Secretly The Nrillionaire Boss

Secret Love

The cool night air greeted Eric as he stepped out of Lisa’s house, the sounds of laughter and music fading behind him. His heart pounded in his chest, but his face remained emotionless. He didn’t want to show it. Not now. Not after seeing her like that, on Oliver’s lap. The image of Lisa, smiling and laughing with him, played on repeat in his mind, but Eric forced himself to swallow the lump in his throat.

He glanced down at the small gift still clutched in his hand. It was wrapped in simple brown paper, a delicate necklace inside a gift he had saved for, worked for, dreamed of giving to her.

And now, it felt meaningless. But despite the hurt, something inside him refused to give up completely. Maybe she didn’t mean it. Maybe she had been drunk or caught up in the party. Maybe… maybe he still mattered to her.

“I need to give her time,” Eric said.

With a resigned sigh, Eric turned and walked down the road, the sound of his footsteps lost in the stillness of the evening. He didn’t go far. A few blocks away was a small coffee shop where he often went to clear his head.

Nora, a close friend of his, worked there. She’d been a good friend for years, ever since they met through Lisa. Nora and Lisa were both classmates at university, but Nora had always seemed different quieter, more grounded. She’d always been kind to him, though he’d never thought much about it.

Nora is curvy in shape, bright blue eyes, decent looking, and a warm smile.

As Eric approached the shop, the soft glow of the lights from inside cast a warm halo over the sidewalk. He pushed open the door, the familiar smell of fresh coffee and baked goods washing over him.

The shop was mostly empty, except for a couple seated near the window, engrossed in conversation. Behind the counter, Nora was busy cleaning, her dark hair pulled back into a messy bun. When she looked up and saw him, her face lit up with a smile.

Nora quickly finished.

“Eric! What a surprise,” she called out, wiping her hands on her apron as she stepped toward him.

Nora left the counter, and went welcome Eric as usual but as she drew closer, her smile faltered. “Hey… are you okay?”

Eric forced a weak smile. “Yeah. Just… long day.”

Eric wiped his eyes, in pretense.

Nora raised an eyebrow, not buying it. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” She gestured toward a booth in the corner.

“I hope, I am not distracting you, I…. I don’t want trouble from your manager, or get you fired,” Eric asked.

“Come on relax, sit. I’m taking a break anyway.” Nora replied.

Eric followed her to the booth, sinking into the worn leather seat with a sigh. He placed the small, wrapped gift on the table in front of him, staring at it for a moment as if it held all the answers to the questions swirling in his mind.

Lisa party flashes through his mind.

Nora slid into the seat across from him, watching him closely. “What happened?” she asked gently, her voice full of concern.

Nora placed her hands on his noticing his mood.

Eric hesitated, his fingers tracing the edge of the gift.

“It’s Lisa’s birthday,” he started, his voice low.

“I... I saved up, bought her this.” He gestured to the gift.

“But when I got to her place… she was throwing this huge party. She didn’t tell me about it.”

Nora frowned. “That’s strange. She didn’t mention it to you at all?”

Eric shook his head. “No. And when I got there…” He trailed off, his throat tightening as the memory flashed in his mind. “She was with a guy named Oliver.”

“From what she said, Oliver threw the party for her, as a gift from a friend,” eric muttered.

“I felt ashamed,” eric said.

Nora’s eyes widened, and her lips parted in shock. “Oliver? As in Oliver?”

“Do you know him?” Eric asked.

“Yeah,” Nora admitted.

“He is one of the rich kid’s from our school, I don’t know much or where he is from, everyone knows him as Oliver” Nora said.

“Oh.. I see,” Eric blunted.

Eric buried his head.

“What happened?” Nora asked.

Eric nodded, his jaw clenched. “She was sitting on his lap, laughing with him. Like I didn’t even exist.”

Nora’s face softened with sympathy as she reached across the table, resting her hand on his. “Eric, I’m so sorry. That’s... awful. You didn’t deserve that.”

He stared down at her hand, taking comfort in the warmth of her touch. “I don’t know what to think,” he said quietly.

