*Alex's POV* The clock on the wall had stopped ticking hours ago. Or maybe I had simply stopped noticing. My office sat submerged in that peculiar kind of late-night stillness that presses against your chest until you can hear your own heartbeat echoing in your head. The desk lamp cast a soft circle of gold across the papers, contracts, and cold coffee cups scattered in front of me. I had not eaten since morning. I could not remember whether I had even bothered to drink water. I worked instead. It was easier that way. Every email, every signature, every spreadsheet, every decision gave my mind something to do besides wander toward the silence waiting for me at home. Evelyn had not called, not in months. There were no messages, no explanations, no attempt to make sense of the wreckage she left behind. I loosened my tie and leaned back in my chair. The ceiling lights blurred slightly overhead. I was exhausted, the exhaustion settled beneath the skin and worked its way
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