Chapter 3: The cab

"Isabelle's here?" Theo asked. "Why?"

"I don't know. She showed up unexpectedly," Cole replied, glancing toward the door like he expected it to open any second.

Wren pulled her hand free, quickly wiping her face. She didn't know who Isabelle was, but she knew enough from the way Theo's face had changed that this was someone who mattered.

"I'll be leaving now," Wren said, turning to walk toward the door.

Then the door opened before she could leave, and Isabelle stepped in. Her heels clicking sharp and confident against the floor, each step announcing her before she even spoke.

She wore a fitted pink suit, black stilettos, a gold bracelet. Her dark hair was pulled back, not a strand loose. She walked confidently, like she belonged in every room she entered.

"Hey, Theo!" Isabelle said, flashing a warm smile as she walked past Wren and Cole like they weren't even in the hall. She crossed straight to Theo and hugged him.

Isabelle wrapped her arms around him easily, comfortably, her eyes closing for a moment like this was routine.

Theo's arms came up around her, but there was a stiffness to it, a half-second delay, his hands barely resting against her back. His eyes never left Wren.

Wren watched them, and something in her chest twisted, sharp enough to steal her breath. She felt it like a blow, betrayal, even though she had no right to feel betrayed by anything. She dropped her gaze to the floor, unable to watch anymore.

Isabelle pulled back, still smiling.

"Your dad told me you're buying Harborline, that you plan on expanding Ashford Dynamics into the hospitality and tourism sector. So I came to check out how it was going."

Theo didn't respond. He was staring at Wren.

"Theo," Isabelle called his name again.

But his eyes stayed on Wren.

Isabelle's gaze drifted, following the direction of his stare, and landed on Wren for the first time.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had someone with you," Isabelle said.

"She's the Operations Director here at Harborline," Cole said sharply.

"Oh! Nice to meet you," Isabelle said, extending her hand.

Wren forced a smile, shaking it. "You too."

Isabelle's eyes moved to Theo, then back to Wren.

"I'll take my leave now," Wren said, releasing her hand and walking out of the hall.

Isabelle watched her until the door closed, then turned to Theo.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice calm.

Theo looked at her, then smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine." He turned to Cole. "Get the files." He gestured toward the table.

"Theo," Isabelle called again.

He looked at her.

She stared at him, trying to say something, not quite finding the words. The silence stretched long before she finally breathed out.

"Don't forget the dinner with our dads on Friday. Don't be late."

"Yeah, I won't," Theo replied, smiling as he touched her face.

"I'll be leaving." She kissed him, then left the hall.

Isabelle got into her car and untied her hair. She reached into the small cooler built into the door and pulled out a bottle of water, drinking half of it in one go before exhaling heavily and setting it down in the cupholder beside her. She stared out the window.

"I saw it," she murmured. "The look in his eyes. The way he looked at her, he's never looked at me that way."

She pulled off her suit jacket and laid it across the seat. The car felt hot, even with the AC running.

"Ma'am, are you okay?" Claire, her secretary, asked from the front seat.

"Yeah." Isabelle paused for a moment. "Claire, I want you to do a background check on the Operations Director at Harborline. I want to know who she is. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," Claire replied.

Isabelle nodded slowly and sat back into her seat.

Wren stepped into her office and shut the door behind her, the click of the lock loud in the sudden quiet. She let her back rest against the door, and her legs gave out beneath her, sliding down until she was sitting on the floor, knees pulled to her chest. The office, usually so familiar, felt strange around her. Too still, too quiet after the noise in her head.

She replayed what had happened in the hall — Isabelle stepping in, her smile, her arms around Theo. All of it came rushing back, torturing her.

"Theo," she whispered to herself.

Wren buried her face against her knees and cried, the weight of everything finally catching up to her.

Her phone, still on her desk from before the emergency meeting, began to ring.

She stood, walked over, and looked at the screen.

It was Marcus.

She wiped her tears quickly and cleared her throat before answering.

"Hey, babe!" she said, forcing calm into her voice.

"Sweetheart, how are you doing?" Marcus's voice came through the phone.

"Good. Just busy with a lot of work," Wren said. "A new CEO came in. A lot of changes are coming."

"Whoa. Don't stress yourself too much, okay? Everything will be fine." A pause. "I got home early, so I'm making your favorite for dinner. Come home soon?"

Wren went quiet, guilt settling heavy in her chest. The silence stretched a few seconds too long.

"Babe?" Marcus said. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah," she said quietly. "I'll be home soon."

"Love you."

"...Love you too."

She hung up and set the phone down, staring at it like it belonged to someone else. She sat on her chair, pressing her fingers against her temple.

The guilt sat heavy on her chest. It felt like she was betraying Marcus, steady, faithful, loving Marcus, who had never once made her cry, never once made her a promise he failed to keep.

But why had a few minutes with Theo undone her more than three years with Marcus ever had?

She sat there for a long moment, confused, then looked toward the window. Outside, it had begun to rain.

Her phone buzzed, a message from Marcus.

Marcus: I sent a cab to pick you up.

Wren smiled faintly at the screen, packed her bag, turned off the office light, and stepped out into the hallway.

She signed out for the day and stepped outside. The rain hadn't stopped. It had grown heavier. Her eyes were on the busy road as cars passed.

She checked her phone. No new messages — just Marcus's text, still open on the screen.

She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to stay warm, and breathed out slowly, her breath fogging faintly in the cold evening air.

Then a car pulled up in front of her, black with tinted windows, rain sliding off the hood. Not a cab.

She felt scared but stepped closer anyway.

The window rolled down slowly.

It was Theo.