The Road Back to You

The morning after the accident, Violet arrived at the office despite her injury. She limped slightly, determined not to let the pain stop her. She had barely settled at her desk when Ethan stormed out of his office, his sharp gaze locking onto her.

"Violet. My office. Now."

The entire room went silent. Jade shot her a worried glance, while Maddie smirked from her desk. Violet let out a breath, pushing herself up and making her way to Ethan's office, her ankle protesting with every step.

As soon as she stepped inside, Ethan shut the door behind her with more force than necessary.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he turned to face her, arms crossed, his jaw clenched. 

"What?" Violet frowned. 

"You're injured, Violet! You should be home, resting. Not limping around the office like this."

"I can take care of myself. I don't need you to—" she folded her arms. 

"Sit down," he ordered, his voice low but firm.

"I'm fine, Ethan."

"Violet," he warned, stepping closer. His presence was overpowering, his eyes dark with frustration. "Sit. Down."

Something about the way he said it made her legs move on their own, and she sank into the chair. He let out a sharp breath, kneeling in front of her. Before she could protest, he gently lifted her injured foot and placed it on the edge of the table.

Her breath hitched. His touch was careful, his fingers barely grazing her skin as he examined the swelling.

"Does it still hurt?" his voice had softened, but the tension remained in his posture.

"It's nothing I can't handle," Violet swallowed. 

"That's not the point. You push yourself too hard, and you don't know when to stop," his jaw tightened. 

"Why do you even care? It's my life, Ethan. You don't get to control it," she scoffed, trying to mask the warmth creeping up her neck. 

"You think I don't know that?" he exhaled sharply, standing up, towering over her.

"You think I don't realize I shouldn't care? But I do. And it's driving me insane," his voice was quieter now, rougher. 

Her heart pounded. The space between them felt unbearably small. She gripped the arms of the chair, trying to steady herself. "Ethan…"

She tried to stand, to create distance, but as soon as she moved, he reached out. His hand caught her wrist, stopping her. She froze. His grip was gentle, but firm.

The air between them shifted.

Neither of them moved. Neither of them looked away. Her pulse was erratic, his breathing uneven.

"Why do you always do this?" he muttered, almost to himself. "Why do you make it so damn hard to stay away?"

Violet's lips parted, but no words came out. She didn't have an answer, because she was just as caught in whatever this was as he was.

Seconds stretched, the tension unbearable. Then, as if snapping back to reality, Ethan let go of her wrist and took a step back. His expression was unreadable, but something flickered in his eyes before he turned away. "Go home, Violet."

Her fingers curled into fists, fighting the whirlwind of emotions inside her. But she knew if she stayed any longer, she'd say something she wasn't ready to admit.

Without another word, she turned and walked out, her heart still racing from the moment that almost changed everything.

The morning after their heated encounter, the air between Ethan and Violet was noticeably different. Ethan, who had always been firm yet professional, seemed distant. He barely acknowledged her presence during the morning meeting, his usual sharp glances avoiding hers altogether. Violet, on the other hand, felt an unfamiliar irritation bubbling inside her. One moment he was scolding her for being reckless, acting as if he cared, and the next, he was completely indifferent.

Jade, ever the observant one, leaned against Violet's desk as she sorted through her sketches. "So, what exactly happened between you and the boss yesterday?" he asked with a knowing smirk.

Violet froze, her fingers halting over her pages.

"Nothing," she muttered too quickly.

Jade chuckled. "Yeah, sure. He looks like he's trying really hard not to look at you. And you…" he pointed at her with a pen, "are glaring at him like he personally ran over your childhood pet."

"I am not!" she whispered harshly, her eyes darting toward Ethan's office where he sat, focused on his laptop.

Jade merely raised an eyebrow, but before he could push further, Maddie strutted into the room, her heels clicking against the marble floor. "Oh, look who's still limping around," she said, eyeing Violet's injured ankle with a smirk. "Clumsy as ever, I see."

"I'm fine, thanks for your concern," Violet straightened in her chair, unwilling to let Maddie get under her skin. 

"Concern? Oh, sweetie, I just hope you don't bring down the whole project with your little accidents. We can't afford setbacks, you know," Maddie scoffed. Her voice was saccharine, but her eyes gleamed with malice.

Jade shifted uncomfortably, sensing the venom in Maddie's words. But before Violet could respond, Ethan's voice rang out across the office.

"Violet."

She turned, surprised to find him standing at his office door, his gaze sharp. "My office. Now."

Maddie's smirk widened as Violet shot her a glare before heading toward Ethan's office. She stepped inside, closing the door behind her.

"What is it?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Are you alright?" Ethan exhaled, running a hand through his hair before finally meeting her eyes. 

"What?" Violet blinked, caught off guard by the question. 

"After yesterday. Your ankle. And…" he hesitated, looking almost uncomfortable, "everything else."

Something in her chest tightened. So he wasn't completely indifferent.

"I'm fine," she said, her voice quieter now.

Ethan studied her for a moment before nodding. "Good." But as she turned to leave, his voice stopped her again. "And Violet… stay away from Maddie."

"What? Why?" she frowned. 

"Just do it," his jaw tightened. 

Violet searched his face, trying to decipher the meaning behind his warning, but he had already looked away, back to his laptop. With a frustrated sigh, she left his office, her mind spinning with questions.

One thing was certain; whatever was happening between them, neither of them could ignore it much longer.