"Your ankle needs to stay elevated," Alex said firmly, settling her into a chair and propping her foot up on another chair with a cushion. "Doctor's orders."They ate dinner together, the conversation flowing easily despite the awkwardness of earlier.Mia told him about her husband, how he'd died in a car accident two years ago, how she'd been lost ever since.Alex shared stories about his career as a firefighter, the good saves and the ones that still haunted him."You're a good man, Alex Carter," Mia said softly as they finished eating. "Your wife was a fool to let you go.""My soon-to-be ex-wife," Alex corrected with a sad smile. "And I think we both know that marriage was over long before the fire."After dinner, Alex cleaned up the dishes and then returned to find Mia trying to stand on her own."What are you doing?" he scolded gently. "You're supposed to rest that ankle.""I need to get to my bedroom," Mia said. "I can't sleep on the couch."Without a word, Alex bent down and sc

Alex stepped into the office, the assistant closing the door behind him. He kept his expression neutral, refusing to rise to her bait. "I'm here to discuss something important. It won't take long.""I'm very busy," Lisa said, not looking up from her papers. "I have a board meeting in twenty minutes.""This is more important than any board meeting." Alex reached into his messenger bag and pulled out the divorce agreement, setting it on her desk. "You never came home yesterday. You never saw these."Lisa's eyes fell on the papers, and her pen stopped mid-signature. For a moment, her composure cracked—genuine surprise, maybe even hurt, flashing across her face. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by that infuriating coldness."Divorce papers," she said flatly. "How dramatic.""It's not dramatic, Lisa. It's necessary." Alex kept his voice calm, measured. "Our marriage is over. We both know it. I'm just making it official."Lisa stood up abruptly, her chair rolling back. "So that's it?

Lisa stared at Alex, her jaw clenched so tightly it ached. Five minutes. He wanted five minutes of her time while Ben was suffering alone. The audacity of it made her blood boil."You know what this is, don't you?" Lisa's voice was sharp, cutting. "This is just another one of your pathetic attempts to compete for my attention. You're jealous of Ben, so you create these dramatic situations to make me focus on you instead.""Lisa, that's not—""Don't interrupt me!" She held up her hand, her eyes flashing with fury. "A man is sick, Alex. Actually sick. And you're standing here, playing your little games, trying to manipulate me into staying. Do you have any idea how selfish that is? How immature?"Alex's face remained impassive, which only infuriated Lisa more. "I'm not trying to manipulate—""Yes, you are!" Lisa's voice rose to a near-shriek. "You've always been like this! Always demanding my time, my attention, my energy. Never thinking about what I need, what my responsibilities are. B

The door swung open almost immediately, but instead of seeing Ben pale and feverish, Lisa found herself face to face with a perfectly healthy-looking Ben, dressed in expensive casual clothes, his hair styled perfectly."Lisa!" Ben's face lit up with a smile. "You made it! Come in, come in!""Ben, what—" Lisa stepped inside, confused. "You said you had a fever. You said you needed help—""Oh, that," Ben waved his hand dismissively. "I'm feeling much better now. You know how these things are—they come and go so quickly.""But you sounded so sick on the phone," Lisa protested, her worry beginning to morph into suspicion."Well, I was concerned about my temperature earlier, but I think it was just anxiety. You know how the fire has affected me." Ben took her hand, leading her further into the apartment. "But I'm so glad you came. There's someone I want you to meet.""Someone you want me to—" Lisa's words died in her throat as she saw a woman sitting on Ben's couch.The woman was in her fi

Over the next hour, Patricia peppered Lisa with questions about her business, her family, her plans for the future. Lisa answered mechanically, her mind only half-present. The other half was fixated on her phone, on the conspicuous absence of any messages from Alex.In the past, if they'd fought—even small disagreements—Alex would text her within an hour. Apologizing, trying to smooth things over, asking if they could talk. He'd been so constant, so predictable in his devotion.But now? Nothing. Complete silence.Lisa checked her phone again, trying to be subtle about it. Still nothing. No calls, no texts, no emails from Alex's personal account."Lisa?" Patricia's voice cut through her thoughts. "You seem distracted, dear. Is something wrong?""What? Oh, no, I'm fine." Lisa forced another smile, but it felt brittle. "Just some issues at the company. Nothing serious.""Work can be so demanding," Patricia said sympathetically. "But you know, dear, it's important to maintain balance. Ben