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Fabian stared at his desk as the quiet again reigned supreme after Mikel had left. It weighed upon his chest, a constant reminder of the choices he had made. The file before him, concerning the leads on De Silva, blurred as his mind raced back to Tasha. She was out there, waiting for a response angry or hurt. He couldn't avoid her forever, but right now, he needed clarity, not another confrontation.

He let out a loud sigh, rubbed his temples against the headache, and leaned back in his chair. His phone then buzzed again-this time, a message from Tasha, shorter than the rest:

"We need to talk. Please don't ignore me."

He stared at it for several moments, the words pulling at him. But the memory of Loretta's face, her laughter, the life they had built stronger. He couldn't afford to lose sight of what was important. Not now.

He pushed the phone away and refocused on the file, attempting to delve into the work. If he could track De Silva's movements, and find out where he was funneling t