her, the office buzzed with the steady rhythm of phones ringing, keyboards clicking, and hushed conversations. But for Liana, the noise felt

ehavior wa

se Ryan-her fiancé-was perfect on paper. Brilliant, ambitious, charming. The kind of man who could sweep you

ation on the phone, his tone sharp and secretive. When he noticed her, the smile he flashed w

ight, she glanced at her phone. A text from

at was becom

keyboard before she typed back,

rep

ghts? The growing distance? Or somethi

time an incoming call. It w

" Marissa's voice was war

, forcing a smile she knew Mari

ll it. You don

ow... something's off. He's been distant, and secretive. I caug

"Have you talked

try, he brushes me off. I don't want to be that

gh, that paranoi

tly. "Trust your

n her this far. But could she risk faci

e dim light of her apartment, a glass of wine half-forg

n. Another message from

mixture of hope and suspic

he'd brought home. But her eyes kept drifting to the phone, to the shadows

orning, her

to him but forwarded to her. Whispers in the office about meetings he'd missed.

olleague whispered to another. "I don't know if i

kened. Her hands c

ront-but she held back. Instead, she

g, Ryan was

arable. She scrolled through her phone, searching for clues, p

an, arm around a woman, laughing like they shared a sec

red at the screen, disbelief an

defended him

ing him after long days, the compromises she'd made,

This was

bered. The sunlight filtering through the blinds failed to warm the room. She sto

we need

top, surprised but quickl

ook tense. Work s

pping inside. "I saw the photo. T

e rubbed the back of his

you think," h

narrowed. "Th

s hair. "Look, it's complicated. She'

lied to me. You've been distan

ng the laptop wit

stepping closer. "I'm seeing what's been there all along. The contro

d. "You don't understand m

pill. "You're doing it for yourself." The room fell si

her heart were cracking, but they were still standing. She wasn't t

this," she

"Fine. If you're goin

h. She turned and walked out, he

he weight of grief settle over her. It wasn't just the loss

n. This time, it was

you think. Don't let

aybe she was stronger.

r shield now. Amb

rt of her whispered that perhaps, som