The Email [Yandere Boss x Reader]

Chapter 39 - The Name

The clack of keyboards and the low hum of conversation filled the air as I sat in the conference room, my pen poised over my notebook. Hayes was at the head of the table, exuding his usual calm authority. 

A slideshow flickered on the screen behind him, but my mind was only half on the presentation. Instead, I was mentally replaying the events from the previous night, my embarrassment still fresh and gnawing at me.

Why had I let myself get so comfortable around him?

Why did I let him get so close?

I shook my head slightly, trying to focus as Hayes continued talking about the latest project. His voice was steady, clear, and entirely professional, but I couldn't help but sense an undercurrent of something else—a tension between us that hadn't been there before. 

Was it just me? 

Or did he feel it too?

I forced my attention back to the task at hand, scribbling down notes as Hayes outlined the next steps. I had taken notes for his meetings dozens of times, but today, every word felt heavier, weighed down by the unresolved emotions hanging between us.

Julian, one of Hayes' oldest friends and business partners, sat across from me. He had joined us for this meeting, chiming in now and then with input. Unlike Hayes, who was always composed and professional, Julian had a laid-back, approachable vibe.

He wore a crooked grin most of the time, like he was in on a joke no one else knew about.

As the meeting wrapped up and the team began to filter out, Julian leaned back in his chair and struck up a conversation with me.

"You're pretty good at this note-taking thing, huh?" Julian said, his voice friendly, with a hint of playful sarcasm.

I smiled, grateful for the distraction.

"I've had a lot of practice."

He chuckled.

"Well, with Elliot running things, I'm sure you've got your hands full."

I blinked. "I'm sorry, Elliot?"

Julian tilted his head, looking slightly confused before a knowing grin spread across his face.

"Oh, right. You probably only know him as Hayes. His first name's actually Elliot, but no one really calls him that anymore. At least, not outside of close circles."

My mind stumbled over the information.

Elliot?

The name felt foreign, wrong almost. Hayes had always been Hayes to me—cold, controlled, unreadable. I hadn't even thought to wonder if that was his first or last name.

My heart thudded in my chest, and I felt the weight of a gaze burning into me. Slowly, I glanced up to see Hayes—Elliot—watching us from across the room. His eyes were sharp, unreadable, and locked onto mine with an intensity that made my stomach flip. I hadn't realized just how deeply he could unsettle me with a single look.

"Oh, God," I thought, my internal dialogue racing. "He heard that."

Julian seemed completely oblivious to the sudden shift in the air and continued talking.

"Yeah, back in college we all called him Elliot. But somewhere along the line, he decided 'Hayes' sounded more 'business-like,' I guess. Always had to be a little extra, that one."

He laughed as if sharing an old joke, but all I could do was nod absently. My attention was glued to Hayes. His expression hadn't changed, but the look in his eyes was more than enough to send a shiver down my spine.

There was something dangerously guarded about him in that moment, as if a line had just been crossed.

Had I crossed it?

Had Julian crossed it?

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my composure.

Why had he never told me?

The thought tumbled through my mind, leaving me unsteady. I wasn't sure why it bothered me so much—people had different names or nicknames all the time. It was common. But for some reason, knowing that there was a name behind the carefully constructed image of "Hayes" made me feel like I had glimpsed something more personal, more private than I was supposed to.

And the way he was looking at me now made it clear that I had seen too much.

"I—uh," I stammered, my voice betraying my nerves, "I didn't know that."

Julian laughed, completely unaware of the tension hanging in the room like a storm cloud.

"Yeah, he doesn't like to broadcast it. Don't take it personally. He's been Hayes for so long, I think even he forgets sometimes."

"Right," I managed to say, my throat suddenly dry.

I forced myself to tear my gaze away from Hayes and focus on the conversation with Julian, but it felt like trying to ignore a roaring fire in the corner of the room. I could still feel him watching me, the weight of his presence pressing down on me like gravity.

The room seemed to shrink, the air thickening between us. My thoughts raced, trying to figure out if I had somehow broken some unspoken rule.

Why did he look so... angry?

Was it because I knew his real name now?

Suddenly, Julian stood up, stretching.

"Well, I better get going. Don't want to keep the boss man waiting." He threw a wink in Hayes' direction, completely unfazed by the tension.

"Catch you later."

I managed a weak smile as Julian exited, leaving me alone with Hayes.

For a long moment, the silence was deafening. I could hear my pulse in my ears, the echo of Julian's light-hearted comments fading into the background.

Finally, I dared to glance up at Hayes—Elliot. His gaze hadn't wavered. He was still standing there, arms crossed, his eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made it hard to breathe.

I opened my mouth to say something—anything to break the silence—but no words came out. The look in his eyes told me that whatever I said wouldn't matter anyway. He wasn't angry exactly. It was something more complicated than that.

"Elliot," I whispered his name in my head, trying to make sense of how it fit with the man I knew—or thought I knew.

"You seemed surprised," he finally said, his voice low but steady, cutting through the silence like a blade.

"I—I didn't know," I stammered, feeling foolish for how flustered I was. "Julian just—"

"It's fine," he cut me off, but the edge in his tone suggested otherwise. "It's just a name."

But it wasn't just a name. It felt like a key to a door I wasn't supposed to open.

"I didn't mean—" I started, but stopped when he moved closer, his gaze never leaving mine.

"Don't overthink it," he said, his voice softening just a fraction. "What's done is done."

I nodded, feeling like I had somehow crossed an invisible line. The atmosphere between us was thicker now, more charged than it had ever been. And as much as I wanted to retreat back into the safety of our usual dynamic, something told me that after today, things would never be quite the same.

As Hayes—no, Elliot—turned and walked away, I was left sitting there, my mind spinning with questions I didn't have the courage to ask.