로그인"Let's break up, Langdon."Tiara keeps the phone pressed against her ear after saying the words, her gaze fixed on the city beyond the large window of her apartment.The afternoon sun stretches lazily across the buildings outside, bright and golden in a way that feels almost insulting compared to the heaviness sitting in her chest. She's said it, she has actually said the words, she almost breathes in relief but she holds it in, unsure of what's coming next.On the other end of the line, Langdon says absolutely nothing, not immediately, not even a loud breath crosses through the receiver into her ears.The utter silence drags on long enough for her grip on the phone to tighten slightly. For one ridiculous second, she wonders if the call dropped and peeks at the phone's screen to see that it's still connected, it's just... silent.“Langdon?” she asks flatly. “Are you still there?”There is another mini-long pause, then suddenly, he laughs, maybe more like a snicker even.Not warmly, a
By the time Langdon finally returns home, the sun is already hanging high in the afternoon sky, the day is as hot as he'd felt when he stormed out this morning.The drive back had felt much longer than the one to Lance’s estate, mostly because his mind had not stopped moving once the entire time. Even now, as he steps into the quiet apartment and shuts the door behind him, it does not feel like he has actually returned home mentally.His gaze drifts slowly around the living room. The throw blanket Tiara had wrapped around herself earlier that morning is still folded over the couch exactly the same way. Her mug still sits on the coffee table, though the tea inside is definitely cold by now. One of her slippers rests carelessly near the edge of the rug while the other is nowhere in sight. There's the most obvious pointer that she'd left shortly after he did... Everything looks untouched.Except her, or the absence of her.Langdon loosens his tie with a tired exhale before tossing his ke
Lance does not move from where he stands, but his presence alone shifts the entire atmosphere of the hallway.He looks composed on the surface, dressed as though he had just stepped out of a boardroom rather than into whatever this is, but there is obviously something as thick as dislike beneath the way he looks at Langdon, and it's not lost on Mavis.His gaze lingers briefly on Mavis before settling fully on Langdon again. “You’re in my house, what an unpleasant surprise."Mavis pauses, looking between the two of them, unsure of what to make of the situation."What's..." She starts but lets her voice die out.Langdon lets out a quiet breath through his nose, straightening his shoulders as he turns to face him fully. There is no hesitation in him, no attempt to soften the situation, not after the phone call, not after everything that has already been said between them.“And you’re acting like you didn’t drag her here without her will, I can tell,” he replies, his voice steady but edg
Langdon does not slow down throughout the drive, his morning meeting very well forgotten.The distance between the city and Lance’s estate stretches long and very familiar, but it has been years since he last made this journey, and nothing about the whole journey feels wholesome, as though every mile is dragging something old and unresolved back to the surface whether he wants to think of it or not.By the time the gates come into view, his jaw is tight enough to ache.The guards step forward immediately, trained and alert, already assessing him before he even fully rolls down the window.“State your business, sir.”Langdon doesn’t bother with unnecessary pleasantries. “I’m Lance’s brother.”There is a brief pause, a flicker of recognition passing between them, followed by a subtle shift in posture that tells him everything he needs to know. The gates begin to open without further delay."Welcome sir, please come in."As he goes in, looking around, he registers that some things, it se
What the start of a day in one is the worsened version of a ruined day in another. While Mavis is a little calmed knowing that there's someone standing in the gap for her out there, in here...The curtains are drawn halfway, letting in just enough light to soften the room without fully waking it. The city outside hums faintly in the distance, cars already moving, people already late for something.Langdon adjusts the cuff of his shirt as he steps out of the bedroom, already dressed in preparation for the day. His tie hangs loose around his neck, not yet tightened, his watch sitting perfectly against his wrist. He moves with that same controlled precision he carries everywhere, every action deliberate, every second accounted for. He also has a business to run and it's not going to move without him, not on an important like this one.In the living room, Tiara is curled into the couch, one leg tucked beneath her, a light throw draped lazily over her lap. A mug of cold, forgotten tea sit
After she said that, Lance moves to turn off the TV, letting silence reign in the room before he does anything again, putting his own angry thoughts in order first, before trying to say or do anything that might very well worsen the situation.Mavis stands exactly where she is, her eyes still locked on the television. The screen is black, but it doesn’t matter. The words have already burned themselves into her mind, repeating again and again what they've called her without knowing anything that has happened within the past seven years or anything at all.All the words, "Cheap women... Calculated... Trap..." Everything.They've basically just called her a whore.She exhales shakily, releasing her twisted up fists, but it does nothing to steady her.Lance watches her carefully, every instinct in him split between stepping closer, hugging her, and giving her space, stepping away. He chooses the middle ground, not far away that she can't touch him, not too class that he's invading her per
Charlotte barely remembers walking out of the house in so much anger that her fingers were curled into fists beside her. The front door had closed behind her with a heavy thud, but the echo of Lance’s words still rang loudly in her ears, her mind unable to ungrasp it. "...You were never my future
Mavis holds back a scoff when she recognizes her from the day before.Charlotte on the other hand as well, she pauses when she sees Mavis, right in front of Lance, the space between them quite questionable.The confusion shifts to irritation which also shifts instantly into something possessive.“W
Three hours later, Mavis is sitting at the dining table doing some paperwork. The tears have long dried, but the hollow feeling remains, lodged somewhere between her ribs, making every breath feel slightly too shallow. Nathan has fallen asleep on the couch after cartoons and snacks and questions s
"Yes!" Nathan responded excitedly to the jab disguised as a question.Lance sets his fork down slowly, a small frown creasing his face.The soft clink against the plate sounds louder than it should in the small dining space, and for a moment, that is the only sound between them. Nathan, oblivious t







