The morning crept in quietly, golden light spilling across the bedroom floor like a soft promise. I sat at the edge of the bed, gently pressing my earrings into place. My fingers trembled slightly, though the rest of the house remained peaceful.
But my mind wasn't.
The silence wasn't uncomfortable—just unfamiliar. It reminded me of the kind of quiet that hangs in the air before a storm hits, or the kind that lingers right before someone says something they can't take back.
I glanced around the room again. It was beautiful—clearly prepared with my comfort in mind—but it didn't feel like mine. Not yet. The neatly folded blankets, the untouched vanity, the wardrobe that Dominic's mother had helped me fill… everything felt like it had been borrowed. Temporary. Like a hotel room I'd soon have to leave behind.
I inhaled deeply and stood.
The reflection in the mirror stared back at me with calm eyes, though I wasn't calm at all. My lip gloss was smooth, my hair pinned neatly back, my posture composed. But beneath all that, my heart pounded in my chest like it remembered every single thing I was trying so hard to forget.
Today wasn't supposed to be anything significant. It was just a simple errand—a quick trip to Dominic's company to hand over a document that had been mistakenly delivered to my room instead of his office. According to his mother, it was a courier mix-up.
Still, going to his workplace meant entering another part of his life. A part I hadn't seen yet. A part that didn't involve the quiet agreement we'd made or the warm, deceptive peace of the house we now shared.
I tucked the folder under my arm, my fingers brushing against the smooth edges as if touching it might lend me some courage. Honestly, a part of me regretted agreeing to go. But Dominic had been swamped with calls all morning. His phone hadn't stopped ringing, and I didn't want to bother him with something so trivial.
Besides, I wasn't helpless.
I could manage a quick drop-off on my own.
Still, before leaving, I scribbled a short note and placed it in the hallway—just in case. Then I slipped on my shoes and stepped outside.
The sun hit my skin like warmth wrapped in uncertainty.
By late morning, I found myself walking through the sleek, glass-walled lobby of Stone & Vale. Everything about the building screamed cold professionalism—polished floors, high ceilings, and voices murmuring between the clack of expensive heels. I suddenly felt underdressed in my plain sweater and jeans, gripping the folder like it held classified secrets.
The receptionist gave me a polite smile. "You're here for Mr. Dominic Vale?"
"Yes," I said.
She typed something quickly, checked the screen, and nodded. "He mentioned someone would be coming by. Go ahead—seventeenth floor."
I gave a small nod and made my way to the elevator. As the doors slid closed around me, I caught my reflection in the mirrored steel walls. My heart was racing far faster than it had any reason to. I didn't know why—nerves maybe. Or perhaps it was something deeper.
That strange, whispering feeling that something big was about to happen.
And I had no idea just how big.
When I stepped out into the office lobby, it was exactly as I expected—sleek marble floors, glass partitions, and the soft hum of productivity in every corner. The environment was intimidating in a polished, distant way. I clutched the file a little tighter.
Dominic's world was all sharp lines, clipped tones, and unreadable expressions. Yet somehow, being near him had always made me feel safe. Strange how that worked.
I moved toward the receptionist's desk when I heard it.
A voice.
Familiar.
Too familiar.
"Amira?"
My entire body froze.
No. It couldn't be.
Not here. Not now.
I turned slowly, heart thudding painfully against my ribs, and there he was.
Jason.
Still infuriatingly handsome, with his fitted shirt and that expensive watch he never took off. But his eyes—his eyes were different. They weren't warm or charming or familiar.
They were stormy.
And right behind him stood Lila.
My best friend. Or… the woman who used to be.
Our eyes met, and my chest squeezed so tight it almost hurt.
She looked awkward. Uncomfortable.
But not surprised.
She didn't say a word.
Didn't move.
Didn't stop him.
Just stood there. Watching.
Before I could even process what I was feeling, Jason was already storming toward me.
"Where the hell have you been?" His voice was loud, slicing through the polished air of the office like a blade. Heads began to turn.
"You blocked me! You just disappeared!"
"Jason," I said, barely above a whisper. "This isn't the time or place—"
"No, no," he snapped, now inches from me. "You don't get to vanish and pretend like we didn't share a life. What is this? Some kind of joke to you?"
His disbelief was real—but beneath it, I could see it. The bruised ego. The anger. The confusion that I'd finally left and stayed gone.
People were staring now. I could feel the tension swirling around us like smoke.
I looked past him, searching.
Lila was still there. By the elevators. Arms crossed. Watching with unreadable eyes. Not concerned. Not defensive. Just… present.
Why aren't you stopping him?
Why are you letting him humiliate me?
My heart pounded in my ears.
"Lower your voice," I said, trying to stay calm.
Jason's face twisted in something ugly, and he let out a bitter laugh. "You think you can just walk away and shack up with some guy?" His voice dripped venom. "You were mine, Amira. Mine. What, you think you can do better than me?"
I flinched.
There it was.
The version of Jason I had tried not to see for too long.
The one who didn't know how to love—only how to own.
"I don't belong to you," I said, my voice sharp with truth.
"You didn't even have the decency to break up in person," he scoffed. "A damn text message, Amira? After everything?"
"Because you didn't deserve anything more than that," I snapped back, trembling.
His jaw clenched. "So who is he, huh? This new man? That rich prick you're using to play pretend?"
His hand shot out, grabbing my arm.
Hard.
I inhaled sharply. "Let go," I said, panic flashing through me.
"I'm not done talking to you!"
"Let. Go," I hissed again, louder this time.
But he didn't.
And Lila? Still just watched. Like she wasn't seeing anything at all.
My throat tightened—not with fear, but with something worse.
Grief.
Grief for a friendship that had died long before today.
Then, behind us, I heard the ding of the elevator.
The sound that would change everything.
Dominic stepped into the lobby.
He wore a dark suit, the collar of his shirt open, sleeves slightly rolled—an effortless mix of power and elegance. But it wasn't his appearance that shifted the air in the room.
It was his presence.
He saw me instantly. Saw Jason's hand on my wrist. Saw my eyes wide with alarm. His gaze slid to Lila briefly, then locked right back on me.
He moved across the lobby with long, purposeful strides, like the tension couldn't touch him.
Jason didn't even notice at first.
Until Dominic spoke—and his voice was ice wrapped in thunder.
"Is there a reason you're manhandling my wife in my building?"
Jason turned, stunned.
"Your—what?"