CHAPTER 31

MayaI gave Adrian my answer three days later.We met at his office. Neutral ground. Professional setting. Except there was nothing professional about what we were discussing."I have been thinking about your offer," I said, sitting across from his desk. "To move in together."Adrian set down his pen. Gave me his full attention. "And?""And I want to say yes. But I need conditions.""Conditions." He smiled. "Of course you do. What are they?""First, we keep a clear separation between business and personal. If we fight at home, it does not affect our work. If we disagree professionally, it does not come home with us.""Agreed. What else?""Second, I need my own space. A room that is just mine. Somewhere I can go when I need to think or work or just exist alone.""Done. I have a penthouse with five bedrooms. Pick whichever one you want." He leaned forward. "What else?""Third, if this does not work, if we realize we moved too fast, we end it cleanly. No drama. No making it complicated.

Last Updated : 2025-12-27

CHAPTER 32

DavidFour weeks into painting and something broke.Not broke badly. Just broke open. Like a shell cracking to let something new emerge.I sat in Dr. Chen's office with my notebook full of letters. Letters to my past self. Letters to Grace. Letters to Maya that I would never send."Read me the one to Grace," Dr. Chen said.I flipped pages. Found it. Started reading."Dear Grace. You died three months ago. I did not go to your funeral. I know that makes me a terrible person. But I need you to understand something. I used you. For years, I used your illness as a shield against intimacy. I made you my priority so I did not have to be vulnerable with Maya. I turned your genuine need into my emotional avoidance. And I am sorry for that. You deserved better. You deserved someone who cared for you without using you as an excuse. I hope you found peace. I hope you knew, despite everything, that I cared. Just not in the way either of us pretended I did."I stopped reading. Looked at Dr. Chen.

Last Updated : 2025-12-27

CHAPTER 33

MayaThe partnership launch was scheduled for two weeks.I sat in the Frost Enterprises boardroom with Adrian and both our executive teams. The energy was electric. This was it. The moment we had been building toward for months."Marketing is ready," Adrian's CMO said. "We have coordinated press releases. Exclusive interviews lined up. Social media campaign prepared. The launch event is booked for the Harbor City Convention Center.""Lawson side?" Adrian looked at me."All divisions are prepared. Product integration is complete. Supply chain is optimized. Our teams have been working around the clock." I pulled up our presentation. "We are ready.""Good." Adrian smiled. "Because Harbor City is watching. This launch will set the tone for everything we build together."After the meeting, Adrian and I stayed behind in the boardroom."How are you feeling?" he asked. "About the launch. About everything.""Nervous. Excited. Like we are about to jump off a cliff and hope we built our wings c

Last Updated : 2025-12-29

CHAPTER 34

DavidFive weeks of coffee shops changed something fundamental.I had become a regular at the bookstore café. The owner, Marcus, knew my order. Black coffee. Whatever pastry was left from the morning. A table by the window where I could watch Harbor City move without being part of it."You are here early," Marcus said, pouring my coffee. "Usually you come around ten.""Could not sleep. Thought I would paint instead. Then decided coffee sounded better.""How is the painting going?""Terrible. But consistently terrible. That feels like progress."Marcus laughed. "Consistency is underrated. Most people give up before they get consistently bad at something."I took my coffee to the window table. Opened the book about impressionists. Read about Cézanne's obsession with painting Mont Sainte-Victoire. Over sixty paintings of the same mountain. Different angles. Different light. The same subject endlessly explored.Maybe that was the point. Not to paint something new. But to see the same thi

Last Updated : 2025-12-30

CHAPTER 35

MayaThe emergency meeting convened within the hour.Adrian arrived with his CFO and head of security. His expression was controlled, but I saw the tension in his shoulders. He knew something. I was certain now."Thank you for coming so quickly," I said, closing the conference room door. Both executive teams filled the room. Sophie distributed copies of the leaked documents."Someone has been leaking confidential partnership information to our competitors," I began. "Strategic details, financial projections, launch timelines. Everything we have been building for months."The room erupted. Questions. Accusations. Panic."When did this happen?" Adrian's CFO asked."The documents showed up in a competitor's presentation yesterday. Word for word from our internal materials." I looked directly at Adrian. "Only senior leadership from both companies had access to these files."Adrian met my gaze. Something passed between us. An understanding. A confirmation.He knew. He had known."How many

Last Updated : 2026-01-05

CHAPTER 36

AdrianMaya walked out of the conference room and I stood there feeling like I had just destroyed everything.She was right. I should have told her. Should have trusted her with the truth instead of trying to protect her from it.But the look on her face when I showed her those names. The betrayal. The pain. I had wanted to spare her that.And instead I had become exactly what she feared. Another man who kept secrets. Another partner who decided what she could handle.My head of security, Steven Blake, appeared at my elbow."Sir, we need to discuss next steps. If the leak is from Lawson Corporation, we need to move quickly before more damage is done.""Not now, Steven.""Sir, with respect, the launch is in two weeks. Every day we wait is another day for information to get out."He was right. But all I could think about was the way Maya looked at me. Like I had broken something fundamental between us."Give me an hour," I said. "Then we will strategize."I went back to my office. Sat