to intervene, smirking at her cousin. "Wow, Nathaniel. You really know how to stir up drama, don't you?" She glanced at Adaliya, her tone lighter now. "Sorry for the confusion. I should've introduced myself properly. But yeah, I'm just family. Promise."

Adaliya let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, her emotions slowly starting to settle. She felt a bit ridiculous now, standing there with tears threatening to spill over, but she couldn't shake the hurt she had felt just moments ago.

"I... I'm sorry," Adaliya muttered, pulling away slightly, still feeling overwhelmed.

Nathaniel shook his head, his eyes filled with relief. "No, you have nothing to apologize for. I should've told you about Violet sometimes coming here unannounced." Nathaniel said slightly glaring at his cousin Violet, "I'm just glad you didn't leave." He adds

The awkwardness hung in the air for a few more seconds before Nathaniel's personal chef appeared from the kitchen, announcing that dinner was ready.

"Well, this should be interesting," Violet quipped, flashing a playful grin as she made her way toward the dining area. "I'll let you two lovebirds sort this out. I'm starving."

Nathaniel rolled his eyes at his cousin but turned his focus back to Adaliya. "Are you okay? We can talk more later if you need to."

Adaliya nodded, still a bit shaken but feeling the tension between them easing. "No, I'm fine. Let's just... eat. I'm starving too."

They walked into the dining room together, and as the evening unfolded, Adaliya found herself relaxing more. The three of them shared dinner, the awkwardness slowly fading as Violet told amusing stories from their time at college together. Nathaniel, still a little on edge, kept glancing at Adaliya, relieved that the misunderstanding had been cleared up.

But as they finished their meal, Adaliya couldn't help but replay the events of the day in her mind. Despite Nathaniel's reassurances, a small part of her still felt vulnerable. This world of his, with its wealth, family dynamics, and ever-present complications, was so different from hers. Could she truly belong here? And more importantly, where did they stand now?