Chapter 12
Crossed Hearts
Elias Matthews sat alone in his penthouse office, the skyline of New York shimmering beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. The city buzzed with life below, but Eliasâs mind was far from the corporate empire he ruled. Instead, it was consumed by a single name: Arjun Patel.
Elias leaned back in his chair, letting his eyes drift shut as he rubbed his temples. What is it about him? He asked himself for what felt like the hundredth time. He was no stranger to attraction. He had been with people beforeâcharismatic, beautiful, intelligent individualsâbut none of them had ever unsettled him the way Arjun did.
At first, he had dismissed it as a passing fascination. After all, Arjun wasnât like anyone Elias had ever met. There was a softness to him, a warmth that made people naturally gravitate toward him. And then there were the moments of unintentional clumsiness that had Elias torn between amusement and an overwhelming desire to protect him from the world. From the moment heâd seen Arjun standing outside his motherâs hospital room, defiantly demanding an apology, Elias had been struck by his fire and vulnerability.
Vulnerability... The thought made Eliasâs chest tighten. It wasnât just Arjunâs strength that drew him in; it was the moments where he saw past the confident exterior, glimpsing the insecurity and hesitation beneath. Elias had always been drawn to perfection, to control, to people who exuded confidence and certainty. But with Arjun, it was different. He wasnât perfectâhe was messy and unpredictable, and it drove Elias to the brink of frustration.
And yet, he couldnât stop thinking about him.
Elias stood abruptly, pacing the length of his office. His long strides echoed in the quiet room as he tried to make sense of his feelings. He remembered the way Arjun had smiled at his mother, the way he had charmed his entire family without even trying. Lucas adored him, Sophia treated him like a trusted confidant, and even Graceâhis sharp-eyed, no-nonsense motherâhad softened under Arjunâs care.
But it wasnât just his family. Elias had seen the way people in the hospital gravitated toward Arjun. He was like a magnet, drawing people in with his kindness and genuine warmth. It should have annoyed Elias, but instead, it made him... proud? Protective? He didnât know how to categorize it.
What he did know was that every time he saw Arjun, his breath hitched. He found himself noticing things he shouldnâtâthe way Arjunâs hair fell across his forehead, the way his lips curved when he smiled, the way his uniform hugged his slender frame. Elias clenched his fists at his sides. Get it together, Matthews.
But it wasnât just attraction. No, this was something deeper. Something more dangerous.
Eliasâs possessive streak had always been a part of him. It was how he built his empire, how he protected his family, how he ensured his place at the top. But with Arjun, it was different. He felt it in the way his jaw tightened whenever he saw Arjun laughing with someone else, the way his chest burned whenever Adam or Rei got too close. He wanted Arjun to himself. He wanted to be the one Arjun smiled at, the one he trusted, the one he turned to when he needed support.
The thought startled him. Elias stopped pacing, his reflection in the glass window staring back at him like a stranger. What the hell is wrong with me?
He sank back into his chair, running a hand through his hair. He didnât do emotions. He didnât do attachment. His relationships were always clean, simple, and devoid of complications. But Arjun had shattered that carefully constructed barrier. He made Elias feel things he wasnât prepared forâjealousy, protectiveness, and, above all, longing.
Elias leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk as he stared at the family photo on the corner. His mother had teased him recently, calling him possessive and hinting that Arjun had already gotten under his skin. At the time, Elias had brushed it off, but now he wasnât so sure.
Every time he saw Arjun, he felt like the ground beneath him shifted. And the hugâthat damned hugâhad sealed his fate. The memory of Arjunâs hesitant arms wrapping around him, the way he had fit so perfectly in Eliasâs embrace, haunted him. It had taken every ounce of self-control not to tighten his hold, to let the moment linger.
Elias closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. He couldnât deny it anymore. This wasnât just lust. It wasnât just a passing fascination. It was something deeper, something he couldnât ignore even if he wanted to.
He thought about the way Arjun avoided him now, the way he seemed flustered and shy whenever they crossed paths. It should have annoyed Elias, but instead, it only made him more determined. He wasnât a patient man when it came to the things he wanted, and he wanted Arjun.
But it wasnât just about wanting him. Elias realized, with a sharp pang of clarity, that he wanted more. He wanted to protect Arjun, to make him smile, to be the one who supported him through his clumsiness and celebrated his successes. He wanted to be the person Arjun trusted with his vulnerabilities.
Love.
The word hit Elias like a freight train. He froze, the realization sinking in like a stone in his chest. He was in love with Arjun Patel.
The thought should have scared him. It should have made him retreat, build walls, and bury his feelings under the weight of his responsibilities. But instead, it made him feel... alive. For the first time in years, Elias felt something beyond the monotony of business meetings and family obligations. He felt passion. He felt desire. He felt hope.
Eliasâs lips curled into a small, determined smile. He didnât know how Arjun felt, and he didnât care. He would find a way to win him over, to make him see that they belonged together. Because Elias Matthews wasnât just in loveâhe was in love with a fiery, clumsy, beautiful nurse who had turned his world upside down.
And he wasnât about to let him go.