LOGIN|| Abbie || “It’s so good to see you! I mean, look at you both… my childhood faith in true love is coming back. I’m actually starting to believe in fairy tales again,” Francesca said, her wide smile beaming at Cale. “Didn’t I tell you back then that she was the one meant for you?” “Yeah, you did. And I never doubted it,” Cale replied, his voice dropping into that smooth, convincing baritone drawl. He took my hand in his, raising it to his lips to graze my knuckles with a lingering kiss. “Abbie is the only girl for me.” “Eww… so cute! Are you two married yet?” she chirped. “No,” I said quickly. I was about to elaborate on our complicated status when Cale cut in. “What are you even doing in Iceland? Didn’t you tell me you were moving to Mexico? Or was it Spain?” he asked, clearly trying to shift the spotlight. “Spain. I told you I was going to Spain, and I did. I actually ended up getting married there… but he ended up dying,” she replied with a nonchalant shrug. ‘Or she killed
|| Abbie || The next morning, we woke to a world painted in frost. Our meeting with Mr. Magnusson was intense; the shipping routes through the North Atlantic were a logistical nightmare, complicated by seasonal weather windows and insurance constraints, and the old man was as stubborn as set concrete. We haven’t reached a full understanding yet, but the negotiations are finally moving in the right direction, leaving us both mentally drained.During the ride back to the hotel in our rental car, the heater humming against the biting chill, Cale glanced at me.“What do you think about the gala tonight?”“What about it?” I asked, keeping my gaze on the passing snowdrifts, though I knew exactly what he was getting at.“Do you think we should… go?” he asked, his voice cautious.“Why not? We have nothing else to do, do we?”Cale didn't just take me to a store; he took me to a high-end mall. Even though I insisted I didn't need a new dress, he wouldn't back down. He took a seat in a plush v
|| Abbie ||Cale was still in the shower. I was grateful he’d let me go first, but even though I’d used scalding hot water to bathe, the Icelandic chill still felt like it was seeping into my bones. I didn’t think I could survive in this city; I was only holding on to the hope that we wouldn’t stay the full week.He walked out of the bathroom, and I couldn’t help but stare, my eyes tracing the water droplets as they slid through his damp, silky hair, plastered against his forehead and down the hard planes of his tattooed arms. He looked like a vision of heat in this frozen room, sending a phantom warmth through me that made my skin prickle. But when my gaze reached his chest, my heart felt like it had been violently ripped from my ribs.Right there, directly over his heart, was my name.Abbie.I knew he had my name on his inner thigh—a secret, intimate mark—but this was new. Bold. Permanent. Had he done this right after our breakup?“Why are you staring at me?” he asked, reaching for
|| Abbie ||We finally touched down in Reykjavík, Iceland, the wheels hitting the tarmac with a reassuring thud after the ordeal in the sky. Once the jet was stable, the cabin felt unnervingly still, the only sound being our ragged breathing. Later, the pilot called it clear-air turbulence—an invisible wall of wind we never saw coming—but Cale wasn’t taking any chances. He immediately ordered a full diagnostic and a proper safety check when we landed, noting that since the jet hadn’t been used in months, he wanted to ensure every bolt was tightened before we dared to fly back home.Right at the airport, the biting northern wind hit us. Cale took one look at my shivering frame and stopped at a high-end boutique in the terminal, buying us heavy, charcoal-wool trench coats lined with shearling. It wasn’t an understatement; the city was bone-chillingly cold, the air smelling of salt and distant glaciers.As we arrived at the luxury hotel nestled in the heart of the city, the real proble
|| Abbie ||I didn’t return to the company until a week later. I needed that time to build a wall thick enough to face Cale without crumbling. During that week, Jack was a constant, stabilizing presence. He had been fantastic—a true gentleman who never crossed the line, except for one evening when the air between us grew heavy. He leaned in so close that I could feel the warmth of his breath on my lips, a fleeting moment where the world narrowed to the scent of his cologne and the invitation in his eyes. But he pulled back, and nothing more happened.I walked into Cale’s office on Monday morning, finding him already at his desk.“I guess you finally decided to grace us with your presence,” he said, not looking up, though his voice lacked its usual bite.“I realized you were never going to fire me, so I had no choice but to return,” I countered, sitting across from him.He finally looked up. “I’m never going to fire you, Abbie. You’re stuck with me. I need you here… and don’t forget, I
|| Abbie ||Jack walked over to me as I lay on the couch, lifeless and hollowed out. I had been there in the dark ever since I stormed out of the company, staring at the ceiling as the hours bled together. I felt like a ghost haunting my own apartment; my heart had become a heavy, cold weight that made even breathing feel like a chore.“Your door was open,” he said softly.“I left it open for you… when you called and said you were coming,” I replied. Even to my own ears, my voice sounded thin and fragile. It was the first time I had moved or spoken in hours; I hadn’t even had the strength to get up for a glass of water or use the bathroom.I was just… done.“Do you need anything? Abbie, are you alright?” he asked, his brow furrowed with genuine concern.“I’ll be fine,” I said, forcing myself to sit up. The room tilted for a second. “It’s just that my relationship with Cale keeps getting worse. It’s like a poison that won’t leave my system. And Flora… I don’t know if she’ll ever stop u







