Semua Bab The Sin Between US : Bab 81 - Bab 90

The next morning came faster than I’d hoped. After barely four hours of sleep, I had to rush back home to change my dress. I was back at the office in a twinkling of an eye, dressed in a crisp navy blazer and white blouse. My hair was pulled into a low bun, and I’d used just enough concealer to hide the exhaustion under my eyes. I skipped my usual lip gloss. There wasn’t time. Not when the department was still knee-deep in the unresolved issue.By 9 a.m., the team had filed into the meeting room for a debrief. Most of them looked a little more rested than last night, though not by much. A few nursed coffee cups like lifelines, others sat with slouched shoulders and tired eyes fixed on their screens.I stood at the front, flipping through the slides I’d thrown together summarizing what we’d uncovered. Some of the data inconsistencies had been resolved. But not the one that mattered, the one that had the client threatening to walk."We’re narrowing it down,'' I said, keeping my voice st

The apartment was too quiet when we got back. I barely registered Favour tossing her bag on the couch or Gift kicking off her shoes with that familiar tired sigh. I didn’t stop to talk. I just walked straight to the shower, needing to wash the day off me, like the whole thing had been coated in grime I couldn’t shake off.As the water hit my back, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. Steam curled around me, blurring the edges of the bathroom mirror, of my thoughts. For once, my mind didn’t race. No campaigns. No deadlines. No pending voice notes or texts I didn’t want to answer. Just heat. Stillness. The kind of quiet that didn’t demand anything from me.But even there, behind closed doors, I could faintly hear the sound of voices. Muffled. Low.I stayed longer than I needed to.By the time I stepped out, wrapped in a towel, my hair damp and clinging to my skin, I felt it—the shift. The air in the apartment had changed.There was a low hum, like a video playing on som

The office was still when I arrived. The halls hadn’t filled with chatter yet. No heels clicked against the tile. No phones rang. The air was still stale from overnight silence, and the fluorescent lights hummed above me like they were waking up, too.I walked in alone, my coat folded over one arm, laptop bag slung over my shoulder. The elevator ride up had been quiet, and I’d stared at my reflection in the mirrored walls the whole time, wondering who exactly was looking back.I didn’t stop by the break room. Didn’t grab coffee. I headed straight to my office, flipped on the lights, and dropped my things on the desk.It was just past 7:00 a.m.Within twenty minutes, I had reports spread across my table, data sheets open on my laptop, and a notepad filled with red pen scribbles. Such an headache. I was already knee-deep in the campaign crisis that had disrupted the whole department.“You beat me here?” I heard a voice, light but curious.I didn’t look up because I know it's my secetar

The early morning air bit at my skin the moment I stepped out of my car. I tightened my grip around my tablet and pulled my coat closer, my gaze lifting to the towering glass building ahead. It loomed just as it always did, yet today, it felt different. Maybe because I was different. Not healed. Not whole. But breathing. Moving. That counted for something.The office was quieter than usual at this hour. Just the low hum of the cleaning staff finishing up and the occasional clatter of a cart against the tiled floors. I liked it this way, the stillness gave me a chance to gather myself before the day demanded too much.I offered a small nod to the security guard at the front desk, the familiar smile he returned giving me a tiny jolt of warmth I didn’t realize I needed. I stepped into the elevator alone, watching my reflection in the mirrored walls as the doors slid shut. Hair neatly pulled back. Makeup minimal. Expression calm.I looked... unfamiliar. But maybe that wasn’t such a bad th

The late afternoon sun dipped low, throwing tired golden shadows across the driveway as I slid into my car.For a moment, I just sat there, fingers wrapped tightly around the steering wheel, feeling like the whole world was holding its breath with me. My mind was a chaotic swirl of doubts and battered hope, battling inside my chest.Was I doing the right thing? Would he even want to see me?A bitter voice whispered harshly in the back of my mind, "He definitely won't want to."The thought clawed at my heart, but even that wasn’t enough to turn me back. My hand shook slightly as I turned the key in the ignition, the car grumbling to life. I exhaled slowly, steadying myself, and pulled out onto the street.The drive to Ethan's house blurred past in a haze of colors and sounds I barely registered. The city drifted by like an ignored slideshow people crossing streets, traffic lights changing, motorbikes weaving between cars. All of it felt distant, muted, like I was sealed behind some inv