The air in the room felt thick with tension as I ended the call with Sophie. The words she'd spoken were clear, but the weight of them had settled into the pit of my stomach like a heavy stone. We’ve found something. Something big.
Alexander’s expression mirrored the uncertainty I was trying to bury inside. Sophie hadn’t said what exactly they had found, only that it was “big”—big enough that it had shaken her, and the quiet, methodical Sophie never got rattled.
“What is it?” I asked, my voice tight, though I tried to keep the fear out of it.
Alexander’s hand was on mine instantly, steady and sure. He didn’t need to say anything to make me feel anchored in that moment. His touch was everything. His presence had been my anchor since the day we’d met. I leaned into him, needing his calm.
“I don’t know yet,” he said, his voice smooth but full of an emotion that matched the fire in my chest. “But we’ll find out together. Whatever it is.”
It wasn’t just the business anymore. It wasn’t just
