All Chapters of Echelon: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Andrew's forty-eight hours in Manila passed in a blur of small gestures that chipped away at Carrie's defenses. Surprise lunches dropped at her office. Coffee delivered exactly the way she liked it, no explanation needed. A quiet presence when she was overwhelmed, a teasing remark when she was too serious.She kept telling herself it was nothing. Just charm. Just a man with too much time on his hands. But her heart, stubborn as ever, betrayed her. Every thoughtful move, every easy grin, every unexpected call chipped away at the armor she had so carefully built.On the last night before his flight back to the U.S., Andrew waited patiently in the lobby of her building while Carrie wrapped up a late meeting. He did not complain, did not pester her with calls or texts. He simply sat with his phone in hand, looking up the moment she arrived."Hungry?" he asked, rising smoothly to meet her."Starving," she admitted, exhaustion giving way to relief at the sight of him.They decided to pass b

Carrie woke up in the morning with her body aching in ways that made her blush just thinking about it. The echo of Andrew’s touch lingered on her skin, the memory of his lips still seared into her. She lay in bed for a full minute staring at the ceiling, trying to catch her breath and trying just as hard to erase the stupid smile that kept tugging at her lips. Her muscles protested when she reached for her phone, and she felt the soreness everywhere. Every brush of fabric against her skin sent sparks of memory through her mind.She shook her head as she dressed for work, muttering under her breath."Get it together, Carrie."She told herself it was just sex. A lapse in judgment. A collision of history and desire. But the warmth that spread through her chest whenever she replayed his smile, his words, the way he had kissed her goodbye, it was something far more dangerous.The danger wasn’t in what happened. It was in how she felt. She could pretend it was physical, that it was closure,

The private room was silent except for their uneven breaths, the only sound a frantic, beautiful symphony of two people who had waited too long. The candles flickered softly on the mahogany table, casting dancing shadows that shielded their intimacy, and the vast, tranquil lake glimmered below the window, offering an indifferent backdrop to the storm brewing inside. But all Carrie could feel, utterly and completely, was Andrew, the heavy, anchoring weight of his body against hers, the raw, demanding heat in his eyes as if he had been genuinely starving for this contact.He kissed her again, a deep, consuming kiss that was rougher this time, less of a question and more of an answer. His hand, warm and firm, slid purposefully along the curve of her spine, pressing her closer to the heat of his desire. A small, involuntary gasp escaped her lips when he suddenly turned her, guiding her subtly toward the sturdy, wrought-iron railing that enclosed the small balcony. Her palms flattened inst

Weeks slipped by after Tagaytay. Carrie tried to throw herself into work at Echelon, determined to bury the chaos Andrew had stirred. She kept her replies to his calls short, her tone clipped, her walls carefully rebuilt brick by brick. She convinced herself it was working.But Andrew was relentless.A book she once mentioned appeared on her desk without a note. Her favorite pastries arrived in the mornings, warm and perfectly timed. Texts came at odd hours, teasing, thoughtful, and always signed with a smug emoji that made her roll her eyes. And then, one Friday evening, he went further than she could have imagined.Carrie had barely shut down her laptop when Andrew leaned on her office doorway, his grin lazy and dangerous."Pack a bag," he said.She blinked. "Excuse me?""Pack a bag. Weekend trip."Carrie crossed her arms. "Andrew, I have work. Deadlines. Meetings."He stepped inside, closing the door behind him as if to shut out all her excuses. "You're the editor-in-chief, Carrie.

Carrie had been pushing herself too hard again. Endless deadlines, skipped meals, nights that bled into mornings. It caught up to her one humid Friday evening when her body gave in to a stomach flu that landed her in the hospital.The fluorescent lights overhead buzzed faintly, harsh and cold, nothing like the warm glow of her office or the safe dimness of home. She shivered beneath scratchy hospital sheets, her skin clammy with fever. Every muscle ached. Even breathing felt like a task.Sofia and Damien fussed over her as the nurse adjusted her IV. Carrie, pale and shivering under the blanket, could only whisper one request."Call Andrew."Her voice was thin, barely audible. Damien exchanged a glance with Sofia, both of them nodding immediately. It wasn’t even a question. Of course Andrew should be there. Of course he would be.He would come. He always did. Andrew had been constant these past months, unrelenting in his presence, steady even when the world whispered about them. She dr