"Oh, Drea! It's so good to see you after so many days!" Atlas exclaimed the moment I entered the kitchen on Monday.

"It's been just two days, Atlas." I reminded chuckling softly. Sometimes he becomes quite dramatic but he is sweet.

He handed my apron to me. "Oh, come on, even a day without you feels like a month."

He does know how to make me blush.

He grinned mischievously on seeing me blush. "Aww." He teased. "You are so cute that that much is not even good for my heart."

God!

I blushed even harder on that.

A thought crossed my mind. Does he...like me?

Bold of you to assume that. My inner voice was quick to remind me.

Yeah, right.

Choosing not to reply to him, I busied myself with preparing a cup of iced latte for one of the customers.

Half way through preparing it, curiousity got the best of me and I finally asked him, "You have a girlfriend?"

"Nope", he said popping the letter 'p'.

"Oh, why though...? If you don't mind telling..."

He took out a fresh batch of cookies from the oven and placed them on the countertop. "I did have a girlfriend. I actually had two-three girlfriends but it never worked even though they all were good."

I liked how he didn't say anything bad about his exes.

"What about you?"

His question caught me off guard. I didn't want him to know that I was married especially to Sorin Zaveri. I just didn't want anyone to know that I don't know why but I didn't like lying to him either.

"I...I don't know..." I gave a sheepish reply and started to prepare another coffee after handing that one to one of the waiters.

He took a bite of the fresh cookies to taste them. "What do you mean you don't know?"

"I would say I am single..." I lied at last.

"Glad to hear that." He mumbled underneath his breath and I somehow managed to hear it.

Maybe I heard it wrong or maybe...he really said that...in any case I didn't comment on it.

.
.

The rest of the day passed in blur and soon it was evening and close to the closing time of the cafe.

"Hey, Drea?" Atlas called to me as he walked inside the kitchen. "You should go home now, it's getting late and we don't have any more customers so I am closing now."

"Oh, okay--" But we heard the doorbell chime indicating the arrival of a new customer.

Atlas smiled at me sheepishly. "Guess we have one last customer. Why don't you go take their order while I wind up here?"

I nodded. "Sure."

Taking the notepad and the pen, I walked out and saw a man sitting on the table near the ceiling to floor glass window, staring out as it was gently drizzling.

"Hello." I greeted him, my eyes fixed on the notepad, ready to take his order. "What would you like--"

"What the fuck are you doing here?!" He hissed making my eyes go wide when I recognised that voice. And the pen dropped from my hand.

Slowly I lifted my head and my eyes collided with Sorin's angry ones. His jaw clenched as he slowly eyed my apron and the notepad in my hand.

What the fuck?! Why is he here? I thought being a billionaire he would go to some high end cafe, not a small one near his house.

I opened my mouth to say something but my tongue was tied so I just closed it again.

Pushing back his chair, he got up, fixing me with a glare.

"So you have been working here this whole time while lying to me?" He gritted his teeth.

"I never lied to you." I whispered, looking at the floor.

"Of course you didn't cause you always said that you were at the cafe without specifying doing what exactly."

Why is he angry? I didn't do anything wrong? In any way, I am just saving his money.

Maybe because now that almost everyone knows that I am his wife, he will get embarrassed if anyone sees me working as a waitress here.

"Y-ou don't need...to be an-angry..." His anger was not a good sight.

He opened his mouth to say something but he didn't, instead his eyes narrowed on something or rather someone behind me and a second later, I felt Atlas wrap his arm around my shoulder pulling me a little closer to him.

"Everything alright, Drea?" He asked me in the softest tone possible.

Sorin's eyes narrowed even more on the way his hand was around my shoulder protectively.

"Who are you?" Sorin directed his question at him, not looking pleased at all.

Atlas didn't look scared of him instead he said in a challenging tone, "I'm the owner of the cafe. Who are you?"

Sorin folded his arms across his chest and cocked his head. "Who am I? I'm Sorin Zaveri."

Um...does Atlas doesn't know who exactly he is or he is just acting cause he said very casually, "Well, Mr Zaveri...you are scaring my friend. And that's not a way to talk to a worker."

Sorin's fists clenched. "That's my wife! Remove your hand from her!"

Oh God! Did he just call me his wife? Didn't he tell me that I am not his wife?

What's going on?

And why doesn't Atlas look shocked by this information? I mean I told him I was single but he didn't react on Sorin calling me his wife. As if...he already knew about this.

