I already knew the answer to that question. Sofia had sent the message. Not him.
But I’d come anyway.
“Liora!” Sofia greeted me enthusiastically, her smile dazzling.
The tension in the room thickened. Harvey’s eyes narrowed. “Didn’t I tell you not to come?” he snapped.
I inhaled to speak, but Sofia jumped in first, pouting dramatically. “It’s my fault, Harvey. I really wanted chips, so I tricked her into coming. I’m sorry.”
His expression softened immediately. He reached out and ruffled her hair affectionately. “You little troublemaker,” he murmured, smiling.
That was the moment I knew.
I reached into my bag and pulled out a folded document.
“Harvey,” I said calmly, stepping forward, “one of my colleagues has a family emergency and needs approval to leave. I need your signature.”
Normally, HR would handle something like this, reviewing and approving resignations before they reached the Alpha’s desk. But because it was me, the letter had come straight to Harvey, bypassing every protocol. The room was dim, shadows flickering across his face as he barely glanced at the paper. Without hesitation, he signed it quickly, his eyes never leaving Sofia.
As I reached to take it back, his hand closed around mine.
He frowned, eyes dropping to my palm.
“You came all the way here just for this?” he asked, voice low.
I nodded once.
His expression darkened. Then he recoiled abruptly, pulling his hand away as if burned.
Only then did I realize his fingers had brushed the raw, blistered skin on my palm—the marks from baking.
Disgust flashed across his eyes.
From the side, Sofia leaned closer, eyes lighting up with sudden interest. “Oh! Liora, that red cord bracelet you’re wearing… it looks familiar,” she said sweetly. “I think I saw one just like it in Harvey’s trash a few days ago.”
I noticed Harvey subtly shift, his hand moving to cover his wrist.
I pretended not to see.
“These bracelets are common,” I replied evenly. “If you like it, you can have mine.”
She didn’t answer.
When I left the room, I went straight to the nearest trash bin and dropped the bracelet inside. I’d worn it for seven years. Now it was nothing more than discarded string.
As I waited for the elevator, my phone rang again.
Mom.
“Did you buy your ticket home yet?” she asked gently.
“Not yet,” I said. “I’ll book it in a few days.”
Before I could hang up, Harvey’s voice sounded behind me. “You’re booking a ticket?”
I ended the call and turned around, my expression blank. “There’s a restaurant nearby that’s hard to get into,” I lied smoothly. “You have to reserve days ahead.”
He didn’t question it. Instead, he pulled me along to a nearby hotel and booked a suite.
We worked through the night—him on his laptop, me reviewing documents—waiting for a response from an overseas pack partner. Neither of us spoke much.
Exhaustion eventually pulled me under.
When I woke the next morning, I was tucked into bed. Harvey sat beside me, casually flipping through the financial section of the paper.
“Breakfast is coming,” he said, already calling room service.
Halfway through the meal, he asked suddenly, “Why did you change your phone password?”
“Felt like it,” I replied, eyes on my plate.
The old password had been our birthdays. There was no reason to keep it.
He set down his utensils. “You used to ask me to watch movies with you. There’s a theater nearby.”
I nodded. There was no real option to refuse.
The theater was nearly empty. The scene I’d once dreamed of played out—sitting close, sharing popcorn.
But now, I struggled to stay awake.
“This is the movie you chose,” he said. “You don’t like it?”
“It’s fine,” I answered flatly.
His phone buzzed. Without a word, he stood and left.
The movie ended. He didn’t come back.
Then I heard Sofia’s voice.
She jumped into his arms, clutching a large stuffed toy, kissing his cheek. He laughed—until his eyes met mine.
“Liora! You’re here too?” she exclaimed, feigning surprise.
He tapped her nose playfully. “What are you apologizing for?”
The fire alarm blared.
In the chaos, Harvey grabbed Sofia’s hand first, shielding her as they ran.
When the alarm ended, he returned.
I was gone.
Two hours later, I stood at the train station with my suitcase. His calls went unanswered.
Before boarding, I sent one final message.
[We’re done.]
Then I removed my SIM card and threw it away.
Near midnight, I arrived home. Dad was waiting.
In the car, he handed me yogurt. I saw the gray in his hair—and broke down.
“I’m staying,” I sobbed. “Forever.”
He smiled softly. “You’ll always be our Liora.”
Later that night, a message arrived from Ava.
Then a video.
[Liora, this is everywhere. It’s about Harvey and Sofia.]
