Chapter Thirty: The Gift

I bought the watch on a Tuesday.

I didn't plan it. I was walking past a shop window on my way back from a meeting. I saw it in the display. Simple. Black leather strap. Silver face. Nothing flashy. Nothing that would draw attention.

I stopped. I looked at it. I thought about Adrian. I thought about the way he worked through the night. The way he forgot to eat. The way he never wore anything that wasn't functional.

I walked into the shop. I bought it. I had it wrapped. I didn't write a note.

I left it on his desk that evening while he was in a meeting. I didn't tell him. I just left it there. Then I went to my office and closed the door.

Two hours later, he knocked.

"Come in."

He opened the door. He was wearing the watch. He didn't mention it. He just stood there.

"You left something on my desk," he said.

"I did."

"It's a watch."

"I know."

He looked at it. Then at me. "Why?"

"Because you don't wear one. And you're always checking your phone. It seemed practical."

He didn't respond. He just looked at me. That same unnamed something crossed his face. This time, he didn't hide it.

"Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome."

He stood there for a moment longer. Then he nodded and left.

I watched him go. I didn't smile. But something in my chest shifted. Something warm.

---

The next morning, I found coffee on my desk.

Not from the kitchen. Not from the machine. It was from a café. The one near the office. The one I'd mentioned once, in passing, weeks ago.

I picked up the cup. I looked at it. Then at the door.

Adrian was standing there.

"You left something on my desk," he said. "I thought I'd return the favor."

I looked at the coffee. Then at him.

"How did you know?"

"You mentioned it. Once. I remembered."

I didn't respond. I didn't know how.

He walked to the chair across from my desk. He sat down. He didn't say anything else. He just sat there.

I drank the coffee. It was good. Better than the machine. Better than anything I could have made myself.

"Thank you," I said.

He nodded. He didn't smile. But something in his eyes changed. Something warm.

We sat there. The office hummed. The city moved outside the window.

After a while, he said, "You should eat lunch."

"I'm not hungry."

"You're never hungry."

I looked at him. He looked at me.

"Fine," I said. "I'll eat."

He nodded. He stood. He walked to the door.

"Adrian."

He stopped.

"The watch," I said. "It suits you."

He looked at me. He didn't respond. He just nodded. Then he left.

I sat there. I drank my coffee. I thought about the watch. I thought about the way he'd looked at me.

I didn't know what I was doing. But for the first time in a long time, I didn't mind.

---

That afternoon, Felix found me in the conference room.

"The second account was frozen last night," he said. "Julian didn't notice."

I looked up from the documents. "How much?"

"Two hundred thousand. Small. But it's a start."

"Good."

"But he's getting suspicious. He's hired an investigator. Someone good. Someone who might find things we don't want found."

"Who?"

"A man named Victor Hale."

I stopped. I looked up.

"Victor Hale?"

"You know him?"

I knew him. I knew the name. Victor Hale was my mother's former attorney. The man who had documents. The man who wanted money. The man we hadn't found yet.

"He's not just an investigator," I said. "He's a witness."

Felix frowned. "What?"

"Victor Hale was my mother's attorney. He has evidence about her death. Henry killed her. Victor knows."

Felix's face went pale. "Does Adrian know?"

"He knows the name. He doesn't know Julian hired him."

"This changes things."

"Yes," I said. "It does."

---

I found Adrian in his office. I didn't knock. I just walked in.

"Victor Hale," I said.

He looked up. "What about him?"

"He's the investigator Julian hired."

Adrian set down his pen. He didn't react. He just watched me.

"Does Julian know what Victor has?"

"I don't know. But if Victor is working for Julian, he could turn. He could give Julian the evidence. He could tell him everything we know."

"He could," Adrian said. "Or he could use this as leverage."

"Leverage?"

"He has something Julian wants. And he has something we want. He's in a position to negotiate."

I sat across from him. "We need to get to him first."

"Agreed."

"When?"

"Soon."

I nodded. I stood.

"Elena."

I stopped.

"Are you okay?"

I turned. He was watching me. His face was unreadable.

"I'm fine," I said.

"You don't have to be."

"I know."

I left.

---

That night, I dreamed of falling again.

But this time, I didn't hit the ground. This time, someone caught me. I couldn't see his face. But I knew who it was.

I woke up with my heart pounding. I sat up. I waited for the fear to pass.

It didn't.

I got up. I walked to the living room. Adrian was already there. He didn't ask if I was okay. He just moved over on the couch.

I sat beside him. We stayed there until morning.