The Morning She Never Came

Morning light poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Cassian’s penthouse, spilling across the polished hardwood floor in long, pale streaks.

A dull ache throbbed behind his eyes.

He frowned as he slowly opened them, staring at the unfamiliar angle of the ceiling above him. For a few seconds, he didn’t move. He tried to piece together how he had ended up here.

Then the night returned in fragments.

The board meeting. The investors. Dinner. Glass after glass raised in polite celebration. Smiles he didn’t fully return. Conversations he barely registered.

After that... nothing.

He exhaled slowly and rubbed a hand over his face before sitting up. His suit from the night before was neatly folded over a chair. A glass of water and a bottle of aspirin waited on the bedside table.

Jace.

He didn’t need to ask. His assistant always anticipated the aftermath.

Cassian reached for his phone. The lock screen lit up immediately.

Tuesday, 8:42 a.m.

And then it hit him. Their anniversary.

A faint, almost guilty smile tugged at his mouth.

Isla was probably upset. She had every right to be. He had promised her dinner, just the two of them. Instead, he had spent the evening entertaining investors who didn’t care about anything beyond profit margins.

He opened their message thread. The last message was his.

I’ll call you later.

He frowned slightly. Had he called her? He couldn’t remember.

He dialed her number. It rang once, twice, three times. No answer.

He lowered the phone, exhaling softly, a faint amused smile returning. “You’re making me work for this one,” he murmured.

Fair enough. He deserved it.

After a quick shower and a couple of aspirin, Cassian got dressed and headed down to Vega Tower.

The building was already awake.

Assistants moved briskly through the corridors, tablets in hand. Phones rang behind glass doors. Reception staff greeted him as he crossed the executive floor, their voices blending into the usual morning rhythm of the company.

Jace was waiting outside his office, as always, tablet in one hand, coffee in the other.

“Good morning, sir,” Jace said.

“Morning.”

Jace handed him the coffee. “How are you feeling?”

Cassian took it gratefully. “I’ve had better mornings.”

“I can imagine.”

They stepped inside together. Jace laid the day’s schedule on the desk. “You have the shipping consortium at ten, followed by the logistics committee at one.”

Cassian nodded absently, already unlocking his phone again. Still nothing from Isla.

He tried calling once more, but it went straight to voicemail. The faint smile he had been holding onto slowly faded.

Jace watched him for a moment before speaking carefully. “Sir...”

Cassian looked up. “What is it?”

Jace hesitated. “I wasn’t sure if I should mention this.”

Cassian’s expression sharpened slightly. “Then don’t hesitate. Say it.”

“I think Miss Isla came by your office last night.”

The words settled strangely in the quiet room.

Cassian slowly lowered his phone. “What?”

Jace nodded. “I saw her leaving.”

Cassian didn’t respond at first. His mind searched for context, but nothing made sense.

“When?” he asked finally.

“A little after nine.”

“She came here?” Cassian repeated, slower this time.

“Yes, sir.”

His heartbeat quickened, though he still didn’t know why. “Why?”

“I don’t know, sir.”

Cassian searched his memory again, dinner, wine, whiskey, the elevator ride up, everything after that dissolving into a blur of conversations he couldn’t quite recall.

And then, nothing.

“I don’t remember her being here,” he said quietly.

“I figured,” Jace replied, his tone careful. “I assumed she had already seen you.”

Cassian frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Before I came back upstairs, Miss Isla was just leaving,” he said after a pause. “When I got back up, Ms. Sasha was still inside your office.”

Silence settled between them.

Cassian’s jaw tightened. “Sasha?”

“Yes, sir,” Jace confirmed.

“Why was she here?” His voice dropped, sharper now.

“I assumed she was helping you after dinner,” Jace said cautiously. “You had been drinking. I thought she might have stayed to make sure you were alright.”

Cassian looked away, a faint unease creeping in. Something about it didn’t sit right.

He reached for his phone and called Isla. It rang out in the quiet office. No answer.

He ended the call and tried again. Voicemail. Again, voicemail. A third attempt brought the same result.

His uneasiness deepened. “Did Sasha say anything?” he asked.

Jace shook his head. “No.”

“And Isla?”

“No, sir. I tried calling her when I saw her downstairs, but she didn’t answer either,” Jace added.

Cassian’s grip tightened slightly around his phone. “How did she look?”

Jace thought for a moment. “Quiet.”

“Upset?”

“I couldn’t tell,” Jace admitted.

Cassian closed his eyes for a moment. She had come to surprise him, and somehow, he had completely missed her.

“What time did Sasha leave?” he asked.

“A few minutes after Miss Isla.”

Cassian looked up sharply. “And where were you?”

“Downstairs arranging transport for the foreign investors,” Jace said.

Cassian shook his head. “I’m not blaming you.” He stood abruptly, grabbing his jacket from the chair. “I’ll go see her.”

Before he could reach the door, his phone rang.

Brody.

Cassian answered immediately. “What is it?”

There was a pause, too long.

“Brody?” Cassian pressed again.

His friend’s voice finally came through, tight and controlled. “Where are you?”

“At the office.” Cassian frowned. “Why?”

Another pause. Then, “There’s been an accident.”

Cassian stopped walking. Every muscle in his body went still. “What accident?”

Brody exhaled slowly. “Isla’s car.”

For a moment, the words didn’t make sense.

Cassian let out a short, disbelieving laugh. “What are you talking about?”

“There was an accident late last night,” Brody repeated, steadier this time.

Cassian’s grip tightened around the phone. “No...”

“The police found her car,” Brody continued.

Cassian’s voice dropped. “Where?”

“Raven Bridge.”

The room seemed to tilt, suddenly too small, too airless.

“Where is she?” Cassian asked.

Silence.

Then Brody answered quietly, “They haven’t found her.”

Cassian didn’t move.

“But they recovered the vehicle,” Brody added.

A heavy pulse thundered in Cassian’s ears. “And Isla?”

Brody didn’t answer.

“Brody...” Cassian’s voice broke slightly.

“She wasn’t inside the car. They’re still searching,” Brody said at last.

That was all Cassian needed. He didn’t hesitate. “I’m going there.”

“Cassian...”

He ended the call.

Jace stepped forward immediately. “Sir?”

Cassian looked at him, all color drained from his face. “She never made it home,” he said quietly.

And without another word, he ran toward the elevators.