All Chapters of Shadows Between Us : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The rain-slicked streets of the city glistened like a shattered mirror beneath the streetlights, reflecting neon signs and blurred silhouettes of hurried strangers. Ethan Blackwood pulled his black coat tighter around himself as he stepped out of the car, the cold biting through the fabric and settling deep in his bones. He hated nights like this. Hated the noise, the chaos, the way crowds pressed too close, invading carefully guarded personal space.People brushed past him, umbrellas colliding overhead, laughter and chatter rising above the steady patter of rain. The sharp scent of wet asphalt mixed with expensive perfume made his head ache. He preferred control. Order. Silence.But tonight, escape wasn’t an option.The gallery opening loomed ahead glass walls glowing warmly against the dark evening. A networking event masquerading as a cultural celebration. Ethan exhaled slowly, straightened his posture, and slipped on the expression he had perfected over years: calm, distant, untou

Ethan didn’t expect to see Kai Rivera again so soon.He was already tense when the elevator doors slid shut behind him late morning, glass walls, steel and silence. The building hummed with quiet efficiency, the kind Ethan thrived in. Today, it barely registered.Then the elevator lurched.Lights flickered once. Twice.And stopped.A sharp jolt ran through the cabin before everything went still.“Perfect,” Ethan muttered under his breath.A second later, the silence was broken by a familiar voice far too calm, far too amused.“Well,” Kai said lightly, “this feels intentional.”Ethan turned slowly.Kai stood against the opposite wall, hands tucked into his jacket pockets, camera slung over his shoulder like always as if fate itself hadn’t cornered them in a steel box barely large enough to breathe in. His eyes flicked over Ethan with unmistakable interest, lingering just a second too long.“You work here?” Ethan asked, more sharply than intended.Kai smiled. “Temporary contract. Creati

Ethan didn’t hear from Kai for three days.Not a message.Not a call.Not even the accidental coincidence Ethan had come to dread and secretly crave.At first, he told himself it was a relief.The quiet fit neatly back into the shape of his life. Meetings. Emails. Polished conversations. Everything returned to its proper place, smooth and untouched. No complications. No dangerous proximity.But silence, he learned, could be louder than confrontation.It followed him everywhere.In the reflection of glass office walls. In the empty chair across from him at the café. In the ghost of Kai’s warmth still lingering in his memory his wrist beneath Ethan’s fingers, the way he hadn’t pulled away.Ethan pressed his pen too hard against the paper, tearing through the page.“Damn it,” he muttered.Lucas noticed immediately.“You look like hell,” his friend said, leaning against Ethan’s desk. “Want to explain why you’ve been staring at your phone like it personally betrayed you?”Ethan didn’t answ

The city had never felt so loud.Ethan stood at the edge of the conference room, hands clasped behind his back, eyes fixed on the skyline beyond the glass walls. Below him, traffic flowed relentlessly indifferent to headlines, rumors, or the way his life had fractured under scrutiny.Behind him, voices murmured.Board members. Legal counsel. Executives who had once praised his discipline now watched him like a liability.“Ethan,” the chairman said carefully, “this situation has become untenable.”Ethan didn’t turn around. “Because I went to someone’s apartment?”“Because of perception,” another voice cut in. “Your association is distracting. Investors are uneasy.”Association.Not love. Not truth. Not humanity.Just optics.“We’re prepared to offer you a path forward,” the chairman continued. “A public statement. Distance. A clean break.”Ethan finally turned.“And if I don’t?” he asked.Silence followed.“You will be removed from your position.”The words landed cleanly. Final.Ethan

Morning came with coffee and cautious optimism.Kai made breakfast while Ethan sat at the small kitchen table, watching him move around the space like he belonged there. Easy. Comfortable. Everything Ethan had never let himself have."You're staring again," Kai said, sliding eggs onto a plate."Can't help it."Kai smiled, setting the plate in front of him. "Eat. You need your strength for job hunting."The words were light, but they landed heavy. Job hunting. Reality. The future neither of them wanted to talk about yet.Ethan's phone sat face down on the table. He hadn't mentioned the text from Richard Chen. Wasn't sure why. Maybe because saying it out loud would make it real, would force him to decide what it meant."You okay?" Kai asked, sitting across from him."Yeah. Just thinking.""About?""What comes next."Kai reached across the table, laced their fingers together. "We'll figure it out."The "we" made Ethan's chest tight in the best way.His phone buzzed. They both looked at i