“I’ll handle it,” Ethan says quietly. “Give me two hours.”
“One hour.”
“Darius—”
“One hour, Ethan. Please.”
He sighs. “One hour. I’ll text you when it’s done.”
I end the call and lean back against the seat.
The ache in my chest hasn’t faded, but at least I’m doing something. At least I’m not just sitting here while my mate decides her life isn’t worth living.
My wolf settles slightly. Still restless, though. Still demanding more. But for now, this will have to be enough.
I start the car and drive away from the apartment complex, but I can’t escape her words.
“I don’t care much about living, either.”
They echo in my head. Over and over.
Not a death knell. A challenge.
And I’ll be damned if I don’t find a way to make her see that her life matters. Even if shehates me for it.
Through the glasswall of my office, I can see Violet sitting at her desk. She’s been glancing at the clock every few minutes for the past hour, a restless energy in her movements that’s completely unlike her usual controlled demeanor. Her fingers drum against her keyboard between typing bursts. She checks her phone, then the clock again.
She’s anxious about something.
The moment the clock hits noon, she’s on her feet. She grabs her bag and practically runs to the elevator, moving faster than I’ve ever seen her move in this office. The doors close behind her before anyone else has even stood up from their desk.
What the hell?
I’m still staring at the empty space where she was sitting when my office door opens without a knock.
Ethan.
He looks like he hasn’t slept in days. Dark circles shadow his eyes despite the coffee cup in his hand. His normally pristine suit is wrinkled. But there’s satisfaction in his expression as he drops into the chair across from my desk.
“It’s all arranged,” he says without preamble. “She viewed the penthouse last night at seven o’clock. Signed the lease on the spot.”
Relief floods through me. “And?”
“The place was emptied two days ago.” He stifles a yawn. “Paid the human tenants a ridiculous sum to relocate immediately. Three times their annual rent plus moving costs. They were more than happy to take the money and go. The apartment is completely vacant now.”
“Good.”
“I still don’t understand why you wouldn’t let me furnish it.” He takes a long drink of coffee. “I have an interior designer on retainer. Could’ve had the whole place done in a day. Top-of-the-line everything.”
I lean back in my chair, a small smile tugging at my lips. “Furnishing an apartment is half the fun. It’ll give her something to look forward to. Something to focus on.”
Something to care about.
Ethan studies me for a moment, then shakes his head. “You’re really doing this.”
“Yes.”
I reach into my desk drawer and pull out a glossy flyer, which I slide across to him.
