LOGIN(Amara)“Hold on, I’m coming.”My voice comes out sharper than I intend as I drop the kitchen towel and head for the door. The bell rings again, impatient this time.Who could be here now?I pull the door open—and freeze.“Maya?”The word slips out before I can stop it.She doesn’t answer. She just walks past me, brushing my shoulder like I’m not even there.I frown, shutting the door behind me. “Aren’t you on a three-day leave?” I follow after her. “So why are you back already? I hope everything’s okay.”She presses her fingers to her temple. “Yes, everything’s fine, Amara. It’s just…”Her voice trails off.I slow down as I approach her, studying her face. Something is off.“Is this about your mom?”She shakes her head slowly.A quiet breath escapes me. At least it’s not that.“Then what?” I step closer, pulling off my apron and tossing it aside. “You were meant to return tomorrow. And if you’re here… who’s with your mom?”“Agatha is there, remember?”“Oh.” I nod. “Right.”“My mom’s
(Amara)“O.M.G!”My head snaps up.Rita.She’s already staring at me, eyes bright with excitement. “Look who we have here.” She drops into the seat beside me like she’s been waiting for this moment all morning.I force a small smile, even as my mind drifts back to Rayner’s voice from yesterday.Make sure to come to the office today.I shake the thought away, about to respond—“Amara, my goodness, you’re here.”Olivia joins us, sliding her tray onto the table. Her eyes scan my face carefully. “Do you know how worried we’ve been?”She leans in slightly, lowering her voice. “Tell us… what’s really going on?”I pause.“We saw the company doctor go into Sir Rayner’s office,” she continues. “Did something happen?”“Oh please,” Rita cuts in, tapping the table lightly. “Something definitely happened. The way ma’am Helena marched into his office? It was terrifying. I’ve never seen her like that before.”Her gaze sharpens on me.“Did she hurt you?”Her spoon clatters softly against her tray.“W
(Amara)I slowly lift my gaze toward the room.For a split second… I see her.Walking toward me.A soft smile on her lips. My fingers tighten instantly, nails biting into my palm as my breath catches in my throat. My chest constricts, heartbeat spiking so fast it almost hurts. It feels real—too real—like the air itself has shifted around her presence.I shut my eyes.Hard.I draw in a slow, shaky breath, holding it like I’m trying to steady something breaking inside me. Then I open them again.Empty.Nothing.Just the same quiet room staring back at me.A hollow feeling settles deep in my chest, heavy and disorienting. My body is still tense, still braced like she’s standing there… but she isn’t. It was only my mind—twisting memories and fear into something that almost felt alive.A phantom.And for a moment, I almost lose myself in it.I swallow, grounding myself. She’s not here. She had left for an emergency trip back home.Good.Because if she were… I’m not sure I’d be able to han
(Rayner)I’m still speaking with my mom when I feel it.Her hands on me.I still for a moment—but before I can process it, her body presses against mine.My eyes snap open wide as I turn.“Amara!”My voice rises as I reach for her, catching her just before she hits the ground.But the weight of her pulls me down with her.We fall.My arm wraps around her instantly, pulling her close, shielding her without thinking.“Amara…”My voice drops now, rough, urgent.I shift slightly, trying to steady us both, my hand coming up to her face, gently tapping her cheeks.“Open your eyes. Look at me… come on.”Nothing.The fear creeps in fast. Sharp. Unwelcome.I look up.“Call the office doctor,” I say, my voice tight, controlled—but barely.My mother doesn’t move.Instead, she stares.Like this is entertainment.“What?” she says after a pause. “You’re going to call the office doctor because of her? That’s unnecessary. It’ll draw attention. I’m sure she’s just pretending—”“You’re going to do as I
(Helena)“She’s settled in now, ma’am.”The voice fades as the call ends, but I remain still, fingers resting on the edge of my desk. For a moment, I just stare ahead, letting the silence settle around me.Good.Isha is where she needs to be. Away from here. Away from everything that could spiral out of control.I won’t allow another situation to slip through my fingers.I have worked too hard for that.The door opens.I don’t need to look up to know it’s Lydia. I feel her hesitation from the doorway, the careful steps, the way she breathes like she’s walking into fire.When I finally raise my head, my gaze sharpens.She knows.She knows exactly what she has done.But I am not in the mood to deal with her yet.“Ma’am,” she says quietly.“Yes.” My voice cuts through the air. “If it’s about Isha, I already know. You can leave.”“No, ma’am.” She swallows. “It’s about Amara.”My body stills.Something cold slips into my chest.“What about her?”“She’s… here. At the office.”For a second,
(Amara)The moment I step into the office, everything shifts.Conversations lower.Eyes turn.And just like that… I become the center of it all.I feel it before I even fully register it. The weight of their stares. The subtle pointing. The whispers that aren’t quiet enough.“That’s her.”“Amara Reid.”“I heard the couple’s award got cancelled this year because of her and her husband.”My steps slow.Then stop.My fingers tighten around the strap of my bag as their words drift toward me, each one landing heavier than the last.“Yeah. That’s bad. No one even knows what really happened.”“They’re definitely hiding something.”For a second, I just stand there.Frozen.Exposed.Maya’s hand slips into mine, warm and steady.“What are you waiting for?” she says with a soft smile. “Let’s go.”I turn to her.And I smile back.It’s small, but it’s there.Because I see it. The effort in her eyes. The strength she’s forcing into herself for me. Even now… even when this is everything she feared.
(Amara)“Happy new month, Sir Rayner.” A soft smile curls on my lips. “Here’s the document from the project department you requested.”“Leave it there.”He doesn’t spare me a glance. His eyes remain fixed on the document in front of him, brows slightly drawn like he is dissecting numbers that deman
(Amara)I step outside the hotel toward our car, freshly returned by the mechanic. Moments later, Rayner arrives, unlocking the door as I slide into the passenger seat.The drive back is quiet.Too quiet.My mind keeps replaying that moment in the hotel room — the way we both jumped when our eyes m
(Rayner)The tension in the room thickens as the door clicks shut behind us.For a moment, neither of us speaks.“I’ll take the couch,” I say finally, clearing my throat. “You can sleep on the bed.”“Yeah.” She nods and walks over to sit on the mattress.I drop my coat on the chair and head straigh
(Amara)I’m lying on my bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling, but I’m not really seeing it. My mind keeps replaying Rayner’s question.“You’ve never been to Switzerland?”The way he looked at me when he said it. Not casual. Not random. Assessing. Like he was waiting for something. Like he already knew so







