Three months into the construction, the project site was a controlled chaos of progress. Steel beams were already taking shape, concrete mixers rumbled in rhythm, and the skeletons of the three major buildings began rising from the ground—an arena, an art gallery, and the new headquarters of Artistica’s entertainment branch.
Selene adjusted her hard hat as she stepped onto the gravel path that led to the central building zone. Her navy-blue blazer was rolled at the sleeves, her white button-down shirt slightly wrinkled from the morning site inspections. She held a tablet that displayed the latest updates from their project management software, but her attention flicked up the moment she saw him.
Sebastian Ford.
He stood tall in his usual construction attire—black polo shirt tucked into heavy-duty jeans, work boots stained with dust, and his signature reflective sunglasses pushed up to his head. He greeted her with a small nod, clipboard in hand.
“So, how was it?” he asked, gesturing toward the massive structure coming together behind them.
Selene looked up, shielding her eyes from the sun. “The construction is moving faster than I expected. We’re ahead of schedule by at least six weeks. I wouldn’t be surprised if we finished months early.”
Sebastian smiled slightly, but his gaze lingered. “What I meant was… how was your life after graduation?”
Selene glanced down for a second before she answered, her voice calm but layered. “It’s been good. Busy. After graduation, I pursued my apprenticeship, passed the board, then founded Eastpoint Blueprint and Beyond. Now I’m managing both the company and some of the Mondiego businesses in East and West City. It’s exhausting but fulfilling.”
“Good then.” His answer was short, but his tone wasn’t cold. There was a flicker of something else—regret, maybe.
She hesitated before returning the question. “How about you? After graduation—what happened?”
Sebastian leaned against the steel railing by the makeshift supervisor’s platform, the wind catching his hair slightly. “I passed my board, too. My parents wanted me to take over our family company it was formerly name as Ford Design and Build , but I told them I wanted to build my own legacy. They gave me three years to do whatever I wanted. That’s when I built SF Construction. It was growing steadily… but two years ago, my parents died in a car crash while abroad.”
Selene’s hand froze over her tablet. “I’m sorry to hear that…”
He nodded slowly. “Thanks. After that, I had no choice but to take over the family business too. It was hell managing both Ford Design and Build and SF Construction, but I pulled through. Now both companies are running under the Ford Corporation under my supervision and control.”
Selene gave a soft smile. “We’re kind of the same, huh? Balancing our dreams and responsibilities. Never really choosing just one.”
“Yeah…” he murmured, eyes scanning the site before glancing down at her hand. “Are you married?”
The question caught her off guard. She looked at him with surprise before following his gaze to the ring on her finger.
“No,” she said quickly. “This? It’s a gift from my sister-in-law, Angel Foster. It’s a stress-reliever ring. I wear it all the time, especially during big projects.”
Sebastian raised an eyebrow, a strange sense of relief flashing across his face. “Ah… I see. Good then.”
Selene tilted her head slightly. “What do you mean ‘good’?”
“Nothing,” he said quickly, brushing past it with a half-smile. “It’s my day off tomorrow. Can we meet privately?”
She blinked, unsure if she heard it right. “Privately?”
“Yeah. Just to celebrate seeing each other again after all this time. I’m thinking of inviting the old Hillwood Investment Club too—make it a small reunion. You free?”
“I do have a little window in my schedule tomorrow,” she replied, cautious but curious. “Where are we meeting?”
“Let me borrow your phone,” he said suddenly.
Before she could answer, he gently took her phone from her hands. His fingers brushed hers—an electric contact that sent a small jolt up her spine. He dialed a number.
Her phone started ringing in his other hand.
“Oh,” he said, smirking as he showed her the contact name flashing on the screen. “‘Seb’ with a heart, huh? Didn’t even change it.”
Selene flushed, reaching to take the phone back. “I… I don’t really use that phone for personal stuff anymore. I forgot it was still saved that way.”
He chuckled, the sound warm and deep. “And you still have the same number.”
“I guess we’re both the kind who don’t change much,” she said with a soft laugh.
Sebastian handed her back the phone. “I’ll text you the venue later tonight. Nothing fancy—just some place quiet.”
“Okay,” she said, trying to steady her heartbeat. “Sounds good.”
He gave her one last look before nodding and stepping back toward the construction team on the far side of the site. Selene stood still, holding her phone a little tighter, eyes following him as he disappeared into the bustle of workers and machinery.
Despite everything—three years of silence, half-truths, and all the changes in between—it felt like something had remained untouched between them. Something raw and unfinished.
And maybe, just maybe, tomorrow would be the start of rebuilding it.