جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 15

The faint hum of the office greeted me as I slid my cane along the familiar path to my desk. Mid-September air lingered by the entrance, cool and crisp, carrying hints of autumn leaves from the street below. I set my bag down and immediately reached for my phone when it rang.“Hello, Mom,” I said, placing the call on speaker.“Desmond! Finally. I’ve been meaning to catch you all week,” she said, her voice a mixture of cheer and mild exasperation. “I love this new place, you know. Quiet, neat… unlike that neighbor of mine in San Francisco who insists on mowing his lawn at dawn every day. I swear, he has no concept of time!”I smiled at her words, even though she couldn’t see me. “I’ll hold off on giving any advice, Mom,” I said dryly.She laughed. “Hon, I’ve been back for a week, and I’ve been wanting to see you, Desmond. It’s been months since we last sat together. When are you going to come over? I want to show you the garden—it’s finally blooming. The roses are exactly as I imagine

Desmond’s POVThe door shuts behind me with a quiet click.Routine. Control. Order.I reach for my tie, loosening it slowly as I step further into the office. The fabric slides beneath my fingers—familiar, grounding. My jacket follows, draped neatly over the chair.Another day.Another structure I can rely on.But my mind refuses to follow.It drifts—back to yesterday.Amaya.The message still lingers somewhere on my phone, unread in detail but fully understood in implication.She reached out.After everything.My jaw tightens.I move toward my desk, fingers brushing against the polished surface as I sit. My hand curls slightly, resting there for a moment—Then tightening.A slow, controlled squeeze.She lied.Not once. Not twice.Systematically.Carefully.What I thought was concern… urgency… desperation—Was none of those things.Just manipulation, dressed well enough to be believable.Money had never been the issue.I had more than enough to give.It was trust.And she dismantled i

Sophia’s POVThe house smelled like tea leaves and detergent when I walked downstairs.For the first time in weeks, I was home before sunset.The small living room glowed gold from the late afternoon sunlight filtering through the thin curtains, dust floating lazily through the air. Everything felt unusually calm.Too calm.I had barely reached the last step when the front door opened.Miles walked in.His backpack hung loosely over one shoulder, dark curls slightly messy like he had been running his fingers through them all day. The second his eyes landed on me, surprise crossed his face.“Soph?” he blinked. “Why are you home?”I laughed softly. “Nice to see you too.”“No, seriously.” He dropped his bag near the couch. “It’s still early.”“I know.”“That company finally collapsed or something?”I rolled my eyes. “No. My boss let me leave early.”Now that earned a reaction.Miles narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Your terrifying billionaire boss voluntarily gave you free time?”“Yes.”