Weeks passed quietly, sliding into March with an almost unnerving calm.
No more anonymous calls.The weight of the hidden money—and the shadow it cast over my life—began to loosen its grip.For the first time in months, I wasn’t scanning rooms or checking mirrors.My guard lowered just enough for me to breathe again.
That should have felt like relief.
Instead, it felt like the stillness before something broke.
Creed became a constant presence, slipping into my life again with quiet authority.He didn’t announce himself.He didn’t demand space.He simply...stayed.Steady.Protective.Unmoving.A force I didn’t have to brace against.
And that scared me more than any threat ever had.
Mornings came with an unfamiliar sense of peace.Nights ended with the weight of Creed’s gaze, the brush of his hand against mine, the sound of my daughters’ laughter echoing down the hall.
Normal.
A word I had learned not to trust.
The first crack appeared on a deceptively calm afternoon.
Celine rolled into my office with a plastic crate stacked high with mail.The wheels rattled softly over the floor, the sound sending a chill through me that had no logical explanation.
“What’s all that?”I asked, glancing up from my desk.
“It’s been months since we emptied the PO box,” she said, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear.“I stopped by during lunch.”
Elite Staffing.
The name alone felt like a relic.A former life I had stopped acknowledging.
I crossed the room and looked into the crate.Unopened envelopes.Stacks upon stacks.Months’ worth.
“Jesus,” I muttered.“Where do I even start?”
Celine smiled faintly.“Carefully.”
We started sorting.Junk mail.Old invoices.Trade magazines Ray had subscribed to years ago.All of it outdated.All of it irrelevant.
“This is too much,” Celine said finally.
“I know.”I rested my hand on the crate’s edge.The decision settled heavily in my chest.“It’s time to close the mailbox.And the office.”
Her gaze sharpened.“For good?”
I nodded.“For good.”
Elite Staffing belonged to a different version of me.One tethered to a man who had left too many scars behind.
“When?”she asked.
“Thursday.I’ll clear it out and return the key.”
“I’ll go with you,” Celine offered.
I smiled faintly.“You’ve done enough.”
“I don’t mind.”
I sighed.“Fine.Check with the property manager.Utilities.Early termination.Then we’re done.”
