Maya's POV
The phone conversation felt like walking through a minefield. Each word I chose seemed wrong, creating more distance between Sebastian and me with every passing second.
"Did the flight go smoothly?" I asked, winding my hair nervously around my finger. The speaker phone sat between my coffee mug and the morning mail I'd been avoiding.
"Everything went fine." Sebastian's voice carried a strange formality that made my stomach clench. "No delays or issues. How has your day been?"
"Quiet. Very quiet." I winced at my own repetition. Since when did simple conversations with him require so much effort? "Just getting settled back in, you know."
Silence stretched between us like a chasm. I could hear the rustle of papers on his end, probably already buried in work documents early in the morning.
"The construction project?" I tried again, desperate to fill the uncomfortable quiet.
"Moving forward. We hit some complications with the foundation work, but the team has solutions."
