LOGINONE YEAR LATERThe room was quiet. Peaceful. The kind of quiet that only existed in the early hours before the world woke up.Tessa stirred beneath the duvet, her face half-buried in the pillow. A soft groan escaped her lips as she twisted. She didn’t bother reaching for the other side of the bed. She knew it was empty.She had stopped reaching for the other side of the bed in the past year.She blinked her eyes open, squinting against the light. The clock on the nightstand read 7:32 AM.It was still early.She pulled the covers over her head, only for the sound of her voice to echo in the four-bedroom duplex."Tessa!"The voice came from somewhere downstairs. Familiar and Impatient.Daniel.She groaned and rolled onto her back. "What now?” She murmured."Tessa, wake up!" Daniel called out again. She pressed her palms against her eyes. "I'm awake," she shouted."You have an interview in one hour!"Tessa sat up abruptly. "What?"She swung her legs over the side of the bed and padded
The day was finally here. The day Roman had been waiting for the past week. When he finally leaves the city that left him first and caused him so much heartache.This seemed like the new normal now.Flights. Suitcases. Goodbyes.Only this time he didn’t have a large crowd to send him off.No Alec. Victor. Even Bernard couldn't make it. Eleanor was struggling to accept he wanted a divorce.So it was just him and his mother and things hadn’t improved much in forty-eight hours.Salima stood across from him, hands folded.“When are you going to stop being upset, Roman?” She asked.“I’m not upset.” He shook his head. “You haven’t spoken to me since Victor left.”Roman scoffed. “To be fair, I haven’t spoken to anyone.”Salima’s face dropped in disappointment.Roman noticed. He exhaled sharply.“I’m not doing this to punish you, Mom, but right now — I just don’t know how to feel.”“Then let me tell you how I feel.” “No!” Roman said sharply. “I understand that Dad’s return might have been
Roman sat alone in the study, staring at nothing.The house was quiet. Too quiet. Without Alec's presence, without Tessa’s charm, without the hum of conversation, the walls seemed to press in closer.He hadn't moved from the armchair since walking out of the living room. His mother's words still echoed in his head. Telling him it’s not that simple.But it was. A soft knock pulled him from his thoughts.Roman looked up.Victor stood in the doorway, his hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable."Can I come in?" Victor asked.Roman nodded.Victor stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He didn't sit. He stood by the window, looking out at the dark sky.“If you’re here to talk about what happened downstairs…” Roman said. “I want you to know I meant every word.”“Oh, I know.” Victor chuckled. "I know you're upset with your mother. But I don't want you to be."Roman's jaw tightened. "Why not?""Because it's not her fault. It's just a natural thing for her to feel conflicted."
It’s been one week since Roman lost Tessa at the airport. He didn’t know if she was halfway across the country or the continent, whichever it was, she wasn't by his side.And now…another goodbye waited for him.Roman stood quietly at the edge of the foyer as members of the house staff carried the last of Alec and Lakshmi’s suitcases toward the waiting SUV. The polished marble floors echoed with footsteps, soft conversations, and the occasional scrape of luggage wheels.Everyone had gathered to see them off.The atmosphere was warm—filled with smiles that tried very hard to hide the sadness beneath them.“Oh, Lakshmi,” Salima said, pulling the young woman into a warm embrace. “It was so good having you here.”Lakshmi smiled as she hugged her back.“Thank you for having me, Mrs Blackwood. You made me feel like family from the very first day.”“You are family,” Salima corrected gently. “Don’t ever think otherwise.”Lakshmi’s smile widened. “I won’t.”Salima stepped aside, turning toward
5 AMThe morning was pale and cold. Tessa stood in the doorway of her bedroom, watching as Daniel moved through the house with practised efficiency.Suitcases lined the hallway. Boxes were stacked by the front door. Everything they owned, packed into containers and labeled with a destination she hadn't chosen.Chicago.She still couldn't believe it."You ready?" Daniel asked, not looking up from his phone.Tessa didn't answer.He glanced at her. "Tessa?""I heard you." She snapped."Then answer the question." He fired back.She crossed her arms. “Sure.”Daniel's jaw tightened, but he didn't rise to the bait. "The car will be here in twenty minutes. Make sure you have everything. I’ll get Dad.”He walked past her toward the kitchen.Tessa stood there for a moment longer, then turned back into her room.The bed was bare. The walls were empty. The closet was a graveyard of hangers.She had packed light — one suitcase, one carry-on, one bag for things she couldn't bear to leave behind. A
Roman sat in his car, parked outside his own house.The engine was off. The night was quiet. But inside the car, the only sound was the relentless beep of a call that wouldn't go through.He pulled the phone from his ear and stared at the screen."What the hell Tessa?” He murmured.He had called her seven times today. Fourteen times this week. Dozens of times over the past month.Yet, no response.The line just kept beeping. No ring. No voicemail. Just... nothing.She blocked me.The thought sat in his chest like a stone.He understood things had been difficult between them. He understood she was hurt, angry, confused. But to block him completely? To cut him off without a word?That was more frustrating than he’d like to admit.He groaned and tossed the phone onto the passenger seat.His eyes fell on the items beside it — flowers, chocolates, a small velvet box he hadn't touched. Romantic things. Hopeful things. Things he had planned to give her tonight.Now he just looked stupid.He
The cold night air rushed in, carrying the faint scent of jasmine and something sharper—jet fuel, perhaps, or just the weight of distance travelled.Salima stood frozen at the door, mouth slightly agape.“Hello, Salima,” the woman at the door said, voice soft but steady, the Mumbai lilt unchanged a
The house was chaos wrapped in luggage.Suitcases lined the foyer like soldiers. Garment bags hung from doorframes. Shoes scattered.Tessa stood in the hallway, phone to her ear, directing staff as she folded a last sweater into her carry-on.“Yes, the navy suit—the one with the subtle pinstripe. A
Salima swallowed as the knock came again.She ended the call and sent a single text to Roman.“He called. I think he’s outside.”She set the phone down on the kitchen island and reached for the knife rack. Her fingers wrapped around the handle with practised calm. No shaking. No hesitation.She mov
Salima stepped into her bedroom, the door clicking shut behind her with a soft thud.The house was silent, the kind of heavy quiet that pressed in after a long, draining night.She slipped off her earrings, setting them on the dresser, then reached for the zipper of her emerald blouse.A knock echo







