Presidential Affairs (GXG)

BETWEEN DUTY AND DESIRE

"I'm sorry to call so late, Madam President, but you forgot to sign the final form for Project 481," Vivian explained gently, clearly aware of Selene's frustration.

Selene exhaled sharply, rubbing the bridge of her nose as fatigue crept into her voice. "I'm sure I signed it. I remember doing it before we wrapped up the meetings," she insisted.

"I'm staring at it right now, and there's no signature," Vivian replied, her tone softening with an apologetic chuckle.

Selene's brow furrowed, her confidence in her memory wavering as she realized she might have missed it. "Can it wait until morning?" she asked, hoping to salvage what was left of her evening.

"I need to send it off by midnight, or it won't reach them in time," Vivian explained.

Selene sighed, glancing around the room as guilt gnawed at her, thinking of Roxanne waiting in the living room. "Give me 15 minutes," she said curtly before ending the call.

"So sorry about that, I'm afraid we're gonna have to..." Selene's voice trailed off, her words dying in her throat as her eyes scanned the empty room. The stillness felt suffocating. "Roxanne?" she called out, the echo of her own voice the only reply. She walked to the kitchen, spotting the half-filled wine glass—Roxanne's only trace in the now desolate space. Her heart sank as the reality of the situation hit her.

Selene rubbed her tired face with both hands, trying to compose herself, but there was no shaking the feeling of defeat settling deep in her chest. She grabbed her coat, the fabric feeling heavier than usual, and flicked off the lights. The apartment, once full of potential, now felt hollow as she made her way to the door.

The ride down the elevator was agonizingly slow. With each floor, her hopes of finding Roxanne downstairs faded further, but she clung to the possibility that maybe, just maybe, this was all a misunderstanding. As the doors finally slid open to the parking garage, cold reality greeted her. Roxanne was gone. The only thing waiting for her was her car, and Alec, glued to his phone in the driver's seat.

He barely looked up when she approached. "Got what you wanted?" he asked, not noticing the shift in her demeanor, his tone casual as if the night hadn't just taken a turn for the worst.

Selene slumped into the backseat, her body heavy with exhaustion. She didn't have the energy to explain, or even to express her frustration. "Just drive," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper as she leaned her head against the window, staring out into the darkness.

The car roared to life, the engine's hum the only sound breaking the silence. Alec glanced at her through the rearview mirror, noticing her distant expression, but he didn't press further. He knew when not to ask questions.

As the car pulled out of the garage and into the city's empty streets, Selene closed her eyes, her mind replaying the last moments with Roxanne. What could she have said differently? What could she have done to stop her from leaving?

Selene tapped her fingers rhythmically against her thighs, her mind racing with thoughts of how to fix the situation with Roxanne. She opened her eyes, the glow of the city lights fading as they neared the Ivory Manor. Desperate to reconnect, she yanked her phone out of her pocket, quickly navigating to their chat. Without hesitation, she dialed Roxanne's number, her heart pounding in sync with the ringing.

Each ring dragged on, stretching into agonizing moments that felt like they would never end. Finally, it clicked to voicemail. "Hi, Roxanne, it's me, Selene. Can you—" She stopped mid-sentence, her frustration rising as she realized how useless leaving a voicemail felt. With a frustrated exhale, she ended the call abruptly, tossing her phone onto the seat beside her.