The Brooklyn streets were cold and empty. Adalyn walked without direction, her phone vibrating relentlessly in her pocket. The screen flashed with "Eden" and "Home." She didn't answer. She let it vibrate until the battery died and the world went silent.
At the front desk of a 24-hour budget hotel, she paid in cash, ignoring the clerk's curious stare. In the room, she collapsed onto the bed. She didn't cry. She just stared at the ceiling, replaying Eden and Bambi's messages until the sun rose.
Her mind kept returning to her brother, Leo. With his end-stage renal failure, she couldn't afford a emotional breakdown. She needed her job at Apex Innovations.
The morning light was harsh. She found a spare charger at the front desk, and as her phone powered on, a flood of missed calls and frantic texts poured in. She ignored them all and dialed Eden's number.
He answered on the first ring, his voice a mixture of panic and anger. "Adalyn! Where the hell were you? Do you know how worried I was?"
Her own voice was unnervingly calm. "Eden, we're done."
Silence. Then, disbelief. "What? Because I came home late? Addy, don't be dramatic."
A cold laugh escaped her lips. "Bambi Steele. Your 'soulmate.' She gets you. Go to her."
His breath hitched. "You saw my phone? Addy, listen to me, it's not what you think. We were just—"
"I don't want to hear it," she cut him off. "I'll have a courier get my things. I'll mail you the key."
She hung up before he could reply, then systematically blocked his number and social media.
Back at the apartment, Eden stared at his phone in disbelief. He looked at the anniversary dinner left cold on the table and the small gift box she'd left behind. A delayed wave of regret mixed with offended pride hit him. He convinced himself Adalyn was just overreacting and would come back once she cooled down.
Adalyn went straight to work. She applied makeup with a steady hand, concealing the dark circles under her eyes, and put on her crispest corporate suit.
At the entrance to the Apex Innovations headquarters, a sleek black Maybach pulled up silently to the curb.
The back door opened, and a tall man in a bespoke navy suit emerged. He moved with an aura of absolute command. It was the CEO, Issac Carlisle.
"Good morning, Mr. Carlisle," employees whispered, parting ways.
Issac gave a curt nod, his ice-blue eyes scanning the lobby. For a fraction of a second, his gaze locked onto Adalyn as she walked briskly toward the turnstiles.
She felt the weight of his stare and looked up. Their eyes met—his deep, intense, and unreadable. Her heart gave a strange jolt. She quickly averted her gaze and rushed into the elevator.
Issac stood motionless for a moment, watching the elevator doors close. His assistant, Liam Hayes, stepped forward to read the day's schedule, but Issac cut him off.
"Find out why Adalyn Foster checked into a budget hotel in Brooklyn last night," Issac commanded, his voice cold and precise.
Liam blinked, surprised by the specific instruction regarding an executive assistant, but instantly nodded. "Right away, Mr. Carlisle."
