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Chapter 65: Shadows of Doubt

last update Last Updated: 2024-12-26 18:01:09

The day had been a mess, the kind that seemed to unravel no matter how tightly you tried to keep it together. I’d been trying to focus, to push past the noise, but it was proving impossible. Bella hadn’t been herself since our argument, her words cutting deeper than I wanted to admit.

I couldn’t blame her. I’d hidden things—things she had every right to be furious about. Still, the coldness in her eyes, the sharpness in her tone... It wasn’t just guilt gnawing at me. It was the fear of losing her.

I leaned back in my chair, staring out of the floor-to-ceiling windows of my office. Midtown bustled below, the city alive with its usual chaos. But even the view—a sight that had always reminded me of what I’d built—offered no comfort today.

I needed air.

Grabbing my coat, I left the office without a word to anyone. I didn’t have a destination in mind, but I let my feet carry me as my thoughts churned.

###

The small café on the corner wasn’t one I frequented, but its quiet charm
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