Arem Zyke's —POV
The morning sun rises behind me, soft gold bleeding across the quiet street, but there's nothing warm in my chest. I've been standing here since dawn—impatient… no, restless—waiting for Evan.
From yesterday till now, he's been missing.
No calls. No messages.
Not even a single word.
He didn't come to the office.
He didn't say anything.
This is the first time he disappears like this.
I glance at my watch again. My jaw tightens. Even the doctor he sometimes visits said he wasn't there. And friends? Evan doesn't have friends—just me, and I'm not even allowed to be anything more than his secretary. So whose house did he stay at?
My fist curls.
Then the door opens.
He steps out.
My gaze lifts sharply, all my irritation and fear folding into one tight knot. He walks toward me, and before he can speak—before my mask can betray me—I step forward and wrap my arms around him.
Tightly.
His body stiffens. His breath catches.
"Ar… Arem?"
