جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 50

Leah’s POV The ride back to the office is thick with silence, pressing in on me from all sides. The warmth from lunch has completely evaporated, replaced by something colder—something I can’t quite name but can feel in the way Dwight’s grip tightens around the steering wheel.I shouldn’t have said anything.Dwight’s eyes stay locked on the road, his jaw tight, his posture rigid. The easy camaraderie we had shared earlier is gone, replaced by an unbearable distance that makes my stomach twist.I shift in my seat, crossing my arms. The tension is suffocating, and I can’t take it anymore.I turn to him. “Are you going to say something, or are we just going to pretend that conversation never happened?”His fingers flex against the steering wheel. “What do you want me to say, Leah?” His voice is calm, but there’s an edge beneath it.I frown. “I don’t know. Maybe anything other than complete avoidance?”He exhales sharply, his knuckles whitening as he grips the wheel. “Why did you tell me?

Leah’s POV I don’t wait until tomorrow to call Cece. Instead, I find myself driving to her apartment that evening.The city lights blur past me as I navigate through familiar streets, my fingers tightening around the steering wheel. Nerves press against my ribs, but I push them down. I have to do this. I have to face her.When I pull up outside her building, I hesitate, gripping the wheel a little tighter. What if she doesn’t want to see me? What if she’s still angry?I shake my head. No. Cece isn’t like that. Even if I hurt her, she wouldn’t turn me away.With a deep breath, I step out of the car and make my way up to her door. The hallway is quiet, the only sound the faint hum of a nearby streetlamp. My pulse pounds in my ears as I raise my hand and knock.For a moment, nothing.Then, footsteps.The door swings open, and there she is—Cece.She looks at me with a neutral expression at first, her arms crossed over her chest. But then her eyes flick over my face, and something softens

Leah’s POV Monday arrives faster than I expect, dragging me back into the relentless rhythm of work. As I step into the office, the weight of everything—my fractured relationship with Ethan, the unease in my chest whenever Mr. Spencer is near—settles heavily on my shoulders. But I push it down. This is my job. This is what I do. And I refuse to let personal feelings interfere.The morning moves quickly, emails stacking up, tasks piling on. But the moment I see the meeting reminder flash across my screen, my stomach tightens.Conference Room A. 11:00 AM. Campaign Planning with Mr. Spencer.I inhale deeply, straightening my posture. There’s no avoiding him—not when our companies are tied so closely together for this project. And certainly not when I still have a role to fulfill.By the time I step into the conference room, most of the team is already seated. Mr. Spencer is at the head of the long table, his expression unreadable as he scrolls through something on his tablet."Miss Carr

Leah’s POV I slip into the driver’s seat, fingers gripping the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles turn white. The car feels like a lifeline, an anchor in a sea of chaos. The engine roars to life beneath me, and for a split second, I’m caught in the rhythm of it—the deep hum, the smooth vibration of the car’s power. But that moment of calm is fleeting. As soon as I pull out of the parking lot, the weight of everything presses in on me again. The building shrinks in my rearview mirror, but I don’t feel lighter. I don’t feel free. I feel exhausted.The pressure in my chest hasn’t lessened. It’s suffocating—the kind of pressure you get from holding your breath too long, as if at any moment, something will crack. A shiver runs through me, not from the cold, but from the sheer force of what I just did. I should be relieved, right? I should feel like a weight’s been lifted. But right now, I only feel hollow.I press the button on the steering wheel and dial Cece’s number. My thumb h

Leah’s POVAs the plane ascends, I should feel something—relief, excitement, maybe even peace. Instead, all I feel is the weight of everything I left behind pressing down on me, thick and suffocating.The city below shrinks, becoming nothing but a blur of lights and shadows. My past is down there—my father, Dwight, Ethan, my job, my entire life. I should feel free now that it’s all behind me, but I don’t.Even in the spacious comfort of my first-class seat, I can’t relax. I shift, adjusting the plush blanket over my lap, but it doesn’t help. My mind won’t stop racing, won’t stop replaying every moment that led me here.A flight attendant stops beside me, her polite smile unwavering. “Ms. Carrington, would you like anything? A drink, perhaps? Some coffee?”I put on a little bit of smile, I shake my head, barely looking at her. “No, thank you.”She nods, stepping away without another word.I watch her disappear down the aisle, her movements fluid and practiced, attending to other passen