Too Late To Love Me

Charlotte’s POVFor a few minutes after Alexander walked upstairs, I remained standing in the living room, staring at the staircase. The house suddenly felt too quiet. Normally when he returned from work he would at least ask how my day went or pull me into a brief hug before disappearing into his study. Tonight he had barely looked at me.I glanced toward the kitchen where dinner sat waiting.Even though my chest felt heavy from the hospital visit and his cold reaction, I could not bring myself to leave things that way. Alexander might say he was not hungry, but he had not eaten anything since morning. I knew him well enough to recognize when he was pushing himself too hard.With a small sigh, I walked back into the kitchen and placed his meal neatly on a tray. The aroma of the roasted chicken and vegetables filled the air, but my appetite had completely disappeared.Balancing the tray carefully, I carried it upstairs to our bedroom.The door was slightly open. I pushed it gently w

Alexander’s POVThe day before…When I woke up that morning, the first thing I noticed was the stiffness in my neck.I blinked slowly and stared up at the ceiling of the living room. For a moment I wondered why I was there instead of in my bed. Then the memory returned. I had fallen asleep on the couch sometime after midnight while going through reports on my tablet.The Seattle headquarters project has been occupying most of my thoughts lately. It was not just another corporate building. It was something Charlotte and I had dreamed about together. Her architectural designs combined with my company’s AI systems would create a structure unlike anything the city had seen before.A smart tower that could regulate its own energy consumption, manage internal transportation systems, and respond to environmental conditions in real time.It was supposed to be revolutionary.I sat up slowly and rubbed my eyes.The house was quiet. Charlotte must still have been asleep upstairs.For a moment I