The Boss’s Darkest Demand のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 21 - チャプター 30

Calliope had barely made it through the day. She’d buried herself in work, avoiding every message from Atlas, every reminder of what she saw. That kiss. That moment where the ground fell out from under her feet. She hadn’t slept. She hadn’t eaten. Just moved through the hours like a ghost, her body going through the motions while her mind replayed every lie she hadn’t realized was a lie until now. When the knock came at her door, she didn’t move. She sat frozen on the couch, one hand absently splayed across her belly, thumb tracing invisible circles. Another knock, this time sharper. Harsher. And then a voice. “Calliope. I know you’re in there.” Her breath caught in her throat. It was her. The ex. The woman whose lips had been on Atlas the night Calliope had planned to tell him he was going to be a father. That voice was too polished, too steady. It didn’t belong outside her apartment. It didn’t belong in her life at all. S

The elevator was stifling, a metal box that shrank with every heartbeat. The soft hum of the machinery was the only sound besides the sharp rhythm of my breathing. I could feel Atlas’s presence beside me like heat radiating, close enough that every small movement he made sent ripples through the tight air between us. His eyes—dark, searching—were fixed on mine, as if he was trying to decode a language only he understood. The way he looked at me now wasn’t the warm, familiar gaze I had known before. It was cautious, wounded, and more than a little desperate. I wanted to tell him everything. To spill the secret I’d been guarding so fiercely—the tiny life growing inside me, the three heartbeats I carried like fragile promises. But I couldn’t. Not yet. Not like this. Instead, I held onto the lie that was easier to bear. “I don’t know what to say,” he said quietly, voice low enough that the space between us felt charged with everything left unsaid.

The office was a hive of activity, buzzing with the constant drone of voices, ringing phones, and the tapping of keys. Despite the controlled chaos around me, I felt a quiet storm raging inside—a tempest of doubt, fear, and heartbreak that no amount of noise could drown out. I stared blankly at the computer screen, the words on the document blurring into indecipherable shapes. My fingers hovered hesitantly over the keyboard, unable to summon the focus or willpower to work. Every few seconds, I glanced nervously toward the entrance, half-expecting him to walk in—knowing at the same time I didn’t want that to happen. I had convinced myself that keeping my distance was the only way to protect myself. Avoiding him was my shield against the pain of betrayal, the sting of that kiss I’d witnessed, and the ex’s venomous declaration that they were getting married. But with each passing day, that shield felt more like a cage. My breath caught when a shadow fell a

The next morning, my alarm dragged me out of a restless sleep. My head felt heavy, like I’d spent the night running instead of lying in bed. The memory of last night clung stubbornly to me—the soft crunch of footsteps behind me, the way the hair on my arms had risen even though I’d told myself it was just nerves.I sat on the edge of my bed, holding my mug of coffee in both hands like it was the only thing keeping me upright. The clock told me I was already running behind, but my body wasn’t interested in moving any faster. I kept replaying the image of a dark silhouette in my peripheral vision, and every time, my stomach tightened.By the time I made it to the office, the overhead lights felt too bright. The low hum of computers and the steady clatter of keyboards should have been comforting—familiar—but instead, it made my skin itch. I scanned the space automatically, noting who was already here. Atlas wasn’t at his desk. My heart wanted to sag in relief, but my brain remi

The envelope was gone by morning.I checked the park bench from my kitchen window while sipping bitter coffee, scanning for any trace of it. Nothing. No paper fluttering in the breeze, no shadow of the man from last night.It should have eased my mind. Instead, it made me more unsettled. Whoever left it had come back. Whoever left it knew where I lived.By the time I made it to the office, I’d smoothed my hair, fixed my makeup, and built the mask I wore around Atlas. The one that made it look like I was fine—just another Tuesday, no shadows in my hallway, no phantom footsteps at night.But my mask cracked the second I stepped into the main floor.She was there again.The ex.Her back was to me as she leaned over Atlas’s desk, her hand resting just a little too casually on the edge of his chair. The sound of her laugh curled in the air like smoke. She looked polished, flawless—perfect dark hair pulled into a twist, a diamond on her finger catching the ligh