𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝑰𝒏 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 35

I barely slept last night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her-walking out the door, the weight of her words slamming into me over and over. By the time dawn crept in, I was wired and restless, the silence of the house suffocating.

As soon as I walked into the office, I could feel everyone watching me, their wary glances skittering away as soon as I looked their way. My lack of patience was obvious, and no one wanted to be the one to set me off.

"These reports should've been on my desk last week," I snapped, my voice harsher than intended. The assistant in front of me swallowed nervously and nodded, mumbling an apology before scurrying off.

I moved from meeting to meeting, barely listening to anyone as they spoke. Every pointless word, every drawn-out explanation made me want to walk out of the room. And underneath it all, I could feel that relentless anger simmering. Anger at her for leaving... but more than that, anger at myself for not stopping her.

It took everything I had to get through the morning without snapping at someone. I knew my team was on edge; I could see the nervous looks and the way they stiffened when I entered a room. They'd learned to recognize my moods, and today wasn't a day anyone wanted to test me.

Finally, after what felt like hours of pointless meetings, I pushed my way into my office, letting the door close with a definitive click. I leaned back against it, exhaling slowly, trying to push down the frustration gnawing at me.

And then, I saw her.

She was sitting at my desk, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the edge of the table, reading over some documents. It took a second for the sight to register-seeing her here, in my office, as if last night hadn't happened. I felt the tightness in my chest ease slightly, like the pressure I'd been carrying around all morning had started to crack. She was here.

But she barely looked up when I stepped forward. Her gaze stayed fixed on the papers in front of her, her expression calm and composed, like nothing between us had shifted.

"Morning," she said, her voice perfectly even, betraying nothing. "I've gone over the latest reports for the partnership merger. You should take a look before the board meeting this afternoon."

I swallowed, trying to ignore the prickling sensation of disappointment creeping in. "Right. Thanks."

I moved toward her, but she didn't look up, her eyes scanning the pages in front of her like I was just another colleague dropping in. She was keeping this strictly business. It was jarring, like she'd built an invisible wall between us overnight and I was on the wrong side.

"Also I set up an appointment with Lucía this afternoon. The sooner we get this done, the better."

"Get what done?"

"The whole baby thing. I know what our deal was and I don't break promises so I'll hold up my end of the deal. Events, parties- I'll be there as your assistant... and wife."

"Can I come with you?" I asked.

"I would rather not. I expect Dr. Drakos will be arriving later this week and then we can proceed."

"Right. Anything else?" I asked, hoping for even a flicker of acknowledgment, some sign that last night mattered.

She looked up at me, her expression unreadable. "No, that's it. I'll leave these with you. Let me know if you need anything clarified." She stood up, gathering her things and stepping to the side, giving me the space to take her place at the desk.

I clenched my jaw, fighting the urge to reach out, to pull her back and demand she look at me, talk to me, tell me what she was feeling. But instead, I gave her a nod, acting as if her distance wasn't cutting me deeper with every passing second.