QUIET OBSERVATIONS AND LOUD QUESTIONS
640 Words
It had been two full days since anyone had seen or heard from Vici Monroe.
No calls. No emails. Not a single message.
At first, her absence at Monroe Luxe had sparked mild concern. Maybe she’d taken a last-minute day off, or maybe her schedule had been cleared without alerting the entire staff. But by the second day, whispers started to form in corners—whispers that carried worry.
Her secretary, Lena, paced near the large glass windows of the executive floor, biting her lower lip. Vici wasn’t one to disappear. Not without informing someone. Not even during her most stressful work weeks.
Finally, she tapped a number on her phone. Selena Hart.
“Hello?”
“Miss Hart… I—I’m sorry to bother you, but have you spoken to Miss Monroe?”
“No. I’ve been texting her all morning. Why?” Selena’s voice instantly tensed.
“She hasn’t shown up in two days, and her line hasn’t been going through. I even stopped by her condo earlier. No answer.”
Selena didn’t waste another second. “I’m on my way.”
***
By the time Selena arrived at Vici’s apartment complex, unease gnawed at her like a storm beneath her skin. Her heels clicked rapidly across the marble lobby. Thankfully, she still had the spare key Vici had given her back in university—a gesture of friendship and trust.
When she reached the front door, she knocked once. Then twice. Nothing.
“Vici?” Her voice echoed in the hallway.
No response.
She inserted the key, slowly pushed open the door, and stepped inside.
The place was dim. No music, no sound of movement. The scent of lavender still hung faintly in the air, but it didn’t soothe her now.
Her eyes swept the room—and stopped when she saw the trail of papers near the hallway, leading toward the master bedroom. And then she heard it.
A soft, muffled cry.
Selena followed the sound and found Vici, curled up on the floor of her bedroom. Dressed in an oversized sweatshirt, her hair messy, cheeks stained with tears. Burnt-out candles surrounded her. A file—the same one Selena had handed her days ago—lay wide open, pages scattered around her like broken glass.
“Vici…” Selena dropped to her knees, gently pulling her into a hug. “What happened?”
“I didn’t ask for this,” Vici murmured, barely audible. “I wasn’t ready.”
Selena didn’t need to ask what she was referring to. That file. The results of her research. She’d gone behind Vici’s back to dig into Donovan Grey’s past—and maybe she had been right to do so.
“I only wanted to know who he was,” Selena whispered. “To protect you.”
Vici pulled back, her voice cracking. “And now I’m more confused than ever.”
The photo inside the file—the one that had shattered her resolve—lay visible beside them. Selena reached to close it, but Vici stopped her.
“He was in the States too,” she said, voice heavy with disbelief. “The same time I was there. What if…”
She didn’t finish. But Selena understood.
She had watched Vici struggle for years to bury the heartbreak that Lucas had left behind. But now Donovan was threatening to dig it all back up—unknowingly or not.
“You think he’s connected?” Selena asked carefully.
“I don’t know. But something’s off,” Vici replied. “And I need time to breathe.”
“Then take it. I’ve got the office covered.”
Vici gave her a grateful look, but even then, Selena could see the storm wasn’t over.
Something had shifted. The file hadn’t answered the question.
It had only deepened it.
***
- Writer
