't afford chaos. My exit needed to be quiet. I had to let things unfold on their own. This wasn't

want luxury. I didn't want anything familiar. I wanted to disappear into stillness, to fade into a room that smelled like someone els

ring the drive, not when I closed the door behind me, not even when I sat alone in that room and heard

I decided to

ieve that this time, something would be different. Part of me, no matter how har

e phone rang three tim

ed tone it always had. It wasn't warmth. It

keeping my voice calm. "I walked i

hat followed w

he same sigh she gave when I asked too many questions as a child or

hrough a lot. You know that. She didn't grow up

with my husband?" I asked, my tone ev

r replied. "We took her in. She was broken. And Roman...

avier. "You're blaming me," I s

ng you'll regret. Think about the company. Think about

d she ask if

he say what the

self," I said quietly. "I needed

Don't make this more of a

all without sa

he had never picked me before.

stayed still. The city lights below blinked like messages I couldn't read. But inside me, some

laptop, and the pale glow from the screen lit my face like a dare

ion of divorce proceedings between myself and Roman Vale. Please proceed discreetly. There should be no

⸻

or weeks, lingering in every late return, in the perfume that clung to his clothes, in the w

im from the company imm

oken. Let them feel saf

ew tab and ty

⸻

ll public operations. You are to maintain all active projects and report only to me through our sec

this company existed only in sketches on napkins and sleepless nights

urner phone Julian had given me. I had kept it untouched for ov

ed his

ed on the

oel

time,"

u fi

. Qui

oving him from t

Not

for him to make

Ye

transition. I'll send the new identity routin

h he couldn't see me.

t. When do you

nigh

We ended the call witho

my wedding ring into the trash b

he grave of it. Before leaving, I tore a sheet of

break. They should hav

e door, and walked into the beginni