“Maybe she was drunk, maybe she didn’t mean it. I mean… we’ve been together for years. She wouldn’t just... throw that away, right?” Eric questioned.

Nora bit her lip, looking like she wanted to say something but holding back. Instead, she asked, “What about work? How was your day before... everything?”

Nora changed the topic, holding back what she wanted to say.

Eric sighed, leaning back in his seat. “Same as always. Mrs. Rodriguez gave me hell about the flowers again. She’s always so… cruel, like she enjoys making me feel small.”

“I am just tired,” Eric blunted.

Nora frowned. “She’s always been that way. But why do you keep working there? It sounds miserable.”

Eric shrugged. “I need the money. And every time I talk to her, it’s strange… It’s like I know her from somewhere, like there’s something familiar about her, but I can’t put my finger on it.”

Eric fidgeted with the gift in his hands.

Nora’s gaze sharpened, but before she could respond, Eric’s phone buzzed on the table. He glanced at the screen. It was a text from Lisa:

Where are you?

His heart twisted as he stared at the message, his thumb hovering over the screen. For a moment, he considered responding. Maybe she wanted to apologize. Maybe there was a reasonable explanation for everything. But then, the image of her with Oliver flashed in his mind again, and his thumb slowly moved away from the phone.

“Let me guess Lisa?” Nora asked, considering the way Eric looked at his phone.

He placed it back on the table, face down. “I’m not answering,” he muttered.

Nora hesitated, glancing between him and the phone, a flicker of conflict passing across her face. She shifted in her seat, clearly debating whether or not to say what was on her mind. Finally, she broke the silence. “Eric, there’s something you should know... about Lisa.”

He looked up, confused. “What do you mean?”

Nora’s eyes darted away for a moment, and when she met his gaze again, she looked almost guilty. “I didn’t want to say anything, but... Lisa’s been hanging around with a lot of guys at school. More than just Oliver.”

Eric’s chest tightened. “What are you saying?”

Nora swallowed hard, her voice quiet but firm. “I don’t think Lisa’s been completely honest with you. I’ve seen her with different guys. She flirts with them, spends time with them...”

Eric shook his head, disbelief washing over him. “No. Lisa wouldn’t do that.”

“I’m not saying she’s been... unfaithful,” Nora said carefully, though her eyes suggested otherwise.

She continued “But she hasn’t been acting like someone who’s in a committed relationship, Eric. I thought you should know.”

“What?! I can’t believe you can say such a thing about your friend? I am disappointed,” Eric said.

Eric’s mind spun, struggling to process what Nora was saying. Could it really be true? Was Lisa capable of hiding something like that from him? He wanted to believe it was all a misunderstanding, but the doubts were already creeping in.

“I don’t know what to believe anymore,” Eric said quietly, staring down at the untouched gift on the table.

Nora’s expression softened, and she squeezed his hand gently. “I’m sorry if I offended you but I thought you deserve better than this, Eric. You’re a good guy. Don’t let her make you feel like you’re not enough.”

He looked up at her, his heart heavy with a mixture of pain and gratitude. Nora had always been there, quietly supporting him from the sidelines, but tonight, it felt different. There was something in the way she looked at him something deeper, more meaningful than just friendship.

For a moment, Eric wondered if he had been blind to the truth all along. Not just about Lisa, but about the people in his life who truly cared about him.

As he looked into Nora’s eyes, he felt a warmth that he hadn’t felt in a long time a warmth that came from knowing that, no matter what happened with Lisa, he wasn’t alone.

But just as the moment stretched between them, his phone buzzed again.

Lisa: “Please, Eric, where are you?”

Nora glanced at the phone, her expression unreadable. “Are you going to answer her?” she asked quietly.

Eric hesitated, his hand hovering over the phone. But then, with a deep breath, he shook his head and pushed the phone aside. “No. Not tonight.”

Nora nodded, her gaze softening as she leaned in slightly. “You deserve better, Eric. Don’t forget that.”

Nora reached for a kiss as the moment lingered.