Her eyes shutter. "Of course. I'm sorry."
"No. I'm the one who should apologize."
She nods once. "Goodnight, Ethan."
"Goodnight, Jade."
As her door closes, I linger in the hall.
I did the right thing. I kept it professional.
But as I walk back through the quiet house, every part of me is still replaying the moment I almost didn't. I walk away because it's what I'm supposed to do.
But every step feels like I'm leaving something behind I wasn't ready to lose.
9
MATEO
"Check the voltage on that sensor again," I tell the tech as I scroll through the security system's API on my tablet. "Seems like it's drawing more power than it should."
The guy, Todd? Tom? Something with a T, nods and kneels back down to examine the wiring in the main hallway. We've been at this for hours, installing the upgraded security system I designed specifically for Jade's house. Until now we'd managed with the existing system, but it needed improvement. State-of-the-art motion sensors with thermal recognition, biometric access points, and surveillance cameras with AI-assisted monitoring. The kind of setup that makes security nerds like me giddy and celebrities feel safe.
Well, safer.
It's been two days since the whole mother drama, and the vibe in the house has been... weird. Ethan's been distracted, Declan more brooding than usual (if that's even possible), and Jade has been holed up in her studio for hours at atime. The tension is driving me nuts. I prefer things direct, open. This silent, heavy atmosphere is suffocating.
That's why I volunteered to oversee the security installation today. At least it gives me something concrete to focus on, something I'm genuinely good at. Before Cross Security, I spent two years in cyber divisions. Hacking, counter-hacking, digital fortresses, that's my playground. Give me a system to secure or breach, and I'm a happy man.
"Hey, Matthews, can you double-check the server rack in the utility room?" I call to another technician. "Make sure it's syncing properly with the cloud backup."
"On it," Matthews responds, disappearing down the hall.
I turn back to my tablet, making final adjustments to the security protocols. The system I've designed is a beautiful beast. Comprehensive but user-friendly. It'll send alerts to all three of us simultaneously if any perimeter is breached, with escalating response protocols depending on the threat level.
Some people think security is just about muscle and guns, but in this century, it's as much about firewalls as physical walls. A stalker doesn't need to break a window when they can hack your smart home system, access your cameras, track your location through social media. Digital footprints often reveal more than physical ones.
I'm so wrapped up in fine-tuning the facial recognition settings that I don't notice her until she's right there,silent as a shadow, three feet away.
"Shit!" I flinch, nearly launching my tablet into orbit. "You move like a damn ninja."
Jade lifts a brow. "Excuse me?"
"Señorita Sigilosa," I say, recovering with a grin. "Miss Stealthy. You've got serious silent-cat energy."
She crosses her arms, the corner of her mouth twitching. "And you've got serious golden retriever energy. Bouncy. Loud."
I press a hand to my chest, mock-offended. "Wounded. Right in the heart."
"For the record," she says, stepping past me, "I prefer cats."
"And here I was thinking we were making progress," I murmur, watching her with a smile.
She looks different today, more relaxed somehow. Her copper hair is pulled back in a messy bun, and she's wearing simple jeans and an oversized sweater, so unlike the polished, untouchable image she usually projects. Even her face seems softer, more open.
"How's the security upgrade going?" she asks, glancing around at the equipment and tools scattered through the hallway.
"Almost done," I assure her, waving my tablet. "By tonight, this place will be Fort Knox with better Wi-Fi. I've addedsome custom protocols that should..."
