The butler loosens his grip, a look of disbelief contorting his face. But before he can leave, Gianna, who's been watching the whole scene unfold like some sort of soap opera, steps in. “Wow, Karl,” she sneers, her lips curling into a contemptuous smile. “So now we’re letting not just cheaters b
Abby At the mention of the email and the rare ingredients, Karl’s face turns pale. Seeing him like this instantly fills me with an odd sense of dread as my mind begins to whirl with unending questions: why did Adam send him that email? Why did Karl give him rare ingredients? When did Karl give h
There’s a long, heavy silence. After what feels like an eternity, Karl finally meets my eyes, and there’s a raw, aching vulnerability there that makes my heart drop into my stomach. “You’re right,” he says quietly, his voice filled with regret. “I didn’t know at first. I just knew that he wasn’t tha
Abby The morning sunlight streams through the curtains, casting a warm glow that starkly contrasts with the cold feeling settling in my chest. I’ve been up all night, haunted by Karl’s confession, the unending complications it brought into my life, and the dilemma of Adam’s unknown intention
“You don’t have to do this,” he says softly, as if finally realizing the finality of this moment. “I know. I want to.” He steps back, giving me space to walk away. For a second, our eyes meet, and in that moment, I see a flicker of the man I once knew, the man I once thought was changing for
Karl As I watch the train speed away, a new form of emptiness settles in my stomach. Abby is pissed at me; I know that. I know that what I did with Adam was messed up, and I guess I hoped in some sort of naive way that she would never find out. Well, she found out. And she’s furious. Hell, s
She looks at me, her eyes filling with tears, and for a moment I think she’s going to argue. But then she just nods, her shoulders slumping in defeat. “Very well,” she murmurs, looking down at her desk to avoid meeting my gaze. I don’t wait for her to say anything else. I turn on my heels an
Abby I push open the door to the restaurant, the soft chime signaling my unexpected entrance. I feel the weight of curious gazes on me—Daisy, Ethan, a few waiters. They’re all surprised to see me back so early. “Abby, what are you doing here?” Ethan asks, a mix of confusion and concern etchi