"And she is my friend." Atlas stated. "And shouldn't you treat your wife with more respect and love?"

Sorin took a threatening step towards him. "Don't teach me how to treat her."

I knew that if this goes on for another minute, it's going to get more serious. And I don't want either of them to get hurt.

"Atlas", I whispered softly grabbing his attention. "Please. Stop. I can handle him." No, you can't. Shut up!

Atlas looked down at me. "I hate to say this to you, Drea but..." He then looked up and while glaring at Sorin continued, "your husband is an asshole."

And Sorin almost snapped, he took a step closer and was about to grab Atlas's collar but I quickly grabbed his forearm stopping him. "Please, don't."

His eyes shifted to me, surprise evident in them as they scanned my pleading face. And for a second, his features softened, gone was the hardness in his eyes, his lips parting slightly.

And then realisation hit him and his jaw clenched once again. And he was once again back to glaring at Atlas but Atlas didn't look the slightest bit of bothered by it, instead he matched his glare with his own.

And their staring competition went on for a whole damn minute, neither of them backing down. Not even blinking.

"Please, stop it." I finally raised my voice, breaking their contest.

But Sorin being Sorin glared at him for another few seconds before saying to me sharply, "You are coming home with me."

I gulped. "Okay."

Atlas caught my wrist stopping me and gently ran his hand over my head. "If you need me, just give me a call."

I nodded. "Sure."

Since Sorin was still standing there, shooting daggers at Atlas, I bid him goodbye and followed Sorin out of the cafe.

I was baffled when Sorin just started to walk towards the direction of his house instead of taking a car, an umbrella held over his head.

I took long strides so that I was walking beside him and was under the umbrella. "W-where's your...car?"

"I walked till here", he said coldly.

"Oh."

We walked in silence, a tense one.

Then suddenly, a car whizzed past me almost startling me that my body involuntarily pressed closer to his side making him pause and look down at me.

"Sorry." I mumbled and shifted away.

And without any word, Sorin switched places with me so that now he was the one walking next to the road.

For whatever reason he did that, it made my heart warm with love for him and the urge to hug him tightly overwhelmed me but I pushed it away.

Walking under an umbrella with Sorin was something I never imagined would happen. Even though I was very flustered but I was secretly enjoying it.

Unfortunately, that beautiful moment came to an end when we reached his house and stopping at the front door, he gestured me to go inside and he followed me in a moment later.

"Go, wait for me in the living room." He ordered.

Slowly nodding, I did what he said and went and sat on the couch.

He came a few minutes later after changing his clothes into a fitted white t shirt and grey sweatpants and took a seat opposite to me on the single couch, placing his left ankle over his right knee.

"Why didn't you tell me about working in the cafe?" First question.

"I...um... didn't think...it was important..."

He folded his arms. "Why?"

What? Has he gone mad? He used to ignore me completely and hated me (which he still does) so why would I tell him about everything? He didn't care!

"I don't need to tell you everything." I snapped much to my surprise, actually both of us.

He was silent for some time and then took a deep breath. "Yes, you don't. But when I asked you about your absence all these days, at least you could have told me the truth."

"I thought...you... wouldn't like me working there..."

He scratched his stubble with his index finger. "Yes, I don't like you working there." He confirmed firmly and my heart dropped. He is going to not allow me to work there anymore. It was my happy place. "But that's completely your choice. You can work where ever you want, just don't lie to me again."

I finally made eye contact with him. "R-really?"

"Yes."

"Thank you!" I almost shouted with relief and his eyes twinkled with amusement.

"But I have a question." He spoke as he rubbed his thumb over his bottom lip which was quite distracting.

"Yes?"

"Is there any particular reason why you need money? Do you need to buy something...?"

"Ah...well...I..."

Leaning forward, he removed his leg from over the other and resting his forearms on his thighs, intertwined his fingers. "Do you need anything?"

I looked here and there not knowing how to tell him that I want to resume my studies. It doesn't feel right...I shouldn't burden him with my problems.

"I'm waiting..." He reminded when I didn't say anything.

"Um...I just want to... continue my studies..."

"What were you studying?"

"Law." I stated firmly.

Maybe I imagined it but for a second he looked quite impressed on hearing that.

"Why did you stopped your studies?"

"If you don't mind sharing." He added.

"My dad...he was...in debt and that's why he stopped my studies..."

He slowly nodded, processing all the information and then stood up. "Very well. You are going back to college. And don't worry about the money."

Chapter completion on: 30/4/22
Published on: 12/5/22