It was Friday.
The day the board's ultimatum would snap shut like a bear trap. And Tommy felt it with every heartbeat. It had made every breath tighter than the last. He'd spent the past few days dodging Evie like landmines.
His excuse had been early meetings. Late phone calls and emergency briefings that somehow never had a location.
Now, in the silence of the penthouse, Tommy stood in the master bedroom, his jaw clenched as he stuffed shirts into a weekender bag. He wasn't even folding them, just jamming fabric in like it would make the decision easier.
He zipped, unzipped, then zipped again.
He didn't even know where he would go, only that he couldn't stand putting Evie at risk again by leaving... if it came down to it.
He glanced at the mirror. The man staring back at him didn't look like a CEO. He looked like a coward.
"Just say it," he muttered under his breath. "Say it's over. Say she's better off. Say you're doing it for her."
His voice cracked. He tried again.
