“I’ll be gone for a few days,” Elena said over breakfast, her tone smooth, casual. The clink ofsilver against porcelain filled the silence between them.Alex didn’t look up from his phone. “Work?”“Yes. A board meeting. Chicago.”“Take the jet,” he murmured, scrolling.She smiled faintly, sipping her coffee. “I’ll manage.”Inside, her stomach twisted. She wasn’t going to Chicago. She wasn’t going anywhere. Shewould be right here, in the city, watching him.Elena’s heels clicked against the pavement as she crossed the street, suitcase in hand, coatcinched tight. The lie still tasted bitter in her mouth: Chicago, board meeting, back in a fewdays. Alex had barely kissed her goodbye. He hadn’t even looked up from his phone.Her car was waiting, driverless. She slid into the backseat and shut the door, but instead oftelling the car to head toward the airport, she leaned forward and whispered, “Take me home.”The AI navigation chimed, turning her lie into motion.Elena sat back, heart 
 Last Updated : 2025-09-29
Last Updated : 2025-09-29