The following morning, Elias was back at his desk, the lingering effects of his conversation with Grady still fresh in his mind. He had to keep moving forward. The team was counting on him. But it wasn’t just work that weighed on him today; the uncertainty of everything he was facing had found its way into his thoughts again.Lana had sent a few messages asking for updates on the upcoming phase of the project, but Elias hadn’t yet responded. His fingers hovered over his phone as he stared at the screen. It was easier to ignore the task ahead than to face it head-on. But the longer he delayed, the harder it would be.A knock at the door broke him from his thoughts. He wasn’t expecting anyone, but then again, that had been a constant theme in his life lately—unexpected visitors, unwanted interruptions, and conversations that always seemed to challenge him in ways he wasn’t ready for.The door opened slowly, and there stood Elise.Her presence was a surprise, but not an unwelcome one. He

Grady lingered in the doorway longer than Elias expected. His hand rested on the frame, his body half-turned as though he had something else to say. The pause stretched, and Elias felt it pressing on him, pulling at the fragile thread of understanding they had managed to weave together.Finally, Grady gave a small nod, his voice quiet. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”Elias almost asked him to stay, to press the conversation further, but the weight in his chest told him they weren’t ready to go any deeper tonight. He gave a faint nod in return, and Grady stepped out. The soft click of the door closing left the room swallowed by silence.Elias leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. Relief and unease twisted together, refusing to separate. They had taken a step forward, but the air between them wasn’t cleared. Not really. Grady’s tone had been careful, measured—not cold, but guarded. As if he was still holding back, unwilling to give himself completely to the promise of “together.”Elias ru

Elise didn’t step inside right away. She lingered in the doorway, her gaze steady on Elias, but her awareness never leaving Mara. Mara, for her part, didn’t shift, didn’t fidget, didn’t look away. She sat in her chair with the same composure she had walked in with, her presence deliberate, her silence almost challenging.Elias cleared his throat, though his voice betrayed the tension in him. “Elise… come in.”She crossed the threshold, each step measured. “I can see I’m interrupting something,” she said evenly, her eyes darting briefly to Mara before settling back on Elias. “But maybe it’s better if I don’t leave you to it.”Mara leaned back slightly in her chair, folding her hands together. “You don’t have to leave,” she said, her tone calm. “This isn’t a secret conversation. Not anymore.”The words hit Elias like a hammer. His chest tightened, and he felt the pressure building, the collision of the life he used to live and the one he was trying to build now.“Maybe you should explai

The silence after Elise’s departure stretched longer than Elias could stand. Every tick of the clock on the wall pressed into him, reminding him of what he had failed to say, what he had failed to do. He paced the room once, twice, before dropping heavily into the chair by the window.He should have run after her. He should have made her stay, explained better, explained everything. But the truth was he didn’t know if he even had the words. Not for her. Not for Mara. Not for himself.A soft knock at the door cut through his spiraling thoughts. Elias froze, his pulse jumping. He told himself it couldn’t be Elise returning—her footsteps had been too resolute when she left.When the knock came again, sharper this time, he rose, slow and reluctant, and pulled the door open.Mara.She stood there, her coat wrapped tightly around her, eyes flicking past him into the room like she was searching for signs of someone else’s presence. When she didn’t see Elise, her shoulders eased just a fracti

Elise didn’t move away, not even an inch. She stood there, her challenge hanging heavy in the air, her eyes fixed on Elias as though daring him to falter. Elias felt the weight of her words pressing into his chest. Prove it. Not with words. With what you do next.“I will,” Elias said quietly, almost to himself.Elise tilted her head slightly, waiting.Elias forced himself to breathe and crossed the room to the desk. He pulled out the drawer, the one he hadn’t opened in months. His fingers lingered before he set the object on the table: a folded letter, the edges worn from years of handling. Mara’s handwriting stretched across the front.Elise’s gaze fell on it instantly, her voice cold. “You kept it.”“I did,” Elias admitted. “Every time I felt like I was falling apart, I opened this drawer and stared at her words. I couldn’t let go of it, Elise. I thought if I did, I’d lose the last piece of myself.”“And now?” Elise asked, her tone sharp but not unkind.Elias picked up the letter, f