CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

ALEXEI

I stood in my office, the estate grounds unfolding beyond the window like a distant tapestry. Thoughts of Zoey danced in my mind, her presence a puzzle I couldn't figure out. 

She had a way of unsettling the carefully constructed walls around me, and I found myself struggling with unfamiliar emotions.

Yaz's voice echoed from the doorway, pulling me from my thoughts. "Boss, you've got a meeting in half an hour."

I nodded, my mind still lingering on Zoey. The relationship between us were shifting, an invisible thread connecting us in ways I hadn't anticipated. 

Love, or whatever it was, had a knack for complicating the straightforward path I had carved for myself.

There was a vulnerability in her eyes that tugged at something deep within me. Love was a liability, a weakness I couldn't afford. Yet, the mere idea of it lingered, an uninvited guest in my thoughts.

I strolled into the garage,