Chapter 9: Sophia’s Gambit

Palo Alto, USA

I had always thought of myself as a monogamist, one of those people with a delicate sensibility receptive to their partner’s feelings and held high considerable unbreakable honor.

Sienna had been gone for almost a week now. And loneliness was a devil of pain.

Every minute of my life was meticulously planned. An addiction to productivity was a real disorder I proudly had. But succumbing to a routine is better than total free time without anything to do of value.

That funding the investors had given us came with strings. Sienna helped with some of those, but the burden fell hard on my shoulders. I was elated by the opportunities but devastated by the workload. It might take a few months to get used to the pace after all.

I was eager to forget it all for a few minutes a day over drinks at the office. But then I received a text. I responded. As I had done in the past few weeks, I responded.

I didn