LOGINGrief had a way of quieting everything. Susan's funeral was held two days later at Havenbrook Memorial Cemetery. The rain had stopped just before the final prayer, leaving the air damp and heavy, as though even the sky had grown tired of grieving.Chelsea stood among the mourners, at the edge of the grave, her black dress clinging to her like a second skin she could not peel off. Her body felt unnaturally heavy, as if the same soil being shoveled onto her mother’s casket was settling in her own lungs. As the first handful of earth hit the wood with a hollow thud, her heart shredded. She pressed her fingers into her palms, grounding herself in the sharp sting. But it did nothing to stop the tears that spilled freely now, hot and relentless.All the hope, all the effort. Gone.If her mother had been strong… if she had not fallen ill… if they had never come to New York—Then she would never have met Davis.And none of this would be happening.Her mother would still be here, guiding her
The moment the car doors shut, Davis was already halfway to the entrance.His strides were long, impatient—his fingers yanking loose the knot of his tie as though it were choking him. By the time he pushed the door open, the tension around him felt almost visible.Amber and Queen followed closely behind their heels clicking a frantic, rhythmic percussion against the polished floor.Amber's voice was low and urgent, though Davis was clearly in a totally different headspace. He was worried about Chelsea.“I honestly did not know she was coming,” Amber was saying quickly, trying to keep pace with him. “She showed up unannounced. I think you indulged her with those impromptu visits, and she still had that VIP card. That’s what granted her access beyond the primary checkpoint.”“She had a VIP card?” Queen interjected incredulously.Amber nodded, slightly breathless. “Yes, ma’am. But don’t worry—I retrieved it. We also ran a check to be sure she doesn’t have any other company property.”Que
Everybody spoke of the Dylan family with a cautious, awe-inspired reverence. Her father had warned her they did not love like average people; Davis himself had described the Dylan Corp not as a mere building, but as a fortress designed to protect a curated public image. People thought twice before crossing their path. But as Chelsea sat on the bathroom floor, the haze finally cleared from her eyes. The horror of her dilemma brought a brutal clarity. She remembered that she had witnessed their capacity for ruin firsthand. Davis had been ready to discard her father’s career without a second thought. Paddy, as disgusting as he was, had seen his professional life snuffed out in a heartbeat once Queen Dylan set her sights on him. Then there was Robert— Robert’s downfall had been so complete it left no room for questions, only caution. Knowledge of these things was supposed to instill fear, but instead, Chelsea was consumed by a white-hot rage. It was so convenient of him to lead her on, t
By the end of the week, the world had failed to tilt back onto its axis. The sun rose and set with an indifferent rhythm that Chelsea found offensive. Nothing had changed. The long, revelatory text from Davis hadn't been a bridge; it had been a headstone. He had dumped her without a tangible reason. Her father’s bitter warnings echoed in the hollow chambers of her chest: These people were not capable of love. They were built of marble and frozen trauma, and she was merely a girl who had tried to warm a statue.The heartbreak began to manifest physically. Chelsea became a translucent shadow of the girl who had once walked the hospital halls with a quick smile. Her scrubs seemed to hang heavier on her frame, and her skin took on a sallow, waxen quality. The light in her eyes hadn't just dimmed; it had been snuffed out. She still did her work, still smiled when necessary—but it was mechanical now. Forced. Her laughter, when it came, sounded unfamiliar. There was a new fear in her heart.
Chelsea didn’t move for a long time. She sat on the edge of her bed, the glowing screen of her phone casting a clinical, blue light over her tear-stained face. She had spent days starving for a word from him, and now that it was here, the sheer volume of it was overwhelming. She gave herself hope. Maybe everything she had been telling herself—the waiting, the patience, the belief that he would come back—had not been foolish after all.Chelsea,I don’t know how to start this, so I’ll just say it the way it is.You’ve been asking about my father. About why things are the way they are. I thought I should tell you. I think I owe you that much.Chelsea’s breath slowed as her eyes moved across the words. This wasn’t what she expected.Still, she kept reading.---I wasn’t always this… detached about him.There was a time I admired him. I was a child, so of course I did. He was larger than life—successful, powerful, always surrounded by people who treated him like he mattered. I thought that
Chelsea did not remember how she got home.One moment she was on the road, her knees weak, her chest tight with a pain she could not name—and the next, João had returned to escort her into the car and taking her home. Davis was not with him.Her room felt unfamiliar somehow. The same butterfly stickers still clung to the wall, the same soft curtains swayed gently with the evening breeze, but everything felt… off. Like the world had tilted slightly and refused to right itself again.She blinked slowly.Davis would call.That was the first thought that came, steady and certain.He always did.The first twenty-four hours were a blur of static. Chelsea sat on the edge of her bed in the new, staring at the beige walls with wide, unblinking eyes as if it held answers she desperately needed.It didn’t.Nothing did.It was all like a cruel vivid dream to her. Every time a car slowed down on the street outside, she stilled to listen, hoping to hear his voice, hoping to wake from the bad dream
Time had passed and Chelsea and her dad had been able to put differences aside and live together, but it was hardly the same. The air of tension hung above them like a heavy fog, and their talks were relegated to necessary questions and updates. It was a sterile, functional existence. That tension
“Amber, cancel the rest of my meetings for today. I have...important things to attend to," Davis selected his words over the phone. “I'll be leaving.”An affirmative “Noted, sir” from Amber was satisfactory enough for him to hang up. “I'm sorry if I am causing any inconvenience. If you want...”“I
“Boss, someone is here to see you.”Amber’s voice cut through the heavy silence in Davis’s office.He leaned back in his swivel chair, loosening his tie as he exhaled slowly. The meeting with Chief Fergus Oldstone had drained what little patience he had left for the day.“You know I just finished w
Elena’s voice cut through Chelsea’s thoughts like a soft knock on glass.“Chelsea?”She looked up, startled, realizing she had been stirring the same spoon through her soup for far too long. Lunch had come and almost gone, and she had barely tasted a thing.Elena studied her with gentle concern. “Y







