of a late evening wrapping the room. His tie hung loose a

nce-Angelo's glass tapping a

was easy, carrying a note of am

led slowly, the kind that carried weight,

eeper into his chair. "Tol

nd, watching the liquid catch

t you were setting yours

"It wasn't suppose

tretched be

dlelit table, staring at the bouquet he shouldn't have

site-cracked screen, wouldn't even turn on," he explained, the w

ad slightly, signali

new phone," Zac continued. "We'd been te

ithout humor. "Then she just..

row. "Hold on... you

here like an idiot. Watchin

Man, that's rough." He took a sip, then added, "But, let

e frustration simmering into somethi

brows lif

t another humorless chuckle. "Martini said she pr

d. "And you b

"I didn't know what I was think

You just cared." His voice was uncharacteristical

thing unspoken settlin

t. "So. Are you going to

didn't

*****

o in the same spot where months ago, he

e day I told you ab

ng as he swirled his drin

e paused, realizing the complications

out his legs. "Whatever her n

or I hired never found her," Zac

ass down, laughing. "Wait-hold on. You actually

pressed. "Would you have

elo admitted,

found her?"

ned-cook-clashing with his current life. But who was

he past. And I don'

relief, raising his glass in a

against Angelo's. "To Bella," he repea

******

slice mirroring the tightness coiling inside her. From the dining room, Bella's voice drifted

Bella suggested lightly. "Just us at The

esponded, flat and distant, as if he

" Bella snapped in frustration.

The project launch, the anniversary dinner... ever

dripping with sarcasm. "And I'm just supp

en Mia heard a chair s

oolly. "If you don't

echoed up the staircase as she

weight in Zac's silence. She took a step toward the d

ffa

?" Mia st

d, barely looking up from his lapto

," she answered carefully. "W

eyes. "Yeah, but forget it. She won't be nee

d his chair back and stood, al

Please

her standing there, gripping the counter lik

uldn't have hurt. But the hollow a

************

ttled into a strange peacefulness. It wasn't just the absence of noise-it

did little to ease

in, rolling up his sleeves like he belonged there. Without hesitation, he reached for a

asked, his tone

ead, trying to push him away. "

ac's perfectly capable of brooding on his own. Beside

plication she couldn't afford, yet there was a comfort in the w

o," she said, allowing a sm

iffany, tell me-why work as a household cook? A job

t right now... i

r dinner tomorrow evening? I can help

rrupted them. Both turned to see Zac standing in the

ipped. "You seem to have a habi

pletely unfazed. "I was

make her uncomfortable. This time, she thought she caug

ac said evenly. "If you wish to work in

ht, boss, message received." He turned to Mia with a co

lled out, leaving be

anding even without words. "The head cook called in si

here." Mia nodded

the coffee machine. She had no idea how Zac took his coffee. And

***

estate, her phone buzzed. Glancing at the scree

the staff bathroom, clo

ing to show for it," Xiang's voice cut through the

on it, boss," she said quickly. "Zac's not someone you

terrupted. "It seems you've forgotten t

ia's response cam

y tomorrow,Mia, you'll find

there, staring at her phone, its

her deeper into the web she'd spun, and the w