"You look nervous," Jason commented when he glanced at Yelena. They were on their way to Royal Group after passing through the reporters with much difficulty.
Yelena who was sitting in the backseat of the car blankly stared out of the car window. Then she slightly smiled at Jason's comment. "A bit. It's an unusual meeting." What's more, she hadn't seen Felix for weeks!
"Just try to think of it as a usual meeting which you attended often before. Don't think too much." Jason calmly advised her. He was sitting in the front seat with Alan who was driving.
Yelena didn't say anything but she still finds it hard to remain calm. Not thinking too much was impossible for her. Then in no time, they reached the Royal Group building and even there, there were still a few reporters. "Seems like they will have some articles to write again." She muttered and let out a sigh.
"It's fine as long as it's not negative news," Jason said with a light chuckle and turned to Yelena on the back. "Are you ready?"
Yelena took a deep breath and look at Jason. "Yes."
The next minute, they walked past the reporters who never stopped throwing questions at her. Yelena realized that being crowded by the reporters had become her daily routine and she had to live with it. However, it will be quite a hassle after she returned to the army!
When they reached the lobby of the building, it was Matthew who came to escort her to Felix's office. She heaved a sigh of relief when she saw a familiar face. "Matthew." She greeted him with a slight smile.
Matthew bowed when he stood in front of her. "My Lady." He greeted her. "His Highness has been waiting for you. I will take you to his office. This way." Yelena and Jason followed Matthew while Alan stayed behind.
The Captain never felt such a strong pressure in her life! She was nervous yet excited at the same time. It even made her wondered if Felix would feel the same as the way she felt now was so unfamiliar to her!
Meanwhile, Felix was not much different. He was walking back and forth in his office, nervously clenching his fingers. He was going to meet her again! After all those sufferings and incidents, depression and distance; they will finally meet again!
While he was glancing at his wristwatch repeatedly, the door to his office was knocked and his assistant walked inside, informing him that the Acting Chairwoman had arrived! Without saying anything, he darted his eyes to the door, hoping to not miss the first glimpse of her. Then he saw her walking inside with a familiar face. He identified the man as Vanessa Arista's right-hand man. He had seen him a few times before.
However, she was the one who caught all his attention. It's the first time he ever saw her in a business attire and he couldn't take his eyes off her yet he was still convinced that nothing can outshine her uniform. For a few seconds, he was in a daze, unable to utter anything!
He remained that way until the executive who leads the project in question came inside. "Your Highness." These two words snapped him out of his stupor and dragged him back to reality. Then he noticed that she was staring at him the whole time too, though she seemed to be more composed than him. It's so embarrassing!
"I apologize for that. Please have a seat." He ushered the two guests and the executive to the couch. This was harder than he thought! Then he recalled the time when she was carrying out a mission to protect him. Her self-control was remarkable and even now, she's still amazing in that field!
"Thank you for giving us your time, Your Highness. I heard how busy you are these days and we make the appointment quite late. It won't be easy to have this chance unless you prioritize us." It was Jason who took the initiative to thank the Prince as he noticed how Yelena was more than far from her normal self. Where did that confident young woman disappear?!
"Don't thank me. It's a great opportunity which rarely comes by because of the distance between our two countries. Other matter can wait." Felix formally said with a little smile.
"My mother advised me to talk about this project with you personally." Yelena finally spoke up and opened the files which Jason handed to her.
It had been a while since he watched her while she was talking and it warmed up the Prince's heart. Having some discussions on the ongoing project, the meeting goes on smoothly for almost half an hour. Then it was done.
The executive from Royal Group left as soon as the meeting was over. Understanding the situation, Jason also rose from his seat. "I will wait for you downstairs with Alan." Yelena only nodded and he walked out of the office.
Silence suddenly fell upon Felix's office as both of them struggled to speak up. After what seemed to be forever, Felix finally rose from his seat and like he often did whenever he welcomed her back, he stretched both his arms opened for her with a smile. "Time is too precious for us to waste in silence." He remarked.
Yelena glanced up at her fiance and saw the smile on his face. However, all the things they went through in the past few weeks resurfaced in her mind and that made her unwilling to smile.
"I'm still waiting." He reminded her that he was still stretching his arms for her. He understood how she feels now but... he wants to comfort her as she always did for him.
When Yelena recalled how he always put her at ease by his warm hug, she couldn't ignore it anymore. She rose from her seat and took a step towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck. The familiar scent and warmth; it calmed her down and gave her a sense of security. "I miss you." She muttered.
"You have changed so much, my love," Felix stated and a smile never left his face. She was the one who gave him back this smile and he wanted her to know that.
Yelena pulled back and quickly observed him. "Your face is so thin. Do you still neglect your meals?"
He shook his head. "I don't do that anymore. Instead, I trained quite hard, so that you won't call me a weakling anymore."
His response finally made her smile. "You take everything seriously." She said, shaking her head.
"I only do that to you because I believe that you won't lie to me," Felix said with a playful smile.
She laughed and closed the gap between them again. When she recalled the last time they met, she felt a stinging pain in her heart. "It feels so good to know that you are doing well. Your hands are also fine now."
"But I think you are the opposite. Many things happened during the past weeks, right?" He cautiously asked her.
Yelena didn't hesitate to nod her head. "I have many things to worry about. We will have more time from tomorrow evening. I will tell you everything when that time comes."
"Alright," Felix said, caressing the back of her head. "I'm strong enough now. So, you won't have to shoulder everything alone from now on. I can bear the burden with you."
Yelena chuckled and pulled back. "I can't wait to test that."
"Don't you believe me?" Felix said with a frown.
Yelena made him sit on the couch and she sat next to him. "When did I ever doubt you?"
"You're right." He nodded with a smile again.
"I also want to see your parents. I made them worried so much and I think I should make it up to them." Yelena said apologetically.
"Ever since they know that you're coming here, they can't wait to meet you. We can make arrangements as soon as you have time." Felix paused and holds Yelena's hands.
"You went through so much because of me and even your quiet life which you cherished is gone. Now, reporters are following you wherever you go and there are many articles about you each day. I understand how hard it would be, so I will promise you this." He said and rubbed the engagement ring on her finger with a little smile. "I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you."
"You better keep your promise." She promptly said, faking a stern voice.
He saw through her and slightly chuckled. "Don't worry. I'm a royal and I don't break my promise but... if you run away, that would be a different case." A playful smile was on his face and Yelena instantly frowned.
When will he stop talking about how she stood him up in Belden?! He never forgets and he never missed the chance to mention that!