I glanced down the hallway where Vani had disappeared. She hadn’t come back. She hadn’t even looked back. “I’ll be there in thirty minutes,” I snapped. “Get everyone in the conference room. No one leaves until I do.”
“Yes, sir.”
I ended the call and stood there in the entryway for a beat, staring at nothing.
The noise of my work life had crashed into my personal one like a car accident, scattering everything. My pulse was too hard in my throat. My hands felt cold.
And the worst part was that a stupid, selfish part of me was relieved.
Work didn’t smile at me and walk away.
Work didn’t make me question everything I thought I understood about myself.
Work didn’t have warm eyes that could turn into weapons.
I turned toward the dining room again.
Maria was already moving, efficient as always, her posture straight and her expression politely neutral as she began clearing the untouched plates. The food looked ridiculous now—too perfect, too carefully prepared for a meal that had never actually been about eating.
She glanced up when she saw me, her brows lifting just slightly. “Sir? Is everything alright?”
“No,” I said bluntly. Then, because she deserved better than the edge in my voice, I exhaled and corrected myself. “There’s an issue at the office. I have to go in.”
Her gaze flicked toward the hall where Vani had disappeared. The pause was subtle, but I noticed it. Maria noticed everything.
“Should I—”
“Bag the food,” I interrupted, my mind already sprinting ahead. “Everything untouched. And take it to the nearest shelter.”
Her expression softened, the way it did when she saw the cracks I tried to keep hidden. “Of course, sir.”
I turned away before she could say anything else.
The stairs felt too long, my steps too loud. My mind was already assembling plans. Fix the report. Find the person responsible. Fire them.
And then there was her. The image of that smile followed me into the hallway upstairs like a ghost. I reached the guest wing first.
One room, then another. I checked each one quickly, opening doors and making sure they were all empty before I closed them again.
I strode into my study and yanked open the drawer where I kept the spare keys. The metal clinked softly as I gathered them—master keys, guest rooms, storage closets, anything with a lock. I shoved them into my pocket with more force than necessary.
It was irrational and very much petty. But it was the only thing I could control right now regarding my wife. If she couldn’t physically move out, she would have to stay long enough for me to fix this. For me to explain. For me to… do something.
I didn’t know what, exactly.
But the thought of coming home tonight and finding her gone hit me with a fear so sharp it made my throat burn. I steppedback into the hallway and checked each guest room again, locking them one by one.
Click.
Click.
Click.
21- Evania
The café door chimed as I entered, espresso and warm cinnamon enveloping me in a hug I hadn’t known I needed.
And then I saw them.
