MasukNATHANIELI spend almost the entire day in a boardroom, surrounded by men who speak in numbers and expectations, each carrying weight that stretches far beyond these walls.Acquisitions are debated, projections challenged, and the upcoming real estate project is pulled apart piece by piece until there is nothing left to question.By the time we get to the final vote, I have already said everything that needs to be said. William Cavendish is no longer a possibility, but a decision.One by one, the board members raise their hands, and just like that, he becomes an investor.I lean back slightly in my chair, my expression neutral, but my mind already moving ahead, calculating what this is going to cost me. Because he will.I step out of the room, the weight of the day settling into my shoulders, and stop briefly by my secretary’s desk, my tone clipped and efficient.“Forward anything that needs my attention to my email. I’ll go through it later tonight.”She nods quickly, already typing,
NATHANIELI am in Harriette’s garden with the tablet balanced on my thigh, the glow from the screen cutting through the quiet like it has something to prove.The sun is sinking slowly behind the hedges, dragging the last of the daylight with it, but the garden remains lit in that deliberate, curated way Harriette prefers, casting long shadows across the roses.It is quiet. Too quiet.But I prefer it this way, because the study has started to feel suffocating, the walls closing in every time I sit in that chair and remember everything that is currently unraveling in my life.Out here, at least, there is space, and my thoughts feel contained, even if only barely.There is a bottle of whiskey on the table beside me, already opened, and used more than it should be, with a glass poured, waiting.I reach for it, take a measured sip, and let the burn settle in my chest before I bring my attention back to the screen.I zoom in again, and the footage sharpens just enough to tease clarity, but
BETTYMrs. Marshall exhales softly, relief washing over her features as she reaches for my hand, her fingers wrapping around mine in a firm, grateful squeeze.Validation. She got what she needed.“I suppose you will be the one hosting the monthly tea parties now,” the same woman continues, her tone lighter now, almost amused as she gestures upward. “I mean… look at that chandelier.”Her hand lifts slightly, pointing toward the fixture above the dining table, the crystals catching the light in soft, calculated reflections.“And this table… these chairs…”“Oh, do settle down,” another woman interjects with a quiet chuckle. “We all have eyes. We can see.”A ripple of soft laughter follows, and just like that, the tension in the room shifts.They then move naturally, like a single unit, and turn toward the bedrooms as their voices lower to quiet murmurs, their heels clicking softly against the floor as they disappear down the hallway.I stay where I am, my fingers tightening slightly agai
BETTYI am standing in the middle of Mrs. Marshal's penthouse in disbelief, my arms loosely folded, my eyes moving slowly across the space like I am seeing it for the first time.The redesign is finally done, and she is coming this afternoon for the final walkthrough.She hasn’t been here all week, since she left the country with her husband to celebrate their twentieth anniversary.Twenty years. The number lingers longer than it should, pressing quietly against something I don’t quite want to examine.I wonder what it takes to hit such a milestone. What you have to forgive, or ignore, to survive.My lips press together as I exhale softly and push the thought away.The contractors cleared out earlier, their loud presence replaced by the soft, efficient movements of the cleaning crew as they move from room to room, wiping, polishing, and perfecting.I trail behind them at a distance, my eyes catching the smallest details, making sure nothing is overlooked, because today is not about “g
NATHANIELHe frowns slightly. “What?”“That I must be confusing you with someone else,” my voice lowers. “Say it again. Slowly this time.”Something shifts in his expression.He studies, properly this time, his eyes scanning my face, my posture, the way I am standing there without moving, without raising my voice, and without giving him anything to push against.“I said I don’t…”I close the distance in two strides, and my hand shoots out, grabbing the front of his shirt, slamming him against the side of the car hard enough to rattle the metal.The sound echoes in the empty space, his breath leaving him in a sharp gasp.“Don’t,” I snap, my voice low, controlled, dangerously calm, “waste my time.”He stares at me, eyes wide now, the bravado slipping. “I don’t—”My grip tightens, my fist bunching the fabric at his chest as I lean in just enough for him to feel the difference between us.“You think I drove all the way out here, because I am confused?” My voice drops further.His throat b
NATHANIEL.Trent Prescott. An unremarkable name for an even more unremarkable man.Age thirty-eight. Divorced. No children. Owner of a failing garage and a gas station that looks like it should have been shut down years ago.A couple of arrests for drunk driving and speeding, nothing major, just enough to tell me exactly the kind of man he is.Careless. Desperate. Cheap.I stare down at the file resting on my lap, my thumb pressing against the edge hard enough to bend the paper slightly.It took the private investigator three days to find him. Three days to dig through whatever pathetic life this man has built for himself and hand me everything I needed, including an address.I am parked across the road, my engine off, my eyes fixed on the gas station in front of me.It looks abandoned. The paint on the walls is chipped and fading, the signage is barely hanging on, and the windows are dusty enough that I have to squint just to see inside.In the forty-five minutes I have been sitting
BETTYThe driver slows to a stop in front of Grace’s school, and I take a deep breath before stepping out of the car.The afternoon sun is soft, and the air hums with laughter as children spill out from their buses, dragging small suitcases and waving to their parents.I scan the crowd, my eyes dar
BETTYMy hair whips across my face, the breeze brushing over my cheeks as we glide down the long road into town.Rhys has one hand on the steering wheel, the other resting lazily on the edge of the window, and he looks impossibly calm, like the world outside the car belongs to him.Every now and the
NATHANIEL.I drum my fingers on the table, each tap louder, sharper, and more deliberate.The air in the boardroom feels heavy, and the soft hum of air conditioner does nothing to cut through the tension crawling under my skin.Across from me, Rhys sits like he owns the room—leaned back, one arm dr
BETTYI couldn’t bring myself to enter the house once I got home.I sank onto the steps leading to the main door, and I’ve been sitting here for what feels like hours, staring at the empty driveway, waiting.Grace and Nathaniel still haven’t shown up, and it’s almost five o’clock.I glance at the